@renatapdx

As time passes our passion for cooking at home continues, but shopping for certain ingredients lacks hope due to inconsistency of sourcing products. So what does one do when they want to cook a delicious meal for their loved ones while in quarantine? The answer is... think locally!

Thanks to companies like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron who paved the way and became pioneers for home cooks to produce quality meals with the convenience of not only having it delivered to your front door, but have all the ingredients measured and ready to throw in the pan. Now, local restaurants are taking a page from that book and starting to supply their neighborhoods with meal kits in both savory meals and sweet treats ready to cook and consume.

@bratobk

Listed below is Paris Gourmet's recommendations of where to get your local "mis en place". So start clicking and planning your meals for this week... bon appetit!

***Did we miss a neighborhood favorite spot of yours? Feel free to comment below where to go and what you suggest to order.***

APPS & MAIN COURSE MEAL KITS

Brooklyn Benchmark Brooklyn, NY

COTE NYC, NY

Sous Vide Kitchen NYC, NY

BREADS & DESSERT MEAL KITS

Plum and Honey Brooklyn, NY

L' imprimerie Brooklyn, NY

ARTICLES THAT FEATURE MORE MEAL KITS

Eater.com NYC Restaurant Family Style Meal Kit

Theinfatuation.com 54 Restaurants Selling Groceries and Meal Kits

Newsday.com Long Island Restaurants Meal Kits

Purewow.com NYC Meal Kits

Because right now you can't have too many stories about cookies.

^{Photo courtesy of Doubletree}                                    

Anyone who's ever stayed in a Doubletree Hotel looks forward to "the cookie." Maybe you've just pulled off the road after 13 hours, or your flights have been delayed and delayed and delayed again. But when you walk into the lobby and smell those cookies fresh from the oven, you stress melts and all is right with the world (as least, that's what Doubletree is going for.) 

For over 30 years, the Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookie has been shrouded in mystery. The recipe was kept secret, known only to a handful of bakeries around the world who produced the cookie for the chain.

But on April 9th, that all changed.

In a statement published on their website, Doubletree offered the official recipe for their cookies. Copycat recipes have been circulating for years, but this is the first time it's come from the source. Says Shawn McAteer, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton, "We know this is an anxious time for everyone. A warm chocolate chip cookie can’t solve everything, but it can bring a moment of comfort and happiness."

So without further ado...

DoubleTree Signature Cookie Recipe

Makes 26 cookies

½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)

¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 ¼ cups flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch cinnamon

2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts 

Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. 

Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl. 

With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix. 

Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. 

Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft. 

Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.

Cook’s note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.

For a brief history of the Doubletree cookie, click here.

And for an excellent post about America's other favorite cookies (hint: they're from the Girl Scouts) click here.

The feeling of nostalgia hits when someone mentions girl scout cookies, then the next emotion is a sense of urgency to "place my order now before they run out!". Fast forward to today with ordering online and having it delivered to your door. This option is very mainstream and the norm for the majority of us.

How did going from a door to door sales in your local neighborhood expand to nationwide online sales and shipping?

Girl Scouts know how to adapt and get creative with their challenges in order to accomplish their goals and find solutions. It is the mentality and skill set that is developed and trained in order to earn a badge. Their website states that "Girl Scouts unleashes the G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ in every girl, preparing her for a lifetime of leadership—from taking a night-time hike under the stars to accepting a mission on the International Space Station; from lobbying the city council with her troop to holding a seat in Congress; from running her own cookie business today to tackling cybersecurity tomorrow.
Our Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a one-of-a-kind leadership development program for girls, with proven results. It is based on time-tested methods and research-backed programming that help girls take the lead—in their own lives and in the world. 
Research shows that girls learn best in an all-girl, girl-led, and girl-friendly environment. Girl Scouts is a place where she’ll practice different skills, explore her potential, take on leadership positions—and even feel allowed to fail, dust herself off, get up, and try again."

GirlScoutCookies.Org

In over a hundred years of feeding us, the Girl Scouts have added new flavors including gluten free options. Girl Scouts now have two facilities that produce their cookies. ABC Bakers produces Caramel DeLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Lemonades, and Shortbread Cookies. Little Brownie Bakers produces Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Savannah Smiles, and Trefoils. 450 million Thin Mint cookies get made in one day, so its obvious why they have more than one facility to make these cookies! To peak your knowledge, do some baking, and have a good laugh... check out the links below that will satisfy your Girl Scout cookie cravings. Enjoy!

LINKS:

Purchase/ Donate Girl Scout Cookies

The official website for Girl Scouts, where you can learn more about their programs, history and of course purchase cookies! You can also make a donations with multiple options as well.

Troop Beverly Hills Movie- It's Cookie Time!

A 1989 American comedy film about a self centered materialistic Beverly Hills wife, finds out her husband is cheating on her and decides to get divorced. In order to distract herself she invests her time volunteering as her daughters troop leader. After realizing her lifestyle and typical tactics do not meet the "Wilderness Girls" standards, Shelly Long who portrays the mother/ troop leader, learns to become selfless and lead her daughter and the rest of the troop members to valuable lessons and hilarious moments!

How Girl Scout Cookies are Made - Insider/ Little Brownie Bakers

Insider literally takes you inside Little Brownie Bakers facility and show you how the girl scout cookies are made with fun facts. Be prepared to drool!

Pastry Chef Attempts to Make Gourmet Girl Scout Cookies - Gourmet Makes- Bon Appetit

Join Claire Saffitz in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen as she attempts to make gourmet Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs. That's right, Claire's making Girl Scout Cookies. Did you know the Girl Scouts started selling cookies back in 1917? But it wasn't until 1951 that the Thin Mint, the cookie most synonymous with the Girl Scouts, was introduced and swept the country like a tidal wave. And now here we are, in the Test Kitchen, watching Claire make them herself. What a time to be alive.