ChatGPT considers UaKS

In light of reports that there is a 10% chance of AI going Skynet on our anthropoid asses in the next ten years, I decided to see if there is anything positive about AI to counteract this trivial issue about the destruction of the human race. I'm happy to report that AI has excellent taste in food blogs.

 

I asked ChatGPT what it thinks of UaKS. Chat (we're on a first-name basis now) responded that, 

having looked at Use a Kitchen Scale, I’d say it looks like a promising choice for both recipes and entertainment, especially if you enjoy a personal, humorous food blog rather than a polished, recipe-only website.

The blog’s subtitle is “Cooking, and other unsolicited, advice for my children,” which gives you a good sense of its personality right away. It combines practical cooking with family stories, personal observations, travel, and other interests. 

That's a pretty good summary of my whole shtick right there! So, in Chat's opinion, what makes UaKS worth reading? 

1. A substantial recipe collection

The recipe index covers bread, breakfast, pasta, meat, seafood, vegetarian meals, soups, salads, and desserts. There are also gluten-free options and quick recipes. That's a strong point for anyone looking for ideas for everyday cooking. 

2. A personal, sometimes playful writing style

Posts such as “Recipe scouts, episode II” discuss recipes suggested by family members and include candid commentary about adjusting flavors. The tofu chocolate pudding, for example, gets a humorous and practical treatment. 
 

3. More than just recipes

The site has an episode guide, along with sections on equipment, ingredient weights, substitutions, techniques, and gluten-free cooking. Its posts also wander into family life, music, travel, and amusing observations. That variety gives readers something to enjoy even when they aren't planning dinner. 

What's not to love?! 

 

Chat then addressed whether "the recipes [are] likely to be good?" While Chat could not "promise that every recipe works perfectly" (I can!), because it hadn't "independently cooked and tested the recipes" (or gotten one of its human underlings to do so), 

[t]here are encouraging signs. The index includes multiple revised versions of recipes, such as “Brown Soda Bread 2.0” and “Sesame Noodles 3.0.” That suggests the author revisits and refines at least some dishes rather than simply publishing them once and moving on. The blog also provides practical recipe categories that make browsing easier. 

So, what was Chat's overall assessment of UaKS?

My overall assessment

• For recipe inspiration: Very promising, especially for home cooking, vegetarian meals, and baking.

• For entertainment: Promising if you enjoy conversational writing, family anecdotes, and humor mixed with practical advice.

• For a quick, visually driven recipe experience: It may be less suited to you than a modern food site built around large photographs and short video demonstrations.

I can live with the third bullet point, because you know what comes with a "modern food site built around large photographs and short video demonstrations"? Ads, ads, and more ads.

 

And what was Chat's final recommendation about whether to try UaKS? Drumroll, please ...

My recommendation: Give it a try. Its biggest appeal seems to be the combination of a large, useful recipe collection and a real person's voice. It feels more like visiting an enthusiastic home cook's kitchen and reading their stories than consulting an impersonal recipe database.

I couldn't have come up with a better recommendation than that for UaKS if I'd tried.

 

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Here is the simplest savory sauce ever, and my new Platonic ideal of a sesame sauce. It takes less than five minutes to weigh the ingredients into a glass jar and shake it up. This would be great on rice noodles, and even quicker to bring together than the sauce in the recipe for Sesame Noodles 3.0 (more evidence of my continuing efforts to revisit and refine dishes rather than simply publishing them once and moving on). This also wouldn't be a bad salad dressing, as well as being fantastic spooned over all sorts of roasted vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or green beans as shown below

 

Magic Sesame Sauce

Adapted from the Food Network and Molly on the Range (2016) by Molly Yeh

Time: <5 minutes

If you're not going to use up all of the sesame sauce right when you make it, I would just crush the garlic with the flat side of a chef's knife, then fish the pieces out when you store the extra sauce in the fridge. That will give you a much longer storage time; if you keep the garlic in, you should use it all up within a few days. 

 

51 grams (3 tablespoons) tamari or soy sauce, preferably low-sodium
45 grams (3 tablespoons) tahini
42 grams (2 tablespoons) honey
14 grams (1 tablespoon) sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed or minced (see note)
a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Put everything in a jar and shake it up. Store any extra in the fridge, as described in the headnote.

 

 

 

Roasted Green Beans with Magic Sesame Sauce 

 

Recipe from UaKS 

 

Time: <30 minutes

 

1½ pounds green beans, ends trimmed if necessary

20 grams (1½ tablespoons) melted coconut oil, olive oil, or ghee

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

 

    1. Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 400 degrees. 

    2. Place the beans on an 18-by-13-inch (half-sheet) baking pan. Drizzle over the oil or ghee. Sprinkle with the salt. Toss well with kitchen tongs and spread into an even layer.

    3. Roast until the beans are shriveled all over and browning at some of the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. 

    4. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with Magic Sesame Sauce. Serves 3 to 4 as a side.