Cooking in the West

The writers in Hollywood are all afraid of losing their jobs to Artificial Intelligence, so I decided I better try to find out if my writing jobs would be in future jeopardy. I researched how to use ChatGPT 4.0 and decided to have AI write something for me.

Like most writers, ideas ferment in our brain--sometimes for a long time. I was always going to write a poem about forcing our youngest child to wear his sister’s hand-me-down boots even though they were red or pink or turquoise until he finally got old enough to rebel. I asked my Chatbot to write a sonnet about that topic. Although I am utterly amazed that within 15 seconds, AI could write a sonnet with just a few details suggested by me, I do not feel my job is in jeopardy. As a cowboy poet, AI has quite a lot to learn about spinning a yarn into a poem. This is what an AI came up with, I will call it: Sonnet #1 Hand Me Down Boots:

Bret’s boots are pink and turquoise and red,

A cowboy’s boots should be brown or black instead.

But Bret is a cowboy, through and through,

And he wears his sister’s boots with pride, it’s true.

He rides his horse across the dusty plains

With his hat on tight and his boots in the stirrup chains.

He knows he looks a little bit funny,

But he doesn’t care, he’s still making money.

Bret’s boots may be pink and turquoise and red,

But he’s still a cowboy, no matter what is said.

He’ll ride the range until the day he dies,

With his sister’s boots on his feet, under the big blue skies.

So if you see Bret riding by,

Don’t laugh or snicker or even sigh.

Just tip your hat and give him a wave,

And let him be the cowboy that he wants to be brave.

I am not sure what stirrup chains are, but I surmise when a bot has to have a rhyming word, any word will do. So I decided to try another poem with a few more details. Bret’s truck has been in the shop, so he commandeered his wife’s Subaru. I looked in it one day, and it was overflowing with golf clubs, a saddle, fencing tools, barbed wire, a chainsaw, a tool box, and his two dogs. I asked my ChatGPT bot to write a rhyming poem about a cowboy and his Subaru including those details. Since the bot didn’t give its poems a title, I will call this one: Broken Down Truck Blues:

The cowboy’s truck was broke down,

So he had to drive his Subaru around.

He loaded it up with all his gear,

And his two dogs Mazy and Stormy dear.

He had his chain saw and fencing pliers,

His saddle and rope for when he retires.

Barb wire too for when he needs to mend,

And his two dogs who are his best friends.

He drove through the fields and over the hills,

With his Subaru loaded with all his skills.

He knew he could fix the fence with ease,

And keep his cattle safe from disease.

The cowboy’s Subaru may not be cool,

But it gets him where he needs to go to school.

He’s proud of what he does for a living,

And the life that he is giving.

So if you see him driving by,

Give him a wave and say hi.

For he’s a cowboy through and through,

And there’s nothing else he’d rather do.

Judging by these poems, my job as a recipe columnist is probably safe for at least a few more months of advancement in Artificial Intelligence; however, when they come up with an affordable bot that can cook, I will be in danger of unemployment for sure!

The following summer recipes were not written by a bot, but that chat bot can rustle up any recipe in a few short seconds! Try it for yourself!

Cream Cheese Pie:

1 can fruit pie filling

8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

6 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 C. lemon juice

1 t. vanilla

1 graham cracker crust

Beat cream cheese and condensed milk. Then add lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well. Pour batter into pie crust. Let chill for 4 to 5 hours. Pour pie filling over top. Refrigerate.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole:

1 dozen tortillas

4 whole chicken breasts, chopped (can use any diced chicken or turkey)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can evaporated milk

1 grated onion

1 jar salsa

1 can green chilies

1 lb. sharp Cheddar cheese

Grease a 3 quart casserole. Cut 6 tortilla shells into bite-sized pieces and place them on the bottom. Add layers of chicken, grated cheese, onion, and half of the sauce mixture (made by mixing soups, milk, salsa and chilies). Repeat layers starting with the other 6 tortilla shells and ending with grated cheese. Refrigerate 24 hours. Bake at 300 degrees for 90 minutes.

Fruit Cocktail Cake:

1 can (2 C.) fruit cocktail with juice

1 egg

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. oil

1 1/2 C. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 t. cinnamon

3/4 t. nutmeg

1/2 C. chopped nuts

1/2 C. brown sugar, mixed

Mix all together except the brown sugar and nuts. Pour into a greased and floured 9 X 13 inch pan and sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.