I Asked ChatGPT To Generate Recipes from Leftovers

Alright, we all know the thing that has been a big deal recently – ChatGPT. Yup, our most recent breakthrough in AI, which has driven people into either a state of excitement or existentialism. If you haven’t heard of ChatGPT, it’s an artificial intelligence language model that can generate human-like text. It’s basically a chatbot – where you can ask it anything, from writing love letters (they’re actually surprisingly good), eerily plausible research proposals, to recipes. Since ChatGPT came out, I’ve tried all of the above, from writing a Joe Biden rap video to running a simulation of an epidemic of antibiotic resistance. However, the one thing that I hadn’t tried yet was testing out the recipes generated by ChatGPT. I remember that a few years ago, I watched a YouTube video where a baker asked the AI-language model at the time, GPT-3, to generate a recipe for a chocolate cake. The AI came up with some pretty odd results, but as we got the new and improved ChatGPT, I had an idea pop up in my mind – what if we generated some recipes with AI? And of course, that’s what I set out to do this weekend!

As I started this project, I had a few rules. Before I started my baking, I had asked AI to generate a couple recipes for standard items, like chocolate chip cookies, apple pies, and lemon tarts. However, I found that the recipes for standard baked goods tended to be pretty boring and safe, which made it a lot less exciting to play around with since it was really similar to all of the other recipes on the internet. Because of this, my first rule was to create something unique and interesting, either through weird combinations or demonstrating a reason for using AI to generate the recipes. Secondly, I tried to follow the recipe as closely as I could, just to see if AI’s directions could lead to a successful and fully-fledged product. With these rules set, let’s get onto baking!

P.S. The names of these dishes were also generated by AI!

Breakfast: “Apple Peanut Butter Toffee Pudding Delight”

Prompt: Generate a recipe for an apple peanut butter chocolate chip cookie sticky toffee pudding.

Output: 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 medium sized apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1/4 cup toffee bits
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter together until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Spread half of the dough into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the diced apples and toffee bits over the dough.
6. Drop the remaining dough by spoonfuls over the apples and toffee.
7. In a small saucepan, heat the maple syrup and heavy cream together until just bubbling. Pour the mixture over the top of the pudding.
8. Bake the pudding for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and set in the center.
9. Allow the pudding to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving, warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

This recipe for an apple peanut butter chocolate chip cookie sticky toffee pudding is a unique and delicious dessert that combines the flavors of apple, peanut butter, chocolate chips and toffee in a cookie dough base, and then drizzled with a sweet maple syrup and cream mixture, giving it a sticky and gooey texture. The oats in the dough give it a nice chewiness and an extra crunch.

Results: My goal for the item was to ask for an item that I wanted, but add a random assortment of different flavors and foods that I liked to see if it could generate an output. I had the idea of making a sticky toffee pudding, but I incorporated a bunch of other ingredients in the prompt to see how it would use these flavors to make them work. To be fair, I didn’t have any dates, so I probably shouldn’t have asked for a sticky toffee pudding. However, the AI didn’t include any dates in the recipe, so I’m not sure if it understood the prompt after the long string of ingredients that I added before the name of the item. As I was making the pudding batter, I was seriously questioning if the AI had understood my request, because the batter looked and tasted exactly like cookie dough, layered with apples and caramel chips on top. However, as it baked, the batter started rising significantly due to the baking powder, which made it look a lot more like a cake.

So how’d it taste? I was surprised by the first bite. I expected it to be a lot worse. But, it tasted like an oatmeal chocolate chip cake with a crispy brownie top and apple pie filling inside, even though it did not taste at all like a sticky toffee pudding. However, it was really sweet for some reason, so I got sick of the taste pretty quickly. It was pretty good, but not something that I would make again.

Rating = 5.5/10

Lunch: “Meaty Melange Quiche”

Prompt: Generate a flaky quiche recipe with cheese, roast beef, bell pepper, and carrots.

Output:

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups (190g) of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (115g) of cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) of ice water

For the filling:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (50g) of grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup (50g) of grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 cup (120g) of diced roast beef
• 1/2 cup (75g) of diced bell pepper
• 1/2 cup (75g) of diced carrots

Instructions:

1. To make the crust, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Gradually add 2-3 tablespoons of ice water to the mixture, until it comes together to form a dough.
3. Knead the dough briefly, then flatten it into a disk shape and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch (23cm) quiche dish.
5. Transfer the dough to the quiche dish and press it into the bottom and sides of the dish.
6. To make the filling, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, Gruyere cheese, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper.
7. Stir in the diced roast beef, bell pepper and carrots.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust.
9. Bake the quiche for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown.
10. Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Note: You can use any kind of cheese that you prefer, and adjust the amount to your taste. You can also add other vegetables like mushrooms, onions, or spinach for a more nutritious meal. This quiche can be served warm or at room temperature, and it’s perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Result: I’ve made lots of pie crusts before, so the biggest difference between this one and the other pie crusts that I’ve made is that this one did not have an egg. When I was creating this recipe, my goal was to take a random assortment of items in my fridge and ask AI to generate a recipe from it. While baking, the crust looked really pale. However, in the end, the crust did manage to bake in time, although it had a bit more of a flour-y taste than usual. The quiche itself was slightly watery right out of the oven, but the water was gone as the quiche cooled.

