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Here's how I envision the ultimate kitchen: I get home from work, wander into the kitchen and fire up the computer. I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for; I want something pasta-based that I can throw together quickly. I punch in my desires and the software spits out a list of recipes. I choose a recipe that features whole wheat linguini with garlic oil and chopped tomatoes.

I get the linguini out of the cupboard�a full, 1-pound box�and wave it in front of the computer. The PC scans it and asks how much I plan to use. I'm cooking for two, so I say half a pound (we're hungry). The computer updates its database of my kitchen ingredients. I ask whether we have basil before searching the spice rack; there should be one-fourth of a container. Better add it to the shopping list, which I do with one click. The computer contacts my local grocery store and downloads current prices of the spice in various brands. Then, I load up an MP3 playlist�the songs are stored on my office PC�to entertain me while I chop the garlic and tomatoes and boil the pasta.

Is that a realistic scenario? Some of it is far-fetched from what's available to the home user today, such as the bar-code scanner linked to an ingredient database and connectivity to the supermarket to grab prices. Other things�such as having a computer in the kitchen that communicates with your home network, searching for recipes by ingredient and cooking time and accessing digital entertainment�are possible today with the right PC and software.

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