A GPT Cooking Challenge
For this week’s blog post, I wanted to test the limits of ChatGPT’s creativity. One of my favorite tv shows growing up was the show Chopped on the Food Network. On this show, contestants are presented with a basket of mystery ingredients and must create three dishes within an established time frame. The show is very stressful and exciting to watch, especially given the amount of creativity and skill showcased by the contestants.
Providing a little context
The game was relatively simple, but I gave ChatGPT a brief description of what we would be doing. I sent: “Let’s play a game called”Chopped”. This game is based on the Food Network TV series. I will provide a list of cooking ingredients, and you will use those ingredients to come up with a dish. This game will be played in 3 rounds: 1) appetizer, 2) entre, 3) dessert. Your task will be to come up with a recipe for the dish and create an image of a restaurant-type plating for the dish. The round 1 dish should take no more than 20 minutes to cook. The round 2 and dishes should take no more than 30 minutes to cook.”
It replied: “Ok, I am ready to play! Please share any further instructions”
Round 1
I sent: “Let’s start round 1. Your basket of ingredients is: dragon fruit, saffron threads, duck confit, and fennel bulb”
(I used Copilot to geenrate this list of ingredients using the prompt: “I want to play an advanced game of the cooking game chopped. Please provide a list of basket ingredients for Round 1: appetizer.”)
ChatGPT replied:
“For the first round of Chopped, I suggest making a Dragon Fruit and Duck Confit Salad with a Saffron-Fennel Dressing. This dish can be prepared quickly, aligning with the 20-minute time constraint, and offers a harmonious balance of flavors and textures.
Dragon Fruit and Duck Confit Salad with Saffron-Fennel Dressing
Ingredients: 1 medium dragon fruit 200 grams of duck confit 1 fennel bulb A pinch of saffron threads Olive oil White wine vinegar Salt and pepper Fresh herbs (like parsley or cilantro for garnish)
Instructions:
Prepare the Saffron-Fennel Dressing: Soak the saffron threads in a tablespoon of warm water for about 10 minutes to release their color and flavor. Thinly slice the fennel bulb, using a mandoline if available. In a small bowl, whisk together two tablespoons of olive oil, a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, saffron with its soaking water, salt, and pepper. Add the sliced fennel to the dressing, toss to coat, and let it marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Prepare the Duck Confit and Dragon Fruit: Remove the duck confit from its fat and shred the meat. Quickly pan-fry it in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until it is crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Peel and slice the dragon fruit into thin slices.
Assemble the Salad: Arrange the sliced dragon fruit and crispy duck confit on a plate. Top with the saffron-fennel dressing and marinated fennel slices. Garnish with fresh herbs for a burst of color and freshness. This dish beautifully balances the richness of the duck confit with the light, fresh flavors of the dragon fruit and the aromatic complexity of the saffron and fennel. It’s a sophisticated starter that’s visually striking and delicious.”
It then provided the following image:
This looked incredible - I was impressed!
Round 2
Round 2 is the entre round, and I was excited to see what ChatGPT would produce. I sent: “Looks great! Now let’s do round 2, your basket is: balut, huitlacoche, uni, and szechuan peppercorns”
It replied:
“For the second round of Chopped, featuring balut, huitlacoche, uni, and Szechuan peppercorns, I propose a dish that brings together these bold and unique flavors in a cohesive way: Uni and Huitlacoche Risotto with Crispy Balut and Szechuan Peppercorn Oil. This dish will creatively incorporate all the basket ingredients within the 30-minute cooking time.
Uni and Huitlacoche Risotto with Crispy Balut and Szechuan Peppercorn Oil
Ingredients: 4 pieces of balut (duck eggs) 100 grams of uni (sea urchin) 200 grams of huitlacoche (corn smut) 1 cup Arborio rice 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, kept warm 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 50 grams of Parmesan cheese, grated 2 tablespoons olive oil A few Szechuan peppercorns Salt and black pepper
Instructions:
Prepare the Szechuan Peppercorn Oil:
Lightly toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 1 minute. Crush them slightly and mix with ¼ cup of olive oil. Set aside to infuse.
Cook the Risotto:
In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, sauté until translucent. Add the Arborio rice, stirring to coat the grains with oil. Gradually add warm broth one ladle at a time, stirring continuously, until the rice is al dente and creamy (about 18-20 minutes). Stir in the huitlacoche and cook for another 5 minutes until it is fully incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in the uni gently, allowing it to just warm through. Add Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper to taste.
Prepare the Crispy Balut:
Carefully remove the duck embryo from the shells and discard the liquid. In a hot skillet with a little oil, fry the balut until crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Plating:
Spoon the risotto onto plates. Top with crispy balut. Drizzle with the Szechuan peppercorn oil. Optionally, garnish with fresh herbs or microgreens for added color and freshness.
This dish offers a rich and creamy texture from the risotto, enhanced by the unique taste of uni and huitlacoche, with a spicy, aromatic kick from the Szechuan peppercorn oil and a surprising crunch from the crispy balut.”
It then provided an image:
This dish looked incredible as well!
Round 3
It was time for the final round: dessert. I sent: *“Great, now onto the dessert round! your basket is: durian, matcha powder, rose water, whipped cream”
It replied:
“For the dessert round of Chopped, featuring durian, matcha powder, rose water, and whipped cream, I suggest creating a Durian and Matcha Mousse with Rose Water Whipped Cream. This dessert combines the creamy, distinctive flavor of durian with the delicate, earthy tones of matcha, complemented by a floral note from the rose water.
Durian and Matcha Mousse with Rose Water Whipped Cream
Ingredients: 200 grams of durian flesh 1 tablespoon matcha powder 200 ml heavy cream 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon rose water Additional whipped cream for layering
Instructions:
Prepare the Durian Matcha Mousse:
In a blender, combine the durian flesh, matcha powder, and 50 ml of heavy cream. Blend until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip 150 ml of heavy cream with one tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold the durian-matcha mixture gently into the whipped cream to maintain a light and airy texture. Chill the mousse in the refrigerator while you prepare the whipped cream.
Prepare the Rose Water Whipped Cream:
In a bowl, whip the remaining cream with the remaining sugar and rose water until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the Dessert:
In serving glasses, layer the chilled durian-matcha mousse alternately with rose water whipped cream. Continue until the glass is filled, finishing with a layer of whipped cream on top. Optionally, sprinkle a little matcha powder or garnish with rose petals for decoration. This dessert offers a fusion of flavors that are rich yet balanced, with the pungent taste of durian mellowed by the matcha and the aromatic lift from the rose water whipped cream. It’s sure to be a conversation starter!”
It then provided the following image:
Three for three! I would even prepare these myself!
This type of task definitely playing into ChatGPT’s strengths: creativity and content generation. I was particularly impressed with how well ChatGPT was able to come up with recipes for such unusual ingredients - I had thought that maybe it would struggle given the unfamiliarity of some of the items. However, it seems to have done well.