I described it to my friend as, “It’s not great but it’s pretty dang edible!” I think I probably could’ve made it better with some more seasoning. So, if your standards are “pretty edible,” this recipe might be right up your alley. However, my mom (who was being really picky with my AI-generated meals) said the quiche was quite good!

Rating = 6.5/10

Dinner: “Sesame Noodles”

Prompt: Generate an authentic recipe for ma jiang mian, also known as Taiwanese sesame noodles.

Output: Ma Jiang Mian (Taiwanese Sesame Noodles)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz (230g) of Chinese egg noodles or spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons of sesame paste or tahini
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of chili flakes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the noodles according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sesame paste or tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, and chili flakes (if using).
3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the cooked noodles with the sauce, making sure the noodles are evenly coated.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the green onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until softened.
5. Add the sautéed green onions to the noodle mixture, and toss to combine.
6. Serve the noodles in bowls, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Note: You can also add some diced cooked chicken, beef or shrimp for a more substantial meal. You can also add a tablespoon of Chinese black vinegar for a more authentic flavor.

Result: For this recipe, my goal was to get AI to generate a traditional recipe from another country to see if AI could generate accurate cultural recipes outside of just American cuisine. The noodles were pretty good! I doubled the recipe, and then I used the other half of the sauce to stir-fry tofu cubes by pan-frying the tofu until crispy and adding the sauce in at the end. These noodles weren’t super traditional, as the sesame flavor definitely could have been stronger by adding more sesame oil, but my family still really enjoyed them. While you probably wouldn’t see these at a Taiwanese night market, these are really good as a recipe that you could find online and make yourself!

Rating: 8/10

Dinner: “Tofu and Veggie Tropical Curry”

Prompt: Generate an unique and creative Asian-style recipe for a main dish using cabbage, carrots, green onion, chayote squash, romaine lettuce, potatoes, and tomatoes. Optimize for taste. If there are any ingredients that don’t fit the recipe, leave it out. Make sure to name the dish.

Output: Asian-Style Stir-Fry Vegetable and Tofu Curry (with Cabbage, Carrots, Chayote Squash, Potatoes, and Tomatoes)

Ingredients:

• 1 block of firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon of grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 chayote squash, julienned
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
2. Add the cumin, turmeric, coriander powder, salt and black pepper, and sauté for another minute or until fragrant.
3. Add the tofu, cabbage, carrots, chayote squash, potatoes and tomatoes and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, brown sugar, and tomato paste. Pour the mixture into the pan and bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens.
6. Stir in the green onions and cilantro and cook for another minute.
7. Serve the curry with steamed rice or naan bread.

Note: This dish is a flavorful and unique recipe that combines Asian spices and vegetables with a creamy coconut milk sauce, the tofu provides a good source of protein, it is a great way to use up any vegetables you [ChatGPT failed to finish the sentence].

Result: This time, I wanted to test one of the purposes of AI that my mom was most interested in – how could we take a random collection of items in our fridge and turn it into a recipe? But instead of specifying an item that I wanted AI to make (like I did with the quiche), I just listed the ingredients that we had on hand, and asked AI to generate a recipe with some more specifications about the cuisine and type of dish I wanted it to make. I had to specify my request several times – the first few times I asked for a recipe, AI kept giving me stir-frys that I wouldn’t have needed a recipe for, so I stressed that I wanted a main dish, not a side dish. It finally gave me this tofu to try, which I thought looked quite exciting!

While cooking the dish, I was a bit skeptical of the coconut milk mixture. It looked like such an odd combination to mix together to pour into the dish, and I’m not sure if I have ever made a curry using soy sauce and brown sugar. However, in the end, the dish actually turned out pretty well! I know I’m biased because I love curry, but I feel like it tasted pretty decent, even if it wasn’t flavorful enough and could have had some more salt. So, did the ingredients work well together? I don’t think they were particularly well-paired; the cabbage and chayote squash definitely just came from the remnants of my refrigerator. Still, overall, this was personally my favorite recipe, although my family members liked it a bit less than I did. I think it was a great way to use up the ingredients in my refrigerator!

Rating: 8/10