Cooking For Engineers

[NhumiSD]

Iam in search of a good database to store my recipes. Any suggestions or, have anyone made a database? I would want it to include metric conversions, and recipe sizing, and pretty much one that could link ingredients from all the recipes.
Thanks.

-Nhumi

[Nancy]

Hi Nhumi,

Try this full featured one: http://www.livingcookbook.com/

I've been playing around with it for a few days and expect to buy it. I like the nutrition analysis feature.

It has a free full-use trial (25 uses), and here is a link which compares it to other cookbook software (so now you have more to choose from).
http://www.livingcookbook.com/features/compare.htm

Just playing around for a couple of hours, I've already imported 14000 recipes from other sources. The ones I'll keep are the food network recipes (300 are from Alton Brown, 1400 from Emeril, 600 from Sara Moulton, etc.)

...Now to get all of Michael's recipes in it.

Hope that helps,
Nancy

[Bart]

I've played with Now You're Cooking (NYC) - http://www.ffts.com/. I liked this program because it's so very customizable and it has a very intuitive way of entering recipes. You can work fast and efficient!

I haven't tried the program Nancy mentions above, but what they say on their compare page about NYC is totally untrue. A lot of functions they claim are not available in NYC, are very plainly just there and have been for at least two years. Bad way of promoting your own program, if you ask me.

Succes
Bart

[Poyma]

I use a large 3 ring binder filled with plastic page protectors. I format recipes clipped from the newspaper or copied on the backs of envelopes to fit on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

It would not really be possible to alphabetize however, since some sheets of paper have several recipes on them, sometimes grouped by ingredient(s), sometimes not.

The plastic page protectors are perfect for handling inevitable spills on the pages.

This somewhat low-tech method allows me to preserve my mother's handwritten recipes. The three ring binder has been out-grown several times, I just move all the pages to a fatter binder.

[newtoCFE]

I worked with ProChef Plus trial version. Was selling my baking for a while and it was good for pricing out what it cost to make the items. Took a while to enter ingredients in - then you select them for your recipes. Trial Version allowed (I recall) about 50 recipes. Got a new computer and haven't re-installed but probably would if I start selling again...

I also use a big binder with plastic page protectors. I'm printing most of my recipes from web sites now - epicurious, all recipes etc. so the full page printout it perfect. When I need to use a recipe, I just pop it out of the binder. It stays clean - but I can always add notes to the page.

Bought the section dividers with pockets - appetizers, soups, pasta, meat etc. If I'm interested in a recipe, it sits in the pocket till I try it. If it makes "the cut" it gets its own page protector...

[Madhu]

I save my recipe files in MS Word (which i know most Engineers absolutely dislike...but i guess it serves my requirements). I organize the recipes by categories - low fat, microwave foods, party foods...etc. I also keep a master file specifying what recipes i have and which folder they are located in. Everytime i create a new file/ recipe i update the master file. It hardly takes any time.
I need a recipe only for the very first time that i make the dish. After that i try variations (ingredients, no. of portions, cookign techniques etc) and like to take notes about each version that i make.
I've been wanting to document the nutritional info for my recipes. I think i will try the one Nancy mentioned. I'm glad i ran into this forum !!!
In general i like to keep my filing system uncomplicated and MS word gives me this.

[Sherrick]

This may very well be too late to benefit any of the original posters, but I came across a couple of pretty nice freeware recipe programs that I thought I would share. These programs are probably not going to approach the functionality of the better known and / or commercial programs, but I have found them to be quite useful. Additionally, they have helped me figure out what exactly is important to me in a recipe software program and what is not important. There is no cost associated with these programs, and being in a somewhat restrictive financial position, that appealed to me as well.

Here are the links. I would be very curious to hear impressions from anyone who gives them a look.

Thanks!
Sherrick

Recipe Center:
http://www.recipecentersoftware.com/

Recipe Manager:
http://www.nutritionanalyser.com/recipe_manager/recipe_manager.htm

RecipeShip:
http://www.recipeship.com/download.asp

[katja]

I gave recipeship a try, it wasn't terribly helpful as I would prefer to have the option to categorize recipes by keyword rather than copying over and over to the various folders.

On the upside it comes pre-loaded with a ton of folders by nationality, content, occasion etc. Each of these folders is pre-loaded with recipes as well.

[Cucina Pro]

I use Now You're Cooking and really like the screen import feature. It lets you copy/paste onto a page and then it formats everything. You can also add photos and keep track of ratings.

[Pasta Head]

Here's a site that lists their top ten...

http://cookbook-recipe-software-review.toptenreviews.com/accuchef-review.html

I personally use Accuchef (#8)...I like it, but I don't do anything fancy with it, I just store and print recipes...

[skramy]

I am still using a built in recipe database in my I-Mac Appleworks.