Ask HN: Hackers who cook

1, I cook because it is another place where I can demonstrate my creativity.

2, I used to. But as I have cooking experiences (more than 5 yrs), I can cook with whatever in my fridge and make decent dishes.

3, I am Japanese and many Japanese cook anything even at home.

4, No.

5, Many good practices in programming are applicable to cooking. That is, focus on one thing at a time, understand and maintain your tools well, keep your env clean, etc.

1. I cook mainly for convenience, but also because I enjoy it. Due to where I live and the kinds of products I buy, I wouldn't say I'm saving much if any money cooking at home as opposed to eating out. Quality and organic/local groceries are expensive in SF, and there are thousands of delicious and affordable restaurants and delivery services.

2. I rarely if ever plan ahead. Maybe if I have guests coming over for dinner I'll plan a day in advance. I typically have a rotation of staple dishes which I go through, but it's very flexible, and I come up with random new things when inspiration or boredom strikes.

3. All sorts of things, but typically Italian, French, Tex/Cal-Mex, some Thai/Chinese style and the odd curry.

4. Nothing strict, but I'm very low carb, low sugar, high protein and fat with tons of veggies.

5. I use cooking as an escape, and thus don't care too much about my productivity. That said, I can get stressed if things look like they aren't going to turn out well, or when I feel like I'm scrambling to maintain my timing. One tip: it typically pays off to do most or all of your prep work before you start cooking. A little prep+cook multitasking is manageable but I find cooking a lot more fun when I have everything prepped and ready and can focus all of my attention on the composition.

1. Because it gives me pleasure

2. Maybe. Sometimes. Sometimes I just cook up whatever

3. Here's my recipe archive, where I store recipes that I am proudest of: http://forkthecookbook.com/chewxy

4. Try to follow paleo, but damn, pastries are too good sometimes. Sometimes even the thought of white bread and butter makes me crave some

5. Mis en place is probably the most important thing when cooking. People call it a hack, but it's just being prepared.

For background: I grew up (until about 28) in Australia, then moved to Thailand (a couple of years ago).

1. For pleasure, and because most western food I've found in Thailand is not great. Regardless of the meal it would almost always be cheaper to eat out here.

2. Not so much a meal plan - usually we just look and see what is available/looks good (i.e. imported or less common items are not always available or fresh) at the market/supermarket and then make decisions based based on that.

3. Various pasta sauces are quite common as they're quick and easy (especially if my wife wants Thai food that night and I don't), but anything from roasts to curries (both thai and indian), to things like risotto, pizza, burgers, and various 'meat & veg' using stuff like salmon, steak, etc.

4. Not specifically, I just try to watch what goes into the pan/pot - trim excessive fat/skin from meat, use olive oil when possible, reduce salt/sugar/cream/butter etc when possible.

5. Experiment when you can. For me a recipe is almost never an actual recipe but more like a napkin-sketch outline of the basic ingredients and process. I lived alone for several years which really gave me good opportunities to try things and get a feel for what works and what doesn't. When you are the only person who will end up hungry (if it fails) its so much easier to be brave and try something new - it becomes inspiration to try again until you find something that works. I find I'm much less likely to experiment to the same extent if I'm cooking for my wife. I'll usually get her to try stuff when I do, but its not common I will try something I've never done before if she is expecting to eat what I'm cooking for dinner.

1. When i'm cooking, I imagine. Potato turns into evil enemy of meat. Onion becomes a fearsome hero. And I - this is the collapse of the universe, when everything comes to an end. I'm a hacker.

2. I know one thing - if you gonna work hard - you have to not eat at all. Only coffe or a bit fastfood.

3. East Asian cuisine. I'm russian. I must.

4. Meat diet is my best. Meat at breakfast, meat at dinner and supper. My vegans friends go to fuck himself.

5. Only life hacks: baking powder - decrease time of cooking twice (meet, vegetables any organic food), MSG - taste of any food become more amplitude. And, of course, sprig of greenery - and your dish look like from restaurant.