From packaged to delicious…

I can cook, but there are times when I need to do other things, times when I just can’t peel and chop, saute and bake, puree and reduce — and wash all of the dishes dirtied during the preparation of a delicious meal.

Of course, lots of restaurants are happy to help me out — but last week I grabbed the opportunity to become a 30-minute chef, courtesy Cook! SF, a San Francisco company that shops, preps, packages and delivers every last ingredient I need to make a restaurant-quality meal in 30 minutes or less.

Being such a speedy chef is a bit pricey — it costs $24 to $30 per meal — but for someone who spends two or more hours in the kitchen night after night, it’s worth every cent.

This is why. It was 3 p.m. on a Friday and I was starved. I had a busy evening planned, and a headache on the back burner from not eating all day. I checked my watch and decided that if the promises on the Cook! SF paperwork were true, I had just enough time to serve up a gourmet meal.

I zipped open the cooler sack and pulled out a pair of boxes. Inside was a tub of sweet potato soup, an apple cake with fresh whipped cream to garnish, and bags containing perfectly prepped and pre-cooked asparagus, and large fillets of salmon.

Within 10 minutes I had read the instructions, put the asparagus in the oven and a salmon fillet in a hot pan. The soup went into a second pan for reheating. Ten minutes later, I scooped the food onto a plate for photos before diving in with a fork.

The fish was some of the best I have ever tasted. The fresh dill sauce was salty to taste, a perfect garnish for my barely salted fish and asparagus. The soup, made with sweet potato celery and onion, was lively and perfectly balanced.

Worth $25-$30? You bet. Later that evening I was surrounded by colleagues who had headaches from working too hard and missing dinner altogether. I felt great. I had not only had dinner, but a luscious, memorable, nutritious dinner that I cooked — with barely any effort at all.

A day later, I tackled a second sample, a dinner of Steak with Pomegranate Reduction and Mashed Parsnips served with an arugula-walnut salad.

Because the sauce required a few more steps than the salmon dish, preparing this dinner took about 20 minutes — not exactly a big investment of time. On the fork, I enjoyed this meal, except for the liver-flavor of the beef itself. Every other aspect of the meal was great. I especially enjoyed the fresh arugula and the potato-parsnip mash, an idea I want to duplicate soon.

Those who are interested in trying out the service will be happy to know that the instructions are ultra-clear, printed up with a color image of what the dish should look like. On the back side of the instruction card is detailed nutrition data for each recipe - essential for those on special diets.

Cook! SF is designed as a subscription service, where clients order one meal per week, delivered on Wednesdays. Every week there are two meal options. Entrees are $13.95, appetizers such as the salad and the soup are $2.65 (a bargain) and desserts are $2.95. Those who order more than two meals can add a third entree for $9.95. Delivery is $9.95.

For more information, go to www.cook-sf.com.

– Jolene Thym