Kitchenhacking 101

What is a kitchenhacker?Image by dumbledad

When they see the word "hacker," most people think of computer programmers and, in particular, people who break in to computer systems. The realm of computers is where the word was popularized, but hacking isn't limited to it. Moreover, hackers tend to repudiate those who maliciously break in to other machines, calling them crackers. Hacking is about having an attitude oriented towards creative problem-solving and unconventional, elegant solutions. Hackers believe in challenges, making things, and the free exchange of ideas.

These attitudes are shared by many of us who love to cook. In fact, something almost identical to the hacker attitude has been thriving in the kitchen for a long time.

Open Source advocate and hacker author Eric S. Raymond, writes about five major components to the hacker ethic:

1. The world is full of fascinating problems waiting to be solved. One of the things that I love about cooking is the series of opportunities for creative problem-solving that it presents to me.
2. No problem should ever have to be solved twice. Hackers share information - methods and solutions to problems. It is common to share recipes, but I want this website to share creative tips and techniques as well. If someone has already figured out a good solution to a kitchen problem, you should be able to benefit from their efforts.
3. Boredom and drudgery are evil. Sometimes drudgery is unavoidable, but I hope to focus on tools and techniques to minimize it when possible. This doesn't mean that I personally employ or endorse shortcuts of all sorts. Solutions to problems should be elegant and any negative impact they have on the end product should be minimized.
4. Freedom is good. Hackers have loosely shared political tendencies. They tend to dislike authoritarianism, censorship, secrecy, and big business. I expect to reflect these attitudes by freely sharing information with other like-minded individuals.
5. Attitude is no substitute for competence. I'm not a professional chef, but I know my way around the kitchen. More importantly, I know that I still have a lot to learn and room to improve. I hope you will join me on that journey.

While the hacker ethic has existed in the kitchen before there was a word for it, we are currently at the brink of a new era, in which kitchenhackers have an opportunity to thrive as they never have. Gender barriers are shattering. Once upon a time, women ran the kitchens in the home while men were the professional chefs. Both of these have changed. The kitchens are now home to those who love them and know them, regardless of gender. Tastes are broadening. People have become more open to ideas about food, both from other cultures and the human imagination. We are are entering an era of post-industrial cookery. The techniques of industrial food production are becoming available to both small restaurants and home cooks. This has resulted in, among other things, an expansion in knowledge of the science of food and the birth of what is called molecular gastronomy. We are relearning the food preparation and preservation techniques of our grandparents, and mixing them with modern methods.

This isn't an all-inclusive list. Through the Kitchenhacker Manifesto, I will be adding to it both in depth and breadth.