Do you remember the first time Amazon recommended an item that was spot on for you?  The recommendation system was a major differentiator for the site in the early days and it’s still a valuable tool for finding new books, electronics and more.

I’ve been fascinated by this type of suggestion functionality, also known as collaborative filtering, and often wondered why more sites don’t use it.  As we outlined in a previous post, we’re hoping to leverage a similar approach to help you decide not only where to eat, but more importantly what dish to order.

As cliché as it may be, developing a site like this poses a chicken or egg scenario.  How do you get the users if you don’t have the data to fuel recommendations? A few interesting examples of how others solved this problem include Google, Pandora and now Hunch.

Hunch is a recommendation site that aims to personalize the Internet by building a personal taste profile for users.  Basically Hunch works by combining a few key components:

1.    Your social graph – Hunch will pull information from Facebook and Twitter if you provide access.

2.    THAY (Teach Hunch About You) – The site will ask you a series of multiple choice questions that make their algorithm more intelligent.

3.    Social gaming – Do we do anything without earning some form of points or status these days?  Of course not!  Users collect points (called banjos) and badges by providing additional information and feedback.

Recently Hunch posted a fascinating breakdown of food-related preferences based on the user data they have collected so far.  They do a great job slicing and dicing the information and calling out some of the specific findings.  In this case, the data they have could be extremely valuable for restaurants as they build or evolve their menus.  They were even able to provide some validation for Burger King’s recent decision to test beer in a few locations.  

Check out the study and try answering a few THAY questions to see how relevant the recommendations are.  Also, let us know if you find any other unique recommendation engines that we should check out.

Image showing the correlation between french fry and beer preferences - from "A Network of Food Preferences" by Hunch.

Andres is one part chef one part mad scientist.  He thinks food should be fun and practices molecular gastronomy, a scientific discipline that studies the physical and chemical processes that occur while cooking.  Sitting down for a meal at one of his restaurants is truly an adventure, as outlined in this great post by actress Felicia Day.

Molecular gastronomy has only been an official area of study for the last twenty to thirty years, but it is now approaching a tipping point in popularity thanks to Chef Andres and restaurants like The Bazaar.

Professor Peter Barham is another key player in this movement.  In a Discovery Channel piece he outlined molecular gastronomy as a study of the following:

· How and why we evolved our particular taste and flavor sense organs and our general food likes and dislikes?

· How do production methods affect the eventual flavor and texture of food ingredients?

· How are these ingredients changed by different cooking methods?

· Can we devise new cooking methods that produce unusual and improved results of texture and flavor?

· How do our brains actually interpret the signals from all our senses to tell us the "flavor" of food?

· How is our enjoyment of food affected by other influences - the environment in which we eat the food, our mood, etc?

Peter also says that our sense of touch can actually change our perception of flavor.  He suggests this experiment to test the theory:

1. Taste a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. 

2. Now take a second spoonful, but this time close your eyes and hold a piece of velvet cloth in your hands.  Does it taste creamier than before?

3. Now try the same ice cream with a piece of fine sandpaper in your hands.  Does the texture seem to become grittier?

What do you think about this approach to food and cooking?  Will one of these non-traditional dishes make their way into your ultimate meal?

Today we're excited to introduce you to Mark Leslie, a connoisseur of Italian food and the author of Beyond the Pasta.  Mark's Ultimate Italian Meal is full of unique dishes and some truly amazing venues!  Check it out and let us know about you're favorite Italian dishes!

Mark's Ultimate Italian Meal

Prosecco: Riondo Veneto

Antipasti:
Seafood Salad ("Insalata di mare del pescatore") at Siciliainbocca, Rome, Italy  
Smoked Tuna at Anticha Locanda Montin, Venice, Italy

Primi: Pasta first course:
Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese at Biba Restaurant, Sacramento, CA
Risotto alla Parmigiana at Osteria da Divo, Siena, Italy

Secondi: Meat course:
Braised Rabbit Shanks at Osteria dell'Angelo, Rome, Italy
Filleto di Manzo at Al Volto in Longare, Italy

Il Dolce: Dessert:
La Torta di Nonna (Nonna's secret ricotta and lemon torta, only made on special occasions).

Sgrupino (lemon gelato, prosecco, vodka) at Ristorante Monserrato, Rome, Italy.

As we continue working to launch version 1 of the dishKarma application, many have asked what we’re ultimately hoping to create.  Our goal is to improve individual dining experiences by developing a unique recommendation engine that takes the guesswork out of not only where to eat, but more importantly what to order.  At the same time, the site will help those less fortunate by leveraging corporate partnerships that provide food related charitable donations.

So, what might this look like?

You'll begin by creating your personal menu through the dishKarma site or mobile application. Add as many of your favorite dishes as you can remember, course by course, from restaurants around the world.  Then, each time you experience a remarkable new dish, add it to your menu so you can share and compare it with others. Your menu will constantly evolve based on new discoveries and suggestions from the dishKarma community.

How will this be useful?

Imagine you’re strolling through a city for the first time and decide you’re craving a burger.  Where do you begin?  You could stop someone on the street, search Google on your cell or tap into a restaurant review site.  While this exercise will result in a number of restaurants to choose from, you may be left wondering which option is most likely to satisfy your personal craving. 

Maybe you like it veggie, or with all the fixings?  dishKarma will suggest the best place to find that burger based on the dishes you’ve enjoyed in the past.  You can also make your selection based on the recommendations of your friends or community members who are also using the service.

