Italy-born Cristina Bowerman nabbed herself a Michelin star in 2010 and just last year was named Chef Ambassador to the 2015 World Expo, making her a serious contender in the culinary world. And now she's added a meal delivery service to her list of achievements. Called Crateful, the Los Angeles-based company transforms Michelin-quality meals (which are usually pretty rich) into healthy pre-prepared dishes that you can eat every day without guilt.
“Crateful collaborates with certified nutritionist Alyse Levine to ensure that all meals are perfectly balanced and nutritious before being presented to the costumers,” Chef Bowerman recently told us. “I'm already a big fan of healthy cooking myself, so working with Alyse is definitely a plus.”
Like other subscription services, customers choose what type of menu they want (Chef, Vegetarian, Pescatarian or Fitness), decide on whether they want a five-day or seven-day plan and then pick the best delivery time. If you have allergies or additional dietary requirements, you’ll also be able to sort through a list of ingredients to make eliminations.
Though everything looks good on the site, we definitely want to try the Zucchini Spaghetti the most, which Bowerman told us she could eat “all day, every day.” “It’s the perfect combination of my Italian tradition and my modern personality. Instead of using traditional pasta, I cut zucchini in shape of spaghetti and season them with a light lemon vinaigrette, topped with roasted pepper and creamy tofu."
Not just lending her name to the company, Bowerman is also the company’s Executive Chef and gains support from a great team that includes “Chef de Cuisine Salvatore Sodano [of Nikita Malibu in Florida], two sous chefs and four kitchen assistants.” She gives props to her team for helping her maintain a balance in her busy life, since Crateful is also a catering service that offers cooking demonstrations and classes.
"It's all a matter of organizing the kitchen properly! I enjoy offering live cooking performances during some catering events and I often have to travel back to my restaurant in Rome. I wouldn’t be able to do it if I didn’t have the perfect team behind me.”
Though Crateful is only available to Los Angeles residents at the moment, the company is targeting San Diego as its next location. You have the option of trying it out for a single day at the rate of $63 and should you choose to move to a subscription, prices start at $140 a week.
