Delivering the goods

When I left Australia 10 years ago, online shopping wasn't really a thing.  By the time I got to the US, I learned that you could buy pretty much anything at the click of a button, and have it delivered anywhere without having to speak to anyone.  It was one of the most beautiful discoveries of my life.

One delivery service I have found especially useful since moving to New York is when it comes to food.  We've talked on this site about Seamless.com before, but every now and again I really do like to cook for myself.  I just find that the palaver of going into a store and browsing the aisles is often too much to bear, so I will frequently resort to online grocery shopping.

Most supermarkets and food outlets in Manhattan will do same-day home delivery - either from an online order, or if you just can't carry everything you've purchased in-store.  But I love the freedom to do my grocery shopping online whenever it suits me - even if that's at midnight.  I can place my order, pay for it in advance, and schedule delivery either the next day, or later in the week.  It just makes everything so much easier.

I've long been a devotee of Fresh Direct, not just for their own, local product range but also because they've now got a partnership with the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative which is based in Pennsylvania.  I can order a veggie box online, and I'm rewarded with an amazing array of seasonal, fresh and organic vegetables like these ones delivered to me today, without having to queue up at the supermarket or farmers market and choose the best items for myself.

Like all things though, online grocery shopping prices and product ranges vary.  If you shop around a bit, you might prefer to order directly from Food Emporium, Fairway Market, or even Whole Foods or your local D'Agostino.  And if you have to feed a family, or if you like to do a lot of cooking & freezing for later, it might be more cost-effective to buy from a place like Costco.  New York City is not light on options, that's for sure.

Other than food, there are also companies like Soap.com that specialise in same-day delivery of the household items and heavy cleaning products that we all need, but often can't carry in one shopping trip.  There's even Google Shopping Express that allows you to place an order from multiple stores (supermarkets and other vendors), but get all your products delivered at the same time on the same day that you ordered them.  For such convenience, I don't think anyone would mind paying the small delivery charge and gratuity that usually applies.

I know a lot of New Yorkers who hardly use their kitchens, other than for additional storage.  The kitchen in my itty-bitty living space is only small too, but when the mood takes me I find it quite relaxing to slave over the stove or to slow-cook something for myself.  I'm just hoping that I can do justice to today's vegetable box delivery by making a slow-roasted vegetable ratatouille.  And hey, if it doesn't work out properly, there's always Seamless.com, right?