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There are plenty of pandemic-induced activities that we’re happy to see the back of in 2023, but there are some that are here to stay, and our lives are better for them. One of these is chef-designed meal kits, delivered right to our homes. For shuttered restaurants, it was the only way to survive. And for us, it was something to look forward to on the weekend, plating up restaurant-quality food to lift housebound spirits and mark the weekend in any way we could.
Owner and chef Charlie Carrington’s Atlas Dining was among the first restaurants to get on board, launching a subscription delivery service called Atlas Weekly in 2020. Three years later it’s still going as people embrace the convenience of home deliveries and of not having to decide what to make for dinner each night and avoid yet another trip to the supermarket for ingredients. Carrington says what began out of necessity has taken on a life of its own. “It’s exciting to start something off the cuff and see it blossom into something bigger and better than you ever imagined.”
The way it works is simple. Select your weekly menu on a Monday, and the following week you’ll receive either three or four nights’ meals, to feed between one and six people. Each week has a regional theme. It might be Southeast Asia, or North America, Mexico or Japan. Gluten free, vegetarian and pescatarian menus are also available. Or opt for the “Global Favourites” menu to receive a mix of the most popular dishes from around the world, including honey mustard sofrito glazed chicken, beef shawarma, spaghetti marinara and Sri Lankan lamb kebabs. Carrington says the emphasis has always been on supplying high quality, achievable meals to put together at home, at a price comparable to shopping at a supermarket (expect to pay around $9–13 per person per meal).
Ingredients for the meal kits come from the same supplies used for Atlas Dining. Vegetables come from Pino’s Fine Produce at Prahran Market; pork from Valenca Free Range Pork; beef from Southern Ranges SR4, with a 4+ marble score. Meats are marinated in-house and all sauces are handmade from scratch.
“Making our own sauces is so important to the quality of the meal,” says Carrington. “I love making our curry pastes for the marinated pork. You stir-fry the pork in the paste and the smell is just heaven. For me, those are our best dishes.”
All dishes arrive with a recipe card, a check list and no more than six steps. Typically, all that’s required is a little chopping and some simple cooking and assembling. It should take no longer than 20–30 minutes. “You feel good about cooking, because you’re creating this beautiful, fresh meal for your family, without having to think too much,” says Carrington.
Each week, Carrington’s team scours the world for inspiration and creates new dishes to keep the menu fresh. For customers, it’s a trip round the culinary world and a chance to improve your own knowledge of cooking. “It gives you a chance to cook meals you might not ordinarily consider,” says Carrington. “A Moroccan tagine might not be something you’d knock out every night. But this makes it easy and educational. And, of course, delicious.”
Use the code BROADSHEET to receive $45 off your next 3 Atlas Weekly orders.
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