When trying to explain to the general public why a computer in your house would be useful, it always seemed to boil down to recipes. From the $10,600 Honeywell H316 Pedestal (with cutting board) in 1965 to 1980s Apple II ads in the 80s to articles about the internet in the early 90s. I even observed an argument for a tablet here on HN where convenient access to one's recipes was the primary demand.
I still can't do any better online then I would do with a modest kitchen bookshelf. Obviously it's no problem pulling up a recipe for anything. ABout.com seems to have a top search result for just about an 'recipe x' query. But there's no way if figuring out which is better. You usually even end up with less pictures then you get in a cookbook. If I want to go a step further (eg 'an introduction to making pâtés), I get nowhere.
I have two questions for HN:
- How is it possible that this isn't solved yet?
- Where do a learn about pâté?
Compared to the relative intimacy of a recipe book a computer based search (or worse, probably, an Internet search) seems sterile in comparison.
The answer might be somewhere in web 2.0 land though. Would you trust the recommendations of friends more than those on your bookshelf? Could the software learn what you like and come up with better selections in future? Solving this problem might require an understanding of just what it is in any given dish that characterises it and thus appeals or not to any given consumer. Analysing those characteristics could provide an excellent basis for a recommendations engine.
However, will you just go with a majority or would you prefer the positive reviews of a selected group? Tastes vary! Much as I love my visits to the USA I think US food is far too sweet so I would probably avoid the guidance of west Coast hackers. I also know that food styles vary - I live in France and here food tends to be simply prepared (well in the countryside anyway) and dishes concentrate on a simple combination of flavours - perhaps with more dishes served in succession during a meal than would be normal elsewhere. Thus a recipe suitable for my neighbours might fail if presented to some visitors from the UK.
So - back to my original response I think...
Accounting for tastes could be taken care of reasonably well in well named recipes: 'country style ratatouille' Thai style ratatouille, a new twist on an old favorite.'
But anyway, I think there's more to it then just recipes. I want to make pate. Could be trout, could be pork, could be goose. Where do I start. What kind of pate do i want. A really good solution would let you find new foods.
maybe not.
Anyway, if you can come up with a way to recommend a recipe specifically for my tastes, available ingredients & all that Jazz, I'm in. But first I'd like to know why the simple solution isn't working.