ICYMI, it snowed A LOT in New York City earlier this week. When the forecasts got sufficiently scary, I took a blizzard-check on all my scheduled plans before wondering what, exactly, I was going to do for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

New Yorkers are known for their overreliance on take-out, and I can’t say I buck the stereotype. Out-of-town visitors love to make fun of my empty fridge, and I basically have Uber Eats on speed dial. 

A recent episode of It’s Been A Minute explores the multi-dimensional costs of food delivery. There’s the cost you feel in your wallet, and then there’s the cost you feel in your gut, knowing that delivery workers struggle to make a fair wage.   

So despite the murky ethics, why do 60% of millennials and Gen Z consider food delivery essential to their lifestyle? Cookbook author Priya Krishna says essentially, we’re “willing to pay a hefty premium for convenience even when other parts of [our] lives are very unaffordable." 

This episode was a helpful reminder that convenience is not always king. I’m all for finding ways to treat yo’self, but perhaps cooking a meal more regularly might deliver a better reward. 

As for me, I’m happy to report that I braced the snow, scoured the barren shelves of my grocery store and made pesto pasta with my sister, a Sunday classic from our childhood days. 

Yes, chef! 

🧑‍🍳 Lauren   

P.S. Do you have a favorite recipe for the winter? Send it our way before the springtime, over at podclub@npr.org.