A cooking partner

That dish you've been dreaming about? Cook it.

Or just tonight's dinner. Either way, it turns out better with the world of cooking knowledge on hand.

Free. No credit card.

Free, no credit card.

The moment it turned

I had long been a skeptic. While I was using AI for other things I believed cooking was an impossible case, something sensory a computer without the sense of taste could not approach. All it could give was recipes without character, just bland averages of what already existed.

But I had a memory of some amazing pork buns from this “hole-in-the-wall” spot that I'd been dreaming about ever since. For an Asia-themed weekend I decided I had to try and asked ChatGPT for help.

I spent the morning cooking and preparing for this “breakfast” at 2 PM. When I tasted the result I was shocked, it tasted like the original, only better.

How could that be possible? While I ate five of these I realized what AI could do in cooking. But the experience was rough. The recipe lived in a chat thread that got lost. Nothing was saved. I had to scroll up and down through long replies in the middle of cooking. It worked despite itself. So I built Simmero.

How Simmero helps

With you, every step of the way

Swipe to see how it fits your cooking →

Step 1 · The idea

When inspiration strikes

I have some extra taco sauce, I want to make a traditional Mexican dish, not tacos

Nice! Here are a few fun, more traditional-feeling ideas using taco sauce 🌮🔥 1. Tostadas – Crisp tortillas topped with beans or meat, a drizzle of taco sauce, lettuce, crema, cheese, and radishes. Like open-faced, crunchy tacos. 2. Entomatadas-style Enchiladas – Lightly fry corn tortillas, dip in warmed taco sauce, roll with cheese or shredded chicken, then top with more sauce, crema, and onion. 3. Sopa de Tortilla (Tortilla soup) – Use taco sauce as part of the broth base with tomato, stock, and spices; serve with crispy tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and lime. 4. Chilaquiles – Fried tortilla chips simmered briefly in your taco sauce, topped with fried eggs, crema, cheese, onion, and avocado. Breakfast or brunch classic. Reply with the number and I can turn that idea into a full recipe 👌

Step 2 · A great recipe

A recipe for you, by you

Chicken Tostadas

20 min · serves 4

View

Recipe looks great, but don't like coriander and also can I get more protein in it?

Recipe updated

Got it — I removed the coriander and boosted the protein (more chicken and more beans), plus added sliced spring onions and increased cheese/sour cream.

Step 3 · At the store

A second opinion in the aisle

dried chilis on a store shelf, taken from the user's phone

Which of these chilis should I pick?

For your chicken & bean tostadas, here’s how I’d rank those four 🌶️: 1. Chipotle (left) – Best choice. Smoky, medium heat, perfect with the “make it smoky” idea in your recipe. Use instead of part of the chili powder and/or fresh chilli. 2. Ancho – Also great. Sweet, raisiny, very mild heat and gentle smokiness. Ideal if you want deep flavour without much burn. 3. Guajillo – Bright, slightly fruity, medium heat, not very smoky. Nice if you want more chili flavour but less smoke. 4. De árbol – Hottest and pretty sharp. Good for adding kick, but not the best for smokiness or for the main chili note here.

Step 4 · The recipe

Easy to follow

Prepare the chicken1/2

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2Pat chicken (400 g) dry. Mix oil (1 tbsp), garlic (2), chili (2 tsp), lime juice (2 tbsp) and toss the chicken to coat.

Prepare the beans0/2

Step 5 · While cooking

Help in the moment

The beans taste a bit bland, what can I do with them?

Easy fix: think salt, fat, acid, and chilli 🫘🔥 Try this, tasting after each step: - Boost salt first: Stir in a pinch or two of salt while they’re hot; beans need more salt than you think. - Add richness: Mix in a drizzle of olive oil or a small spoon of butter; it makes them taste fuller and less “flat”. - Add some acid: Stir in a squeeze of lime or a tiny splash of vinegar; stop as soon as the flavour “pops”. - Use your chipotle/ancho: Add a pinch of chipotle (for smoke and heat) or ancho (for depth and colour), cook 1–2 minutes to bloom the flavour. - Check texture: If they’re too thick and pasty, stir in a spoon or two of water/stock and a little more oil — smoother beans taste richer. If you tell me which chilli you actually used, I can give you exact amounts to add so they don’t get too spicy.

Step 6 · Sharing is caring

Pass it on or cook together

Share recipe

Anyone with the link can view and save a copy.

simmero.com/chef/share/chicken-tostadas-12345

And always

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