AI in the Kitchen: Our Chat with Claude
Story by Aja Goare
On a busy weekday night, getting dinner on the table might feel more like a chore than a creative outlet. The cookbooks that line our shelves are begging to be used, but many recipes require a specific ingredient list that – let’s be honest – may fall victim to the shiver-inducing thought of an after-work grocery run. A new virtual assistant named Claude offers an alternative.
Artificial intelligence can be found on every corner these days, offering to help with everything from marathon training to job support and education assistance. While AI can’t literally prepare a meal, it may offer some useful tips that make cooking at home a little easier. Claude, whose parent company Anthropic generates research on the opportunities and risks of AI, is one of many emerging tools designed to streamline consumers’ responsibilities. When those responsibilities include the kitchen, Claude offers a helping hand.
“Recipe development requires sensory experience and intuitive understanding that only people can provide,” says a representative for Anthropic. “Claude is designed to supplement, not replace. It’s the difference between owning a cookbook and having a sous chef who can adapt any recipe to your reality. Claude shines when you need to modify existing recipes — missing ingredients, dietary restrictions, time constraints.”
So how does that look in real application? Try on for size a chicken piccata recipe from your favorite cookbook. It calls for capers but, alas, there are none to be found in the refrigerator. Rather than reach for the cellophaned frozen dinner amassing ice in the freezer, it may be worth asking Claude’s opinion.
Here’s exactly what it said:
“You have several good substitutes for capers in chicken piccata:
Green olives are the closest match – chop them finely to mimic capers’ size. They provide similar briny, salty flavor and work especially well if you use small olives like Castelvetrano or Picholine.
Cornichons or small pickles chopped fine give you that acidic punch capers provide. The pickle brine adds the same tangy element to the sauce.
Fresh lemon zest combined with a pinch of salt can replace the bright, acidic quality, though you’ll miss the textural element.
Chopped green peppercorns (if you can find them) offer a similar size and briny flavor with a bit more heat.
Diced pickled jalapeños work if you want to add some heat along with the acidity – use sparingly.
If you don’t have any of these, you could simply increase the lemon juice and add a bit more salt to boost the bright, tangy flavors that capers typically contribute to the dish. The piccata will still be delicious without them.”
It’s not a bad suggestion, says Edible Chef Rachel Ponce. “As a chef, my culinary creations are not just meals; they are an expression of passion, creativity and hard work,” she says. “The thought of technology stepping in to replace the artistry of cooking scared and upset me, until I considered the different problems it may be able to help solve. Home cooks might not have the same thought process as me when preparing a meal, so AI could be useful, especially using ingredients that you have laying around at home to make a dish.”
Like real artists, no virtual sous chef can replace the real deal. But not everyone is lucky enough to have a chef on speed dial. Using human-made recipes as a starting point, AI may be able to help solve the age-old question: “Can I still bake cookies with less than the suggested measure of sugar?” (Yes, but consider downsizing the recipe or compensating with apple sauce.)
Likewise, others are finding the virtual assistant useful for its ability to swap out allergens. Asked about replacing peanut butter in monster cookies, Claude first suggested obvious substitutions like sunflower seed and almond butter, but then offered more nuanced advice: “If you want to avoid nut/seed butters entirely, you can:
Increase the butter by about 1/4 to 1/2 cup and add an extra egg to help bind all the mix-ins
Use cream cheese (softened) for richness and binding power
Try mashed banana (about 1/2 cup) which adds moisture and natural sweetness
The key is maintaining enough fat and binding agent to hold together all those oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms. You might need to chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking if it seems too soft without the peanut butter’s structure.
The cookies will taste different but still have that loaded, chunky monster cookie appeal!”
Those with specific macronutrient goals for their diet or restrictions may also benefit from AI. “The more detailed you are about your targets, the more precisely Claude can tailor meal suggestions and portion recommendations to meet your nutritional objectives,” the Anthropic representative offers.
Rachel says AI is helpful in calculating the calories in a dish she’s preparing. “The number one way I use AI is nutritional analysis,” she says. “I don’t want to try to add up all my ingredients, portion size, calculate nutrients, research what is in the dish, etc. Not that I get asked often, but when I do, I use AI to figure it out. This gives my brain more rest with all the math so I can use my brain power to be creative in the kitchen.”
But if it’s the secret family recipe of the local mom-n-pop restaurant you’re after, that’s best enjoyed in the brick-n-mortar. “Claude can help you recreate restaurant-style dishes by providing similar recipes and techniques, but it won’t have access to proprietary recipes from specific establishments,” the representative says. “Instead, it might offer a copycat version or explain the cooking methods typically used to achieve similar flavors and textures.”
AI is evolving at lightning speed and though there are real and valid concerns about certain elements of the technology, it also has its pros. Other analysts have acknowledged AI’s potential for reducing food waste by offering creative uses for food approaching its expiration date or excess produce that would otherwise languish in the crisper. For people who need a confidence boost or a simple swap to get more involved in the kitchen, a prompt might be the push you need.
