The Silicon Valley and the Bay Area are famous for their entrepreneurial vision and original business ideas of their residents. One of them has been making our life much easier. I am talking about take out dinner, not from restaurants but, from one’s neighbors. All we have to do is go to Josephine.com website.
This food start-up Josephine was founded in 2014 by friends living in Los Angeles, who met in the the kitchen of their friend’s mother. Her name was Josephine. The positive experience of cooking together and eating in a cosy home turned into a thriving business. Josephine’s mission is to support local entrepreneurship, the development of local communities and to care for immigrants, elderly residents and busy parents.
Some time ago, I heard on American morning a TV anchor admitting ordering even three take-outs a week. What we like about Josephine is that the food is prepared in home kitchens. It is also another way to meet your community.
Local chefs pay 10% of their earnings, and in return they receive a database of hungry neighbors, and boxes to pack the dishes. Cooks are mainly women, immigrants and people with lower income.
For us, the best menu was offered by Indian cook Prakash. We have ordered dishes so far, and we have always been very pleased. For now, Rose mostly tastes rice with vegetables, but I think she appreciates the colorful look of the hindi dishes. She seems to be also very happy to accompany my husband to Prakash’s kitchen, and helping deliver the boxes home 🙂
This is how Prakash describes himself:
I grew up in Kodagu, a mountainous region of southwestern India.
Like most chefs I grew up learning my craft from my mother and grandmother. The tastes of Kodagu cuisine are distinct and different, but not hot. And my classical European training and American catering experience make me the requested cook for all the menus for holiday parties of several communities. I love to work with colorful vegetables.
Excited to feed you and your family!
Yes, luckily the dishes were not too spicy.
However, not everything has always been so rosy for Josephine. Last year, the company was odered to suspend business because not all domestic kitchens were checked by appropriate specialists, as is required by California law. But the founders did not give up and successfully lobbied for a change, and a bill is currently at the State Assembly. Kitchens are obviously being now also inspected, and the cooks have to undergo special training. So far the Health Department is working with Josephine.
In February, throughout the United States an interesting event was held against the travel ban. Selected venues, shops, restaurants closed their doors to show what would life without newcomers born outside the United States. The strike was called One Day without Immigrants.
Our dinners would certainly be less colorful without boxes from Prakash’s kitchen!
p.s. I will write more soon about our preparations for Baby number two 🙂