When I first started using AI in the kitchen, I didn’t jump in with full meal plans or grocery lists. I started with the questions we all have in our heads but never say out loud because we feel like we should already know.
Like, for example:
What is this weird fruit, and how do I eat it?
Or, more importantly:
Will this potato kill me?
It turns out, you can just ask that.
Starfruit: How to Eat the Pretty (Weird?) Thing
One day we picked up a starfruit at the store because it was sitting there all tropical and self-important in the produce section. I’d seen them sitting there mocking me on previous trips to the store, but had no idea what to actually do with it. Do you peel it? Eat the seeds? Is it just decorative?
Instead of a deep dive into Google, I asked AI:
“How do you eat a starfruit?”
That’s it. One simple question.
In return, I got a calm, step-by-step response that told me to wash it, slice off the edges, and enjoy it raw, seeds and all—like it wasn’t some mysterious alien fruit. And it did look like stars when I sliced it, who knew?!
✨ Bonus: It even told me how to tell if it’s ripe, which saved me from chomping into a sour science project.
Cherimoya: The Ripeness Riddle
Next up: a Cherimoya. If you’ve never seen one, imagine a fruit that looks like a dinosaur egg and feels like a papaya having an identity crisis. We bought one because someone at a local Farmer’s Market called it “custard apple” and said it was their favorite fruit. We were intrigued. Then it sat on the counter for a few days while we poked it and wondered:
“How do we know if this thing is ripe?”
So I asked AI:
“How do you know when a cherimoya is ripe?”
Again—just that. No keywords, no scrolling through blogs with autoplay videos.
And again, AI delivered. Soft to the touch, slightly browned skin, banana-meets-avocado texture on the inside. It even warned me not to eat the seeds (very appreciated, thanks)
The Potato That Looked… Off
And finally, the one that really had me nervously hovering over the trash can:
“Is it safe to eat a green potato?”
You’ve probably seen one—some weird green tint or patch on a potato you forgot in the pantry. I’d heard something somewhere about poison? But then again, people say the same thing about microwaving rice, so who knows.
So I asked AI:
“Is it safe to eat a green potato?”
This time, AI did not sugarcoat it.
“Green patches on a potato indicate the presence of chlorophyll, which usually means there may also be increased levels of a natural toxin called solanine. Solanine can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and neurological issues if consumed in large amounts.
It’s best to peel away green areas. If the potato is significantly green or has a bitter taste, it’s safest to toss it.”
So… not deadly exactly, but definitely not the base of your next potato salad either.
What I Learned
Sometimes the best prompt is the most obvious one.
I didn’t need to scroll through a health blog, a food scientist’s dissertation, or someone’s life story about their trip to the farmer’s market in 2004. I just typed what I wanted to know, and boom—straight answers.
If you’re new to using AI for cooking, start here.
Ask the things that feel “too dumb to Google.”
Ask about the weird produce. Ask about food safety. Ask about the difference between baking soda and baking powder again (because yes, I forget every time too).
AI’s like that super chill friend who knows stuff, never judges, and doesn’t make you watch a 2-minute ad before answering.
Up Next
In my next post, I’m diving into what happened when I asked AI the age-old question:
“What’s for breakfast?”
Turns out, the answer was more interesting than I expected—and involved a lot fewer pancakes than I was hoping for.
Stay tuned.
The Prompt Pantry 