Looking for Recipes on the Web
Back in the early days of the web, there weren’t a lot of things to do. I mainly looked for information about three things on a regular basis: (1) the Chicago Bulls (these were the glory days); (2) romance novels (pre-AAR); and (3) recipes.
Over the years, I’ve come to rely more and more on the web for cooking tips and recipes. In fact, this summer, I donated about 50 cookbooks to a local used book sale, leaving myself with only 10 sentimental favorites.
When I’m looking for cooking inspirations, with nothing specific in mind, I have a series of regular sites to visit. My favorite, is the BBC Good Food site. While I have to do conversions of the quantities, I’ve found numerous great recipes there. They consistently have wonderful vegetarian offerings.
If I’m interested in healthy, low-fat/low-calorie ideas, I’ll check out the Prevention magazine website for ideas.
When I’m looking for recipes to use specific ingredients, I make use of the advanced search feature at Epicurious. This one tends to be a bit hit or miss for me, but if I play around with it for awhile, I can usually come up with some ideas.
Where I’m a bit more stumped, is when I’m looking for a recipe for a specific dish, such as for ratatouille or tzatziki. I just don’t have a go-to site, so tend to do a Google search for “ratatouille recipe,” or whatever I want to cook. Now I’ve come up with some great recipes doing this, but have also come up with some really lousy ones.
I’ve also looked for specific recipes on the Food Network’s website, and once again, some seem reasonable, but a whole lot just don’t interest me.
How about you? Do you have any go-to recipe sites for me to check out? Any I should avoid?
LinnieGayl
Hi there, You have done a great job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I’m sure they will be benefited from this web site.
If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.-Confucius
Over the holidays, I discovered http://www.bigoven.com/ It has become one of may favorites having discovered and tried easily a half dozen new family favorites. Like some of the others mentioned, you can search by ingredients, within categories, key words. I also like Recent Faves section. I recommend checking it out and plan to add some of the sites mentioned to my Recipes bookmark folder.
Gail, thanks for the recipe! I’m going to have to give it a try.
Thanks, Syd, Tracega and Tammy J! More sites to try out. I’m beginning to feel as if I’ve totally missed out on the best food/recipe sources on the web.
I really like supercook.com. You add ingredients that you have it generates recipes for you.
I hate cooking the same thing week after week, so when I discovered Allrecipes, I fell in love. My family thinks I’m so talented. But in truth it’s just that I can follow a recipe. The reviewer comments make all the difference in the world.
I’m a daily visitor to allrecipes.com. And, just last week I found the Simply Recipes blog. Simplyrecipes.com That was a mistake of gargantuan proportions. Since then, I’ve spent hours and hours and hours reading her recipes, blog, and the readers’ comments. Laundry is piling up, but I don’t care. There are more recipes to be read.
This is the tea recipe that’s gotten me closest to what the tea shop serves me if you want to try it http://www.recipezaar.com/Moroccan-Mint-Tea-55799
Thanks, so much, Zina and Gail. I haven’t used any of the sites you mentioned.
Gail, Moroccan Mint Tea sounds really interesting.
I like RecipeZaar, I’m especially fond of their “filter by ingredient” feature when there’s something I need to use up in the fridge.
It’s been interesting to watch sites like it and all the others grow over the past couple of years. When I first got hooked on Moroccan Mint Tea a few years ago I couldn’t find a recipe for making it anywhere online (or in any print source I had on hand). But a couple of months ago I looked again and there were a number of recipes up on RecipeZaar complete with some helpful notes on technique in the reviews.
I go to the sites you listed too. I would add…www.verysimple.com. I have the cookbook too and love the magazine. Most of the recipes I have tried have worked out well. Also, Cooks.com and I too love going to the Food Network. I think it helps to watch the chef too, or at least I find it helpful. Another…Pioneer Woman. Have made much of her recipes. She has such lovely photography which is so important when showing food. I think when food is shown on some cooking sites, even if it is good, if the photo shows it looking like something other than food (you know what I mean), it is best to put down the camera. On her blog her pictures are beautiful.