Before we cook anything, a few small things — what's already in your kitchen, how you like to eat, and who's at the table with you. So I stop suggesting clams to a vegetarian.
I've cooked for forty years and I've learned two things — people will eat anything once you've fed them well, and they will never forgive you for cilantro if they hate cilantro. So. Let's start with your name, oui?
A rough inventory, nothing exhaustive. The five or six things that are always around, plus whatever's lurking right now. This is what powers Surprise Me.
Don't list every grain of rice. I just need to know what's likely true on a Tuesday — your usual milk, eggs, butter, the half-onion you always have, that one suspicious jar of capers. Snap a photo if you'd rather not type.
Allergies, hard-no's, dislikes you'd rather Gusto never mention. He'll route around all of these from now on, no questions asked.
So Gusto picks the right portion sizes, the right kind of dinner, and knows when to flag a kid-friendly option.
Pair with a partner, roommate, or co-host. They'll get their own copy of the kitchen — same pantry, same plan, same grocery list. Skip if it's a solo show.
You shop, they prep. They plan Tuesday, you plan Saturday. Grocery list syncs. Nothing gets cooked twice in a week by accident.
Your dietary profile and saved recipes stay private unless you choose to share. You can fine-tune permissions in Profile later.
Gusto knows your kitchen. He knows the people in it. Now — what's for dinner tonight?