Emily Stewart

Poughkeepsie Journal

Add "chef" to IBM Watson's list of accomplishments.

The cognitive computing system that beat two reigning champions on the game show "Jeopardy!" in 2011 is taking on food.

IBM recently paired with the food magazine Bon Appétit to create a Web-based application that uses Watson's brain power to analyze an abundance of inputted recipes and food chemical information to create unique ingredient combinations. It's then up to the chefs to figure out how to cook and develop those recipes, according to IBM.

The process can be compared to a computer analyzing a chess game and producing a move or series of moves that a human may have missed.

Watson is primarily developed out of the nearby Yorktown Heights, Westchester County, IBM campus, according to the company website.

The Watson app, which is in beta testing and will be released to the general public at a later date, came up with some interesting combinations, said Bon Appétit digital director Stacey Rivera.

"We love the idea of it, from a creativity standpoint," she said. "We create approximately 50 recipes a month — we do that out of a test kitchen."

Watson was loaded with the magazine's database of over 9,000 recipes to see if it could pick up on patterns and extrapolate on what staff at the magazine had learned over the years. Some surprising results ensued, she said.

For example, Watson suggested to Bon Appétit Senior Food Editor Dawn Perry that she use two kinds of onions, buttermilk and flour with cole slaw.

After wondering what to do with it, she topped the cole slaw with crispy fried onions.

"We all really liked it," said Rivera.

The app is the second step in the evolution of "Chef Watson," IBM said in a written release.

IBM previously paired with the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and debuted Chef Watson from a food truck at the annual South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, in March. That project combined Watson's learning and natural language capabilities with the talents of top chefs who cooked meals for attendees, according to the release.

"Our goal is to help people discover the potential of cognitive computing systems," said Mike Rhodin, senior vice president of the IBM Watson Group, in Yorktown Heights. "These systems can understand vast amounts of data, compounds, and formulas as well as learn from interactions with people and information, in a far more intuitive way."

Emily Stewart: 845-437-4882; estewart@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @estwrt