OK, I am a serious (sometimes) food writer, so you expect me to do everything long-hand and suffer for my art? But why? Who has time? We have Gousto!
It’s easy to be a food snob these days. We are almost encouraged to be that way. Use the farmers’ market (if we have one), go to the best grocers, and muse over shelves trying to find that key ingredient – and that’s after you have mused over your cookbook shelves trying to find the best recipe. Perhaps it’s because I am past that ‘certain age’ that I now consider a time-saving alternative to all of that, now and again.
My Gousto box arrived and I was impressed. Yes, it had the easy-to-understand recipe card but also everything needed for the main dish. It was all exactly weighed and measured, so not a chance of a slip. It’s like cooking by numbers. Great produce, too. Nothing damp, brown, wrinkly or in any way second-rate.
The Beef Keema was a triumph. It was simple to prepare, and the spices were not dumbed down. The only things extra to the ingredients in the box were a little oil and salt and pepper. That seems to be the case for all Gousto recipes. They have impact where one would hope to find it. The recipe suggested that this was a main course for 4 people, but it would easily have worked for five and perhaps even six with the addition of a salad and some naan bread. Perfect for a Friday dinner. Nothing to search for. No reason to get out the scales. No sinking feeling as one realises that the curry powder in the larder ran out a week ago. It’s all in the chilled Gousto box. Delivery can be any day of the week, too!
Gousto is economic, and more so for the time-poor or even those who would like to acquire a bit of confidence in the kitchen. I would encourage any novice cook to start here. The Gousto recipes are a vibrant bunch and cover all tastes. They are attractively priced meals that are cooked at home with fresh ingredients. A lot of fuss will be the only thing lacking, and you wouldn’t want that, anyway.
Have a look at the tempting recipes from Gousto here https://cook.gousto.co.uk. The West African Stew might be on my near culinary horizon with more ideas to follow.