A Democratic Process - How to Bite and Write:

Is it true too many cooks spoil the brew? Or is it soup, broth, or bread? More so than you think, process, culture, and technology shape how we learn and collaborate online with others to make things better--even great cooks do.

So I asked the question of my baker friend at King Arthur Flour, PJ Hamel who produces voracious quantities of online education on the company’s website and social media.

Hamel explained King Arthur Flour’s process, called Bite and Write, utilizes the company's customer service team, whose members regularly sample and comment on new recipes coming out of the test kitchen. Another group of employee-owners, the sensory panel, has been professionally trained to taste without preference, and is often called in for additional feedback.

“We have two levels of testers,” Hamel says, "the first group of testers supplies a basic impression: 'I like it, nice apple flavor. I'd make this at home.'" "The second group provides more detail, 'Cut back the salt 20 percent' and 'increase moistness by cutting the butter with vegetable oil,'" says Hamel.

Would you think there could be too many cooks to spoil the dough? King Arthur Flour staff receive feedback from a nationwide consumer advisory panel as well. “We might receive suggestions for the best icing for cupcakes, for instance, so we are mindful of personal preferences,” Hamel explains, “but in the end, we have to go with the crowd.

Democracy rules in the test kitchen; we feel this will yield results most representative of our readership as a whole,” Hamel says.

Readers respond inquisitively on Hamel’s Blitz Pizza recipe. Back and forth comments, including responses from other cooks can give you inside tricks, like baking the pizza crust before adding toppings to prevent soggy crust. From many collaborative sources, a combination of community monitoring and lively comments is why people frequently turn to them. Now if cooking is a democratic process, why don’t more people cook? Read on.

Understanding Culture - How to Get Close to the Food Source:

Michael Pollan has written several books on food, nutrition, and cultural aspects. Pollan’s most recent book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation was the subject of a timely interview on NPR Radio (now available on recorded podcast). Pollan says, “We have fallen into a mode of letting corporations do the cooking for us, regardless of where the food is from, its shelf life, or low quality ingredients that we know nothing about.”

Since scratch cooking is disappearing Pollan says, this has had disastrous effects not only on agriculture but for our health. “The only way we’re going to get a more humane and sustainable agriculture is if people are willing to buy directly from farmers and work those transformations of food themselves,” says Pollan.

The transformations that Pollan refers to is actually the cooking of food. “The missing link about food is how the food gets transformed before we eat, and the most important one of all,” says Michael Pollan.

These startling facts we can understand but need to do something about. I enjoy my food shopping at the local farmer’s market for fresh vegetables and fruits, and save quite a bit of money, compared to buying processed and packaged meals. I grow many of the herbs I cook with, but where do we learn about cooking?

Using Technology - How to Search, Click and Cook:

On Saturday evenings, I like to cook every week. At the market, I pick up a pound of fresh pink Florida shrimp. Armed with utensils, I reach for my iPad to search for a recipe. Finding a reputable website for a recipe is easy. Many of my favorite celebrity chefs are accessible online, but user reviews and responses are worth every morsel for discovery.

Southern Food author on About.com, Diana Rattray is a fabulous cook in her own right. I’ve cooked Rattray’s delicious spinach salad in 10 minutes. Readers chime in. I chose another recipe from a reader who shared his variation of shrimp and pasta, using ingredients he had on hand.

Next time you’re looking for a recipe, you may find it worthwhile to experiment with recipes you can find online. And share your family’s recipes. Don’t underestimate the power of sharing what you know. Your comments may give people ideas to work with.