As with many cooks, food is my mother’s love language. As a child, I watched her prepare meals for people celebrating births, pushing through cancer, moving, or mourning, and packing a pop-up basket of aluminum pans and zippered bags. The dishes inside have always been carefully calibrated for the receiver. Sometimes it was black beans and rice with gazpacho for a vegetarian friend or just fried chicken and potatoes for a neighbor with colitis. Often it was a traditional Jewish comfort dish like brisket or matzo ball soup that our family longed for.
Eating can’t solve every problem. However, delivering a homemade meal or edible gift to someone’s door is a concrete answer to the sometimes difficult question, “What can I do to help?” In our digital age of apps and delivery services, there are plenty of creative ways you can feed people and make sure you are giving them something they actually want. And if you are the one in need of food, the same ideas can be suggested to you. Whether you want to feed others or give directions to those asking, here is how to take care of food.
Boil or freeze for others
When cooking for other people, the first thing to do is consider their needs – even if you are a seasoned cook who loves to experiment. Emily Weinstein, assistant food editor for the New York Times (parent company of Wirecutter) and editor of NYT Cooking, suggests putting herself in the recipient’s shoes. “Ask yourself, ‘What is the mandate, what is the need? And how can I hit it? ‘”Said Weinstein. She recommends making comfort foods like lasagna, meatballs, chilli, or lentil soup, all of which freeze and reheat well. Margaux Laskey, executive editor at NYT Cooking, said casseroles, meatloaf, quick bread, cookies and cakes are also great ideas.
Of course, consider possible food allergies, as well as dietary or religious restrictions. But also ask about special circumstances and space restrictions. You can cook a meal in bulk or portion foods one at a time using zip bags, containers, waxed paper, or foil so people can reheat small amounts when they’re hungry. Clearly labeling instructions, delivering meals that are already hot, and bringing ready-made add-on products such as salad dressing can optimize preparation and serving, especially if your recipient is not thinking about cooking. Both Weinstein and Laskey recommend tagging your containers if you want them back.
If you’re freezing dishes, do your best to remove the air and wrap them tightly in freezer-weight wrap. (Wirecutter recommends Pyrex glass containers, plastic snapware, or Rubbermaid TakeAlongs for storing food.) Elizabeth Andress, a food safety specialist and professor at the University of Georgia, said that freezer-specific packaging really makes a difference in preventing freezer burn. For ingredient-specific advice on freezing, she recommends consulting the guidelines of the National Center for the Conservation of Food at Home.
You might also consider doing something surprising and adorable that goes beyond basic supplies. Laskey’s favorite gift for new parents is a batch of frozen cookie dough that is wrapped in individual servings so they can bake just a few cookies at a time.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not a seasoned cook, Weinstein said. “I really can’t stress this enough,” she said. “It’s just that you took the moment to think about someone.” It is still appreciated to bring something that you haven’t made yourself, like a bag of granola, an excellent hot sauce, or a fried chicken from your local grocery store.
Organize a food train
Perhaps you are not the only person who wants to help your friend or loved one. In this case, you can organize a food train – a group of people who agree to feed someone on different days or in specific weeks – to avoid duplicate dishes or an overloaded refrigerator.
Wirecutter recommends MealTrain.com, a special crowdsourcing platform that makes it easier to coordinate duties and specific meals. (A spreadsheet, email chain, or other registration website can work as well.) Mealtrain.com creates an interactive calendar and allows you to adjust the number of recipients as well as their food preferences and allergies.
The same rules apply to a food train: think about the needs of the recipient, inquire about the available space, and label your containers if you want them back.
Give a gift basket that is actually good
Whether your friend or loved one is sick, grieving, or has just moved into a new home, receiving an edible reward in the mail is a welcome change from the usual bills and circulars. Wirecutter has recommendations for gift baskets that go beyond boring fruit and nut assortments. Before buying, consider any dietary restrictions, how long the items might last, and how many people the gift is for. For example, a sample of Jeni’s ice cream holds up well in the freezer, while a cheese basket from Jasper Hill Farms offers visitors a nosh, but doesn’t last longer than a few weeks.
You can also send tea or coffee for a much-needed shot of caffeine. On the go options, like instant coffee or tea, may be better for people who work in a hospital, travel, or camp. (We like Mount Hagen one-serving organic instant coffee.) If you know your recipients will stay home, pair loose-leaf tea with a fine-mesh steeper or mail a box of great coffees. Wirecutter carries Harney & Sons teas in our test kitchen and recommends the Finum Brewing Basket for soaking.
Delivery when you want
Sometimes the best gift is to give people exactly what they want, when they want it. You can purchase gift cards for grocery delivery services like Grubhub and Uber Eats, or pick them up at a local restaurant. That way, people can go take away in their own time frame. Alternatively, you can place an order yourself so that it arrives at the door at exactly the right time.
If people can still cook but are unable to shop for themselves, you can also ask for their grocery list and send them what they need through a delivery service like Instacart or FreshDirect. Another creative idea is a gift card for a meal set service: Wirecutter recommends Blue Apron, which offers recipes accessible to beginners and contains all the necessary ingredients except salt, pepper and oil. (There are vegetarian options too.) Again, you don’t want your gift to make things more difficult. So check with your friend or family member beforehand to find out if they are really ready to cook.
What you do for others you can do for yourself
If you are having a tough time yourself and people are bothering you about how they can help, offer these ideas yourself. Don’t be afraid to break a taboo by asking what you want or need. You give people a purpose and can return the favor later.
