In article >,
Janet Bostwick > wrote:

> On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:08:47 -0800, isw > wrote:
>
> >In article >,
> > Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
> >
> >> On Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:21:01 -0500, Mark Farouk > 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
>
> I can see where your approach would be valuable for someone who is
> into collecting recipes. I just want memory joggers so that I can
> cook. I have never looked for something to cook with 3 eggs that I
> have in the refrigerator. I cook because one of us is hungry for
> something particular, or something looked particularly lovely at the
> grocery store. Your systems would be just too much fuss for me.

We have a fairly regular repertoire of a few hundred dishes that we roll
through on a very irregular basis. With that large a list, it's awfully
easy to forget about one -- or more -- that you really would like to
make but just don't think of. The database makes it easier to avoid
overlooking some of them.

Isaac