After a year, we're adapting to meal assembly kitchens, and they're adapting to us

(Wednesday, August 30, 2006) — Excerpts from The Washington Post:
"Putting a Trend to the Test"
By: Bonnie S. Benwick and Candy Sagon

"The appeal of these operations is fairly obvious: Patrons get the upside of eating at home without the dreary down side. That means convenience, healthier food and compliments on your cooking, vs. menu planning, shopping and measuring.

The drill at the places is basically the same. You don plastic gloves and maybe a head covering and put together the ingredients for up to a dozen or so different meals. Think of it as a do-it-yourself meal kit, a cake writ large. Then you take the individually packed fixings home to your own freezer to be cooked as needed. Instructions are foolproof, meals are easily customized and the atmosphere's friendly."
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"For the record, Vermeulen's [Bert Vermeulen, Director of the Easy Meal Preparation Association] ranks of 'mystery shoppers' who check out kitchens across the country rank the food at Let's Dish!...as the best 'among' the meal assembly kitchens in the Washington area."