Cooking and Nutrition have been incredibly hot topics over the past couple of years. Other hot topics such as anti aging and fitness exercise are discussed in correlation with cooking and nutrition on a regular basis. At the same time the rise in Cooking Television Shows has been exponential. This craze has resulted in a cooking channel! A channel devoted to a plethora of cooking shows! These television shows often have associated websites where their recipes are cataloged and made available.

Technology has allowed us access traditional Italian recipes to these websites and recipes at a moments notice but in order to organize and keep your favorites on hand it may be necessary to create a file or use a software package. I have researched and will offer a review of a few software products that I recommend. These products will allow you to import, catalog and print your recipes in a variety of convenient formats.

1. MasterCook Deluxe 9.0 by ValuSoft

Product Features

  • Meal-planning software with 8,000+ recipes and 100s of international recipes
  • Thorough search capabilities; expert nutritional analysis
  • Professional tips, cooking for a crowd, and essential cooking techniques
  • Enjoy 400 savory baking recipes with step-by-step instructions
  • Print shