4 Recipes Created By A Computer

After kicking Ken Jennings' butt on Jeopardy, the IBM cognitive computer Watson was put to a different kind of test — one that was a little bit tastier. In an effort to push chefs out of their culinary boxes, Watson was enlisted to provide some recipe inspiration.

Drawing on our vast amount data on food pairing patterns, nutrition, and chemical interactions, Chef Watson's first recipe suggestion was...surprising. The ingredient list for Watson's "Spanish Almond Crescents" included the usual pastry flour and, of course, almonds. But, it also included saffron, honey, and coconut milk. 

From there, it was up to a team of professional chefs at the Institute of Culinary Education and chef James Briscione (he's the Director of Culinary Development and a Chef-Instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education) to turn it into a final, edible treat. That's how all the recipes in Cognitive Cooking With Chef Watson were created — Watson suggests, experts perfect. The idea isn't necessarily that Watson tells you how to cook; instead the computer is cooking with you.

The end result: dishes that are equal parts unexpected, intricate, and delicious. Click through to see four recipes from the book, officially released tomorrow.