Endless Thread What's on the menu: Ruby Tandoh on how the internet and algorithms shape our appetites
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Dec 5, 2025 
In this insightful conversation, Ruby Tandoh, a food writer and former contestant on The Great British Bake Off, explores how the internet influences our dining choices. She shares her experiences balancing the allure of online recipes with traditional cookbooks, revealing how cultural trends spark cravings. From the viral 'world's best lasagna' to the impact of TikTok on culinary trends, Ruby critiques the often superficial nature of modern food content. She also reflects on how these trends can affect our relationship with food, including eating disorders.
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Food Consumption Is Largely Visual Now
- Ruby Tandoh spends more time looking at food online than actually eating it.
- She argues that food content now punctures every part of culture and is relentless.
AllRecipes As A Folk-Recipe Archive
- AllRecipes began in the late 1990s as an almost entirely user-generated recipe archive.
- Ruby calls it an important archive of middle-American home cooking and folk-hero recipes.
The "World's Best Lasagna" Phenomenon
- Ruby describes John Chandler's "world's best lasagna" on AllRecipes as likely the most made lasagna recipe globally.
- She highlights its tens of thousands of reviews and lasting folk-hero status.
