Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · 5d

I have been daydreaming of a Tasveer/SIFF combo at Ark Lodge

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · 29d

Even omelettes!

California Wants to Ban ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Pans. These Chefs Say Don’t Do It.

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · 29d

Background on the legislation and the celebrity chefs still selling the pans:
 www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/c...

www.nytimes.com

Teflon Nonstick Pans Are Bad. Consider These Alternatives

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · 29d

If you’re reading about California’s legislation to phase out forever chemicals, then looking at your drawerful of nonstick pans and thinking of switching away, let my 2022 @wired.com story help.

It’ll be OK.

The EPA will declare components of many Teflon coatings hazardous. Can a ceramic coating—or even none at all—cut it?

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Sep 12

This is reminding me that I once ended up eating a sandwich that Paul Dano either left of forgot in a Brooklyn café.

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Sep 5

One tidbit I figured out in my research that blew my mind is that @americastestkitchen.com had *163* of its cookbooks sucked up into LibGen, one of the pirated databases cited in today’s news.

I asked an AI-powered recipe generator to make some menus. It didn’t tell me to put glue in my guacamole, but the results didn’t come close to besting recipes written by professionals.

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Sep 5

Following today’s Anthropic settlement news, if you’re curious about how the cookbook industry is affected by AI platforms trained on pirated databases, check out my recent ‘Cooking with AI’ story for @wired.com.

AI Is a Lousy Chef

Do You Need a Barbecue Knife?

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jul 28

It’s summer grilling season and specialty BBQ knives are…a thing? In my latest @wired review, I spent a couple months testing two examples to see if they need to be a thing at all.

These specialty blades—cutlass-shaped mini machetes made for chopping grilled and smoked meats—aren’t a necessary addition to your grill game. But they’re fun, and they get the job done.

Why It's So Hard to Build Hardware in America

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jul 18

OMG YES--Here is a picture I took of it a couple months ago because it is so dumb

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jul 15

If you’d like another helping of knife nerdery with Scott, my pal Mike Wolf hosts him on @thespoon.tech's most recent podcast:

The Spoon Podcast · Episode

open.spotify.com

This Guy Attached 21 Chef’s Knives to a Slicing Robot Arm to Determine Which One Is Best

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jul 15

I’m gonna let the robot arm holding the knife do the heavy lifting for me here.
My latest for @wired.com:

Certified kitchen knife nerd Scott Heimendinger used a robot arm on multiple chef’s knives to collect 100,000 data points about which blades cut most efficiently. He’s ranked them from best to worst.

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jul 10

Thank you--it's amazing how similar some of the images are to your work. 💔

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jul 10

Hellos, hat tips, and thank yous to:
@Dan Souza & @americastestkitchen.com, Samin Nosrat & @nytimes.com Cooking, Eat Your Books/Cookshelf, @amythielen.bsky.social, Bricia Lopez & Javier Cabral, @alexreisner.bsky.social & @theatlantic.com, @sarahbecan.bsky.social, and @endsandstems.bsky.social.

I asked an AI-powered recipe generator to make some menus. It didn’t tell me to put glue in my guacamole, but the results didn’t come close to besting recipes written by professionals.

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jul 10

In my latest for @wired.com, things get squirrelly and weird when I cook with AI recipes
www.wired.com/story/dishge...

AI Is a Lousy Chef

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Reposted by Joe Ray

L.A. TACO @lataco.bsky.social · Jun 11

Here are five attorney-vetted ways you can protect yourself and the employees of a restaurant for both customers and restaurants owners.

By @theglutster

For more: lataco.com/ice-rights-r...

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jun 11

There's a slice of the breadmaking world out there for whom starter is both wasteful and a pain in the butt. The Sidekick and the Sourdough Home could be pretty helpful for them

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jun 11

It'll be cool if they can pull it off. When I talked with them, they were more concerned with the mechanics of the thing--like the stirrer shape--than the dosing to make it work.

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jun 10

Temperature control is crucial for making great sourdough. It can also be a pain. In my latest @wired story, I tested two existing products and a prototype that can help the control freaks among us make better bread.

www.wired.com/story/sourdo...

A sourdough loaf, straight out of the oven

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · Jun 3

Ooh boy--could I go for some finely tuned textural solutions!

MSG Is (Once Again) Back on the Table

Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · May 15

PS: Does anyone else out there keep a folded damp cloth next to their snacking hand while eating Cheetos?

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · May 15

Hellos, thank yous, and hat tips to:
@David Zilber, Calvin Eng, Phoebe Melnick, Tu David Phu,
@soleilho.com, Meathead, @foodstories.bsky.social & Sohla El-Waylly

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · May 15

How much better is your food with MSG?
 My latest @Wired story puts it in Cheeto terms for you

Monosodium glutamate has a poor reputation in the US, which is both unfortunate and based on misinformation. A spate of new cookbooks highlighting its powers is here to awaken our senses.

A Visit to the ‘Best Bike Shop in the World’

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Joe Ray @joediner.bsky.social · May 12

A ride through Tokyo with a stop at Blue Lug, the bike shop of my dreams.
My latest for @wired.com

Cyclists around the world are obsessed with the beautifully appointed bicycles from Blue Lug in Tokyo. As a bike nerd myself, and with a trip to Japan on my calendar, I had to pay a visit.