Cookbook Software

[ejay79]

While we're talking about software packages, I'll toss my hat into the ring - I'm the author of Chef (url in signature), software for managing recipes. It's relatively new (April of this year) and actively being worked on.

Feel free to download it and give it a whirl - the free version allows up to 20 recipes so you can get a feel for the application. The base version is $35 and allows you to run it on as many computers as you'd like - with free minor version upgrades. $55 gets you free upgrades for the life of the product.

[Dodi]

Is Living Cookbook better than Mastercook deluxe?

[lornaf]

Hello,
I'm new to this board, my name is Lorna. Does anyone know if there is any software that one can enter all the inventory of their pantry and then do a recipe search based on that data for recipes with ingredients that they have on hand?

[Maverick2272]

The problem with having software on more than one computer is you constantly have to sync them. Sometimes you can do this by moving the data file back and forth, sometimes more advanced software will sync for you, but most times it means entering the same recipe onto each computer.
I think I said this before, but I use an Access Database as my recipe and pantry software. Since the database is contained on the network drive, all you need to access it is a computer hooked to the network with MS Access installed. No sync needed.
I had a pantry inventory option, but never had the time to keep it up to date, way too much maintenance there. Now I just use the search feature to search for recipes based on up to 10 ingredients. Recipe matches are listed in order of how many ingredients they use, the one with the most at the top and the one with the least at the bottom. I can then build my grocery list from there if I want to.

[Ask-A-Butcher]

Originally Posted by ejay79

While we're talking about software packages, I'll toss my hat into the ring - I'm the author of Chef (url in signature), software for managing recipes. It's relatively new (April of this year) and actively being worked on.

Feel free to download it and give it a whirl - the free version allows up to 20 recipes so you can get a feel for the application. The base version is $35 and allows you to run it on as many computers as you'd like - with free minor version upgrades. $55 gets you free upgrades for the life of the product.

Looks interesting, Eric, and I have just one question. If one were writing a cookbook, can the recipes be written on your software and then printed in book form?

[ejay79]

Originally Posted by Maverick2272

The problem with having software on more than one computer is you constantly have to sync them. Sometimes you can do this by moving the data file back and forth, sometimes more advanced software will sync for you, but most times it means entering the same recipe onto each computer.

With my software, there is a shared database and you can install Chef on any number of computers and all point them to the same database - no syncing required either!

[ejay79]

Originally Posted by Ask-A-Butcher

Looks interesting, Eric, and I have just one question. If one were writing a cookbook, can the recipes be written on your software and then printed in book form?

No I do not have this feature right now but it is something that I'm hearing more and more people asking for. Would you be willing to let me quiz you via email about how you'd like it to work?

[ejay79]

Originally Posted by lornaf

Hello,
I'm new to this board, my name is Lorna. Does anyone know if there is any software that one can enter all the inventory of their pantry and then do a recipe search based on that data for recipes with ingredients that they have on hand?

Lorna, in a previous version of Chef (the software I have written), I had an inventory piece and it allowed you to do exactly what you are wanting. When I rewrote it, I decided to leave this out for the time being because it just ended up not being very practical. Simply put, it was a royal pain in the butt to keep things up-to-date to the point where you could just trust what the software said (I had a web-frontend to it so I could do the searches you're wanting from a store with a mobile phone).

[Maverick2272]

Originally Posted by ejay79

With my software, there is a shared database and you can install Chef on any number of computers and all point them to the same database - no syncing required either!

So a person could place the database on a network drive and each computer installed with the software will look to the network drive for the database?

But how will that work for someone that wants it on two computers but has no network at home? Can you sync it like you would Outlook between two computers not connected? IE flashdrive or USB drive?

That would be cool...

[ejay79]

Originally Posted by Maverick2272

So a person could place the database on a network drive and each computer installed with the software will look to the network drive for the database?

The database isn't a file-based db like MS Access. Rather, it's a piece of server software (Microsoft SQL Server Express) that gets installed on whichever PC you declare as being the Chef Database Server. Then any clients just point to that running computer and they can get to all the recipes.

You're right that this requires a network however.

In the case when you have two disconnected computers, you can create a Chef Recipe Package (export) containing any number of recipes in your collection and import it on the other PC. Back to the ol' Syncing problem :)