Cooking.com Gets a Partner

Santa Monica-based online retailer Cooking.com has partnered with an influential company from Seattle, but it isn’t Microsoft. The 2-year-old seller of cookware and kitchen appliances said it has received a $10-million cash investment from coffee giant Starbucks. In addition, Cooking.com will begin selling Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea and become the exclusive cookware retailer featured on the Starbucks Web site. Privately held Cooking.com raised $30 million from venture capitalists in October. Cooking.com also said it formed a marketing alliance with New York-based Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. The companies will produce a Web site within Marthastewart.com to feature products sold by Cooking.com.