If you’re not in the mood for anything in particular, the application can suggest a number of dishes you might enjoy in that location based on the dishes you’ve historically added to your ultimate menu.  Think of this like Amazon recommending a book based on your reading habits.

If that dish lives up to your expectations, and it’s worthy of joining your running list of favorites, add it to your ultimate menu.  Each time you add a dish and share it with your social network, one meal is donated to a local food bank through Feeding America.  This is where our corporate partner program comes into play.  Each time you share a dish, we all share a dish. 

Together we can create a powerful and personal recommendation engine that satisfies our taste buds, while also helping to feed those in need.  Like what you’ve heard so far? Stay tuned and let us know what features and functionality you’re hoping to see with dishKarma.  

Traveling this holiday season?  Regardless of your destination, there are probably a few local dishes worth seeking out.  The challenge is tracking them down.  In 2010, you’ll have dishKarma to help guide your search.  Until then, your solution may be a new book from National Geographic. 

Food Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 Extraordinary Places to Eat Around the Globe (affiliate link), is an illustrated overview of the best food from around the world.  There’s also a great promotional video that covers a few highlights from the book.  For example, the video suggests the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo as the go-to place for fresh tuna.

I'm a huge fan of tuna (check out this post if you dig it too), so I decided to do a bit more research.  Eventually I landed on a top ten list created in Google Maps by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa.  The map outlines his favorite places in the world and includes a brief commentary on each location.  It turns out he got his start in the Tsukiji fish market as an apprentice in a small sushi restaurant. 

This use of the map application is very cool.  You almost get the feeling he was just playing around with Google one day and decided to create this awesome reference.  Check out some of his other favorite spots here.

Have you ever been to the Tsukiji market in Japan?  How about one of Chef Nobu's other favorite spots?  Perhaps one of his restaurants?

Take this week for example:

On Monday I called up my favorite local sushi spot, Thousand Crane (or 1K Crane as my friend Sully likes to call it), and ordered the spicy tuna hand roll.

Tuesday I had the tuna from Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop for lunch and it was prepared like the traditional mashed tuna fish. Except everything at Angela’s is done with a twist so they added olives and a few other things to spice it up.

For dinner on Thursday it was back to sushi at 1K Crane, but this time I had the tuna sashimi rather than the roll.

Friday night I went to an engagement party at The Up River Café in Westerly, Rhode Island. The food was great, mostly app/hors d'oeuvres, and this time my favorite fish was prepared as tuna tartar. The brilliant move was individually serving this in porcelain spoons. Major points for presentation and convenience.

Running a close second for presentation (and number one for the fullness factor) was my dinner on Saturday night at Firefly American Bistro & Bar. Here I had the mirin glazed tuna, flash-seared with a spicy ginger/sweet soy sauce over jasmine rice and bok choy. If I’m really hungry and making tuna the focus of my meal, this is a go-to dish. I may even give this a shot in my takeout rotation considering the taste and close proximity to my apartment.

Now I don't eat this much tuna every week (and I should probably try grocery shopping once in a while), but amazingly after all that I’m still not sick of it. Variety, the spice of life.

What’s your favorite way to prepare tuna and who serves it up the best?

Part of the Vermont Fresh Network, the Cliff House takes dining to a new level...an elevation of 3625' to be exact. It's a cheap gondola ride away, or an even cheaper hike... Check out the links and enjoy one of Vermont's hidden gems.

I feel like the fall has so many great options for restaurants to take advantage of. What are your favorites?

Italy is a country relatively small in size but home to countless cuisines and flavors. Traditions and fundamentals of Italian cooking have been passed down from generations as old as the ancient Roman Empire. It is commonly said that the everlasting trick to true Italian cooking is that the cook prepare each meal according to his or her own taste and liking. 

There is no doubt that Lidia Bastianich has followed in the footsteps of many historic, culinary revolutionaries that originated from Italy. Lidia, being a true Italian cook, has successfully been able to transform her personal tastes and culinary techniques into an empire of original recipes, cookbooks, television shows, and of course restaurants. 

What has made Lidia most recognizable is her highly entertaining and informative gastronomic tour of Italy television series titled Lidia’s Italy. During this show Lidia journeys through her 10 most favorite regions of Italy, introducing her viewers to local people and unique cuisines.  Lidia’s Italy very well may be the inspiration that determines Italy as dishKarma’s first international quest for the ultimate meal! 

Luckily for those of us who do not travel to Italy frequently, Lidia has brought Italy to United States through a collection of authentic Italian restaurants where you will find menus designed around Lidia’s personal tastes. A true Italian cook also loves to eat, therefore, Lidia was generously able and eager to share with dishKarma her ultimate dishes from three of her New York City restaurants: Felidia, Esca, and Del Posto. Watch Lidia’s ultimate meal and visit one of Lidia’s restaurants for a truly authentic Italian meal…tell them Lidia and dishKarma sent you! 

Ming’s innovative East-West cooking style has made his restaurant, Blue Ginger, one of the top spots in Boston for over 10 years. We recently caught up with Ming and he was cool enough to share his ultimate meal for dishKarma.

As Ming ‘zooms’ around describing different dishes and great chefs, he breaks down a true ultimate meal crawl. This is when each dish in an ultimate meal can be found in the same area, thus making it possible to actually experience the meal in one night. The ultimate meal crawl is also the premise for our dishKarma video podcast, but we’ll save that for another post.

Have you tried any of the dishes in Ming’s ultimate meal?