The Easiest Way to Support Small Bakeries? A Surprise Bread Box

Over the past few weeks, I have grown quite weary of boxed mac and cheese, which I often eat for dinner with a side of potato chips. While I love cooking real food, the task has grown daunting; I'm rarely venturing to the supermarket, out of an abundance of caution and a debilitating lethargy, so I don't often have ingredients that inspire me. All days have begun to look the same, but a recent discovery has made Fridays look very different and very beautiful: Bread Basket NYC.

The concept is simple. You pay for a one-time shipment or weekly subscription of curated boxes of artisanal baked goods, delivered sometime on Friday between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.. The "baskets" contain a mix of sweet and savory goodies, including everything from bagels to ciabatta to miche to gourmet Rice Krispy treats, all sourced from small bakery operations in the New York City area. The best part is, you get to visit and support multiple bakeries without leaving your couch, and they're now delivering nationwide, so you can enjoy New York classics (Zabar's rye was in my box last week) wherever you are.

Price points are reasonable, too. Weekly bread subscriptions are $47 a week (you can also opt for biweekly), and a one-time delivery is $49. If you haven't arranged a mail-order treat for your mother yet, this one is pretty hard to beat. The one-time basket order includes one sourdough bread, six assorted bagels, one whole-wheat challah pullman, one sweet and salty brownie, one lemon poppyseed weekend cake, and some surprises. The boxes even include instructions on how to freeze everything so you can make it all last.

"Artisan bakeries are the hearth of all communities, spreading joy from their ovens to your home," reads the website. "With the uncertainty of current times, we felt compelled to help these incredible artisans bring their delicious products to you and find new ways to stay in business altogether. In less than a week, Bread Basket was born."

Bread deliveries are so fantastic because they immediately offer up meal inspiration. With my ciabatta, I made salami, mozzarella, and tomato paninis. With my rye, I made an extra-flavorful avocado toast. With my miche, I made panzanella. With my bagels, I made ... well ... bagels drenched in butter. And for a brief moment, I felt at peace.