On 2/26/2012 7:25 AM, James Silverton wrote:
> On 2/26/2012 8:19 AM, James Silverton wrote:
>> 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.
>>
> I noticed a little later that someone likes to cut and paste from the
> 'net. May I put in a plug for the free program PlainText that allows
> copying a web page and pasting only the textual material. This save a
> lot of editing and you can define a key combination to run the program
> and paste at the same time. For example, I use CTRL-0.
>
The Recipe Fox add on for Firefox does an awesome job of this for
Master Cook and I think "Living Cookbook" or something like that.

I have a file in my Word Processor set up so that I can save a recipe
from this group to it. I then copy the part of the file I want to the
"Import Assistant" tool in Master Cook and it's imported into my
cookbook of choice. At the same time, I can add notes and other
information as well as categorize the recipe and the cuisine.

I started using D-Base for recipes in 1995, but it was really hard. I
got my first copy of Master Cook in early 1996 and have never looked
back. I even scanned an entire cookbook into my computer and now have
it in my Master Cook collection.

It is not a perfect program, but it does what I need it to do quite
well. I love the searching capabilities. I love the fact that I can
make as many of my own cookbooks as I want and collect digital cookbooks
as well.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.