On 2/26/2012 1:08 AM, isw wrote:
> In >,
> Ed > wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:21:01 -0500, Mark > wrote:
>>
>>> Does anyone know of any cookbook software where you can add your own
>>> recipes to make your own (digital) cookbook?
>>>
>>> I would like to be able to copy and paste recipes I get off the
>>> Internet instead of having to type every word. Maybe even include a
>>> pic of the food which often accompanies online recipes. I don't even
>>> know if such a thing exists.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Mark
>>
>> I use Word. I have separate files for sausage, cakes, etc to make
>> finding them easier I also have Access so I can put them in the
>> database for simple searching.
>
> There are a lot of issues with using any sort of text editor for recipes:
>
> It makes it very difficult to treat the ingredients differently from the
> preparation method, etc. -- you want to be able to search on "egg"
> without finding every instance of "beat the egg whites ..." for example.
>
> Separating recipes in any way into separate files is awkward, too; where
> do you put "sausage gravy" -- in "sausages" or in "gravies"? The huge
> advantage of having a single database is that any given item can be in
> as many different categories as it needs to, and it can be moved
> instantly between them.
>
> Also, it's nice to be able to link recipes that are related -- say, a
> frosting you use with several cakes, so you don't need to have the
> frosting repeated over and over -- and what do you do when you need to
> change something about the frosting; find every instance of it and
> change them all? Good luck.
>
> Or how about scaling recipes for different numbers of servings? Word
> can't even begin to do that.
>
> Or attaching ratings -- how can you search for all your "three star"
> recipes, using Word?
>
>> There are a few versions of recipe software available, but I've not
>> tried them.
>
> I started collecting recipes years before I got a computer or internet
> access. My first "recipe software" was dBase II, with scripts I had to
> write myself; it had serious limitations. I migrated to Word when that
> became available to me. It was somewhat better, but still very limited.
>
> Later I got Master Cook, which was far easier to work with, but sadly
> they stopped supporting the Mac, and with OS X, it just didn't work any
> more.
>
> For several years, I've been using MacGourmet, and while not "perfect",
> it is by far the best recipe software I've used.
>
> At present, my collection is just about 8,000 recipes, and MacGourmet
> can handle it without any problem at all. Yeah, I know that a lot of the
> recipes are near-duplicates, but one of the big advantages of a *good*
> system is that they are there if you ever need them, but otherwise they
> don't get in the way at all.
>
> Isaac

Yes, I use MS Word and I can do a quick search for specific ingredients
with Google Desktop. However, I can see the value of programs that will
adjust the amounts of ingredients for the number of servings.

I usually print out the recipe before cooking.

--
Jim Silverton

Extraneous "not" in Reply To.