Imagine whipping up restaurant-worthy meals at home without the hefty price tag—even if you're a kitchen novice like me. This week, I tested Cookin' The World, a weekly basket brimming with premium ingredients and chef-crafted recipes for four original, simple, and balanced dishes.
What stands out about this service? It's packed with 80% fresh, seasonal French produce, vacuum-sealed premium meats, and wild fish caught off France's coast the day before delivery. The recipes, created by professional chef Céline, are straightforward and quick—30 minutes on average. Let's dive in.
Start by visiting www.cookintheworld.fr. Choose from two subscriptions: weekly basket for 2 people (€59) or 4 people (€89). That's about €7.30 per meal for two people (four meals weekly) or €5.50 per meal for four. I went with the two-person option and spotted gift cards—a thoughtful gift idea.
Monday evening, a massive box arrived—big enough to hide in. Ripping it open felt like Christmas: vibrant, fresh veggies like the most perfect carrots I've ever seen. Among them, a curious green chayote (also called christophine), which I'd never buy myself. The included booklet explains it's versatile—raw or cooked, like zucchini in gratins, soups, or even jams.
Here's the full inventory for the two-person box (four meals):
Vegetables:
• 1 Chayote (Martinique)
• 3 carrots (France)
• 1 yellow onion from Auxonne (France)
• 1 garlic (France)
• 1 round shallot (France)
• 1 lime (Mexico)
• 2 parsnips (France)
• 3 potatoes (France)
• 3 pak choi (France)
• 1 ginger (China)
• 1 red pepper (France)
• 1 chicken-leg shallot (France)
• 1 cream mushroom (Netherlands)
Meat & Fish:
• Wild fish from North East Atlantic
• Heart of rump steak (beef born, raised, slaughtered in Ireland)
• Turkey crépinettes (France)
Grocery/Dairy:
• 1 packet organic wok noodles
• 1 packet organic white penne pasta
The four recipes:
Grilled fish with 'dog sauce' (Caribbean-inspired, no dog involved!)
Rump steak with parsnip mash
Wok-fried noodles with pak choi and ginger
Turkey crépinettes with shallots, mushrooms, and penne
My mouth was watering!
With the clear, tip-filled booklet in hand, I tackled the grilled fish with dog sauce—intrigued by the name and eager to try chayote. As an exotic cooking newbie, having all ingredients ready and a simple 35-40 minute recipe built my confidence. I finished right on time.
Presentation: stunning and exotic. Taste: incredible. Tender fish, succulent chayote, bursts of flavor that satisfied completely. This basket introduced me to new ingredients, sparked joy in cooking, and proved even beginners can create restaurant-level dishes. TADAM!
Website: www.cookintheworld.fr
