Latest news with #JoseGarces
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WIRED
26-07-2025
- General
- WIRED
CookUnity Cracked the Code on Meal Delivery By Using … Gasp … Chefs
It shouldn't be surprising if a plate of chicken lababdar tastes delicious. The dish is among my favorite North Indian gravies, a slightly edgier cousin of butter chicken that's a bit spicier and tangier but just as creamy. What was surprising was that this particular chicken had arrived in the mail. Specifically, it came in a microwaveable tray from CookUnity meal delivery service that looked a little like a white-label TV dinner—packed up earlier that morning in Seattle, then driven down to me in Portland, Oregon. The world of prepared meal delivery is erupting in popularity as of late, and pretty much every major meal kit service is getting in on the game. I have nonetheless learned to temper my expectations when testing ready-to-eat meals. It's not easy to make pre-assembled meals taste good, even if they were good when they started. The problem is moisture. And the problem is the microwave. In many cases, the results have been OK to subpar. Photograph: Matthew Korfhage But so far, CookUnity looks to be a big exception. CookUnity is a somewhat new model of prepared meal delivery service, something like a cross between a meal service and Doordash. Rather than make recipes in a top-down corporate kitchen, CookUnity is regional. The service enlists local and national chefs, and promises to bring restaurant-quality meals to the home—prepared according to recipes from occasionally quite big names. (Hello, Jose Garces.) My chicken lababdar in particular was a lovely success. The saffron-tinged basmati rice maintained its moisture. My bits of thigh were plump and still juicy. The sauce was lightly tangy, a little fiery, with most of its sweetness coming from the natural sugars of tomato and puree. Quite frankly, it tasted a lot better than the chicken dishes I could get from the (admittedly not great) Punjabi restaurant down the street from my house. And yet prep was just a matter of popping my tray in the toaster oven for 12 minutes, or in the microwave for three. Not every dish from CookUnity was as good as the lababdar from Seattle chef Gaurav Raj. More on that later. But in its ambition, its pool of culinary talent, and its diversity of dishes—Haitian! Indonesian! Filipino!—CookUnity is the best ready-to-eat meal delivery service I've yet tested or tasted. Here's the rundown, and the important caveats. How CookUnity Works Courtesy of CookUnity So first, the bad news: CookUnity isn't available everywhere. The meal service is run out of eight regional commissary hubs around the United States and Canada: Seattle, LA, Austin, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Toronto. This leaves out West Virginia, and a good swath of the Plains states.
Business Wire
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
CookUnity Hides Cash-Filled Tomato Cans Nationwide to Celebrate the Return of Pop Culture's Hottest Chef
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CookUnity, the 100% chef-led meal delivery platform, is calling on Americans to say 'yes, chef' and join the hunt for its latest campaign: the 'Tomato Can Cash Drop,' a nationwide scavenger hunt hiding thousands of dollars in cash and prizes inside tomato cans across major U.S. cities. From Friday, June 20 th to Tuesday, June 24 th participants can head to CookUnity's Instagram (@cookunity) for daily drops and clues in culinary hotspots across the country, including; Each tomato can contains $500 USD in cash and $500 in CookUnity meal credits, so lucky winners can enjoy meals crafted by elite chefs, like the chefs we love binge-watching on TV. CookUnity knows a thing or two about award-winning chefs, with the brand's meals crafted from some of the world's most critically acclaimed masters, including James Beard Award Winner Jose Garces, Iron Chef Cat Cora, James Beard Award Winner Rick Bayless, and more. 'CookUnity's mission is to connect real people with the talents, passions, and nourishing food of the very best chefs,' said Cam Ferrin, VP of Brand Marketing at CookUnity. 'Our culture is obsessed with chefs and inspiring food, but the way we eat every day is far from that ideal. 'Tomato Can Cash Drop' is our way of celebrating pop culture's love for chefs, while also trying to close that gap and redefine our standards for daily eating, by bringing the expertise of chefs off our TV screens and onto our tables, every day.' Scavenger Hunt & Sweepstakes Details: Every second counts! June 20-24 CookUnity is hiding tomato cans across Chicago, New York City, and Austin with daily clues on @chicagocollectors, @findthecashny, @findthecashatx, respectively. Be the first to find a can and you may just win a prize valued at $1,000 USD in cash and CookUnity credits. Not located in one of these iconic food cities? Follow @CookUnity on Instagram and (1) Follow @CookUnity (2) Comment with your favorite chef moment from a movie or TV show and (3) Tag a friend in your comment that you'd hire as sous-chef for a chance to win nationwide. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington D.C. 18 or older at time of entry. Begins June 18, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. EDT and ends on June 24, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EDT For official rules, follow this link: The CookUnity Tomato Can Surprise Contest Official Rules So, grab your sous-chef and hit the streets with CookUnity. As for those other meal delivery services? 86! About CookUnity CookUnity is a premium, chef-made meal delivery platform that connects top chefs with discerning consumers seeking restaurant-quality meals delivered to their doorstep. With a mission to redefine convenience without compromising on taste or quality, CookUnity offers a diverse menu curated by culinary professionals, using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Through innovative partnerships and a commitment to culinary excellence, CookUnity aims to reimagine the home dining experience, making chef-prepared meals accessible to food enthusiasts throughout North America. With thousands of recipes developed by top chefs, CookUnity offers the greatest range of cuisines for food enthusiasts. Learn more at
