Zestie
Tell me what you're craving
Say what you feel like eating, what's in the fridge, and how much time you have. I'll pick one dish that fits and walk you through it — why we cut it this way, when to add it, and how to rescue it if it goes wrong.
A real recipe, generated by Zestie
One dish — and the reason behind every step
Tell it what you're craving and what's in the fridge. You get one dish, the principle behind each move, what to look for, and what to do when it goes wrong.
You said
“Something light and quick”
Steamed Egg with Shrimp and Scallion
Silky custard, springy shrimp, fifteen minutes, no heavy oil. Gentle heat is the whole trick.
- 2 eggs
- 4–6 small shrimp
- 1 scallion
- Light soy
Strain and skim
Pour the egg mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the shallow steaming bowl, then skim any remaining foam off the surface with a spoon.
What to look at: Surface is glassy and bubble-free; the strainer catches a little stringy white and foam.
Cover and steam
Set the bowl on the rack, cover it loosely with a plate or foil, then lid the pot and steam over medium-low heat for 9 minutes.
What to look at: After 9 minutes the edges are set and the centre still wobbles like soft tofu when the pot is nudged.
Add the shrimp
Lift the lid, uncover the bowl, lay the peeled shrimp on the surface in a single layer, re-cover, and steam for 3 more minutes.
What to look at: Shrimp have curled into a C shape and turned opaque pink-orange all the way through.
If it goes wrong
If the custard puffs and turns spongy
Your steam was too violent. Turn the heat down to low, crack the lid for 30 seconds to let it settle, and finish 2 minutes longer — the flavour survives, only the texture is coarser.
Not a recipe — a cooking lesson
Follow it and it works. Burn it and there's a fix. Finish it and you know why.
Decide for you
Stop scrolling delivery apps. Say “I want something warm” and get one specific dish, not a list of options.
The why behind every step
Why blanch first, why hot pan and cold oil — explained, so you can adapt instead of copying.
Read the pan, not the clock
Every step tells you what to look at, listen for and smell, so you judge doneness by observation.
Rescue it when it goes wrong
Burnt, too salty, watery, tough — each common failure comes with a concrete fix.
Built for a real kitchen
It assumes a wok, a pot and a normal stove — no oven, thermometer or blowtorch required.
Your own cookbook
The dishes you've made, your tweaks and your notes are saved — open them without regenerating.
Buy generations, use them anytime
One generation = one complete recipe: ingredients, steps, the reasoning behind each step, fixes and substitutions.
Your first recipe is free — no card required.
Taster
30 dishes — a month of trying it out
- 30 full recipe generations
- Cached recipes don't cost a generation
- They never expire
- Saved to your own cookbook
Regular
100 dishes — about six months at four or five a week
- 100 full recipe generations
- Cached recipes don't cost a generation
- They never expire
- Saved to your own cookbook
Family
300 dishes — cook for a year without thinking about it
- 300 full recipe generations
- Cached recipes don't cost a generation
- They never expire
- Saved to your own cookbook
Questions
About generation, billing and storage