Mark Bittman, whose How to Cook Everything cookbook (and its vegetarian counterpart) have been on my shortlist of coveted cookbooks for forever, released an iPad app of the same title early this year. Here's the short version: I love it!
I thought the iPad would be a nice kitchen companion, and bought a frame and stand for it with this in mind. I was right (go me). I have a few cooking-type apps that carried over from my iPhone and they are pretty handy. But this app, designed especially for the iPad (he has ones for the iPhone as well), is awesome. It's super interactive, and it gets down to basics with each of its 2,000 recipes, which if you are familiar with his work tend to be on the healthier side. You can search or browse based on ingredient, ease of recipe, or type of recipe. If the recipe calls for a certain technique to be used, the app breaks it down with diagrams and instructions. These instructions can be as basic as using a knife, so this could be a great app to send a kid off to college with if he has yet to take any interest in the kitchen. There's also a section in each recipe where you can add notes, which is super handy.
Downsides? Well, obviously frying and iPads don't mix too well, so there's that. Keep it clear from the stove or fry daddy though and you should be fine. Also, the app is cooking oriented, so don't expect too many baking or sweet recipes.
At $10, this is certainly the priciest app I have ever bought. But at less than half the price of the cookbook, it's a real bargain. In my opinion, it was money well spent. If he does the vegetarian edition for iPad, I will be buying that as well. Now, if only Alton Brown would follow suit.
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