I wanted to make a change in my diet and I was looking for an easy Mediterranean cookbook. The phrases "30-Minute", "Seniors", "Mediterranean", "Lower Blood Pressure" all seemed to match my search criteria. Now I've gotten the book I'm wondering if it was AI-generated.
What makes me think that? For one thing, a reverse-image search of the author's picture on Facebook led me to a page of lookalikes that were not Clara Elowen Hart, and I cannot find any social media posts by the author or any information about her except that she 'loved to cook'.
Another thing was that all the recipes were set for four servings - now, how many of us over-60's are still cooking for four people?
Some of the recipe ingredients were vague - on page 42 "1 can no-salt added tuna in water, drained." What size can?
Some of the ingredients might be hard to find for a beginning cook - on page 31, for example - it asks for "1 tsp za'atar spice" - Would I buy that just to use it in one recipe?
The 30-minute rule is stretched a bit if you have to make some of the ingredients yourself before you start. On Page 33 - The recipe calls for a 'tapenade'. You can make your own tapenade (no recipe included) or you can buy a bottle of it from Williams-Sonoma or somewhere else, but it is going to slow you down.
The cover looks a lot like a different book. and yet another, and this one. I have been reading that there is a real plague of AI-written cookbooks for sale online now.
Interestingly, I first found this book on Amazon, and didn't notice it was listed as 'sponsored' and had no reviews. I actually bought it from a 'no returns' used book site based on the great blurb on the Amazon webpage and the AI review on google which was probably based on the webpage blurb .(Those AI's got to stick together).
This book has some good points. It has some sensible advice about nutrition and cooking for seniors, there are pictures of the completed recipes, and nowhere does it tell you to put glue on your pizza.
It would be nice to think that someone who liked to cook came out of nowhere and published several ebooks and one print-on demand paperback book and then vanished back into obscurity without one blog, Facebook, or Instagram post....but....
That's today's rant.
I don't think this cookbook is going to work for me. There is no way that I am going to try to follow most of the recipes. I can picture my refrigerator and cupboards filled with leftover ingredients like almond milk, maple syrup, cannellini beans, flaxseed, oat milk, pumpkin seeds, chickpea flour (?), stone-ground polenta and so forth...that I am going to have to figure out how to use up after having made just one recipe with part of them. Also, when I put the ingredients in an online app that calculates calories and protein for you, if I just prepared my meals from the sample menu I would not be getting my daily protein requirements.
What I Learned - Questions I Should Have Asked
Who Wrote It? - Does the author have any content on social media? Do they teach or have a cooking show? What are their credentials? "Someone who loves to cook." is not a credential. If there is a photo of the author, do a Google reverse-image check to see if someone else is using the same picture.
Who Published It? - The fact that a book is self-published is not a total disqualification, but it could be a red flag.
When Was It Published? - Although there were some experimental AI-written books in the '80's, the pestilence apparently first started around 2022, when LLM's made it easier (from Google AI answer).
How Many Pages Does It Have? - Longer is not necessarily better, but in my opinion it should be long enough to include things like a list of emergency substitutions, and a recipe index.
Who Is Reviewing It? - In a world of AI fakes it is hard to know who to trust. Look for reviews by known experts who are not profiting from the sale of the book.
Can I Read a Sample? Look for clues that it was AI-written. If there are recipes, see if they make sense.
More info: Lifehacker article.
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Free: Recipe for Rufferta's Oatmeal
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Oats Whole Grain -
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
pinch of salt if you want - I usually skip it
Makes One Serving
Follow directions on the back of the container to cook the oatmeal. After it has stood for a while, add the Greek yogurt and the blueberries. You can add other fruit (dried blueberries or raisins are nice). If you have leftovers it is good cold.
According to a probably unreliable guide on the web this should give you 249 calories, 36 carbs, 3 fat, 18 grams protein, 46 sodium 8 grams sugar, and 5 grams of fiber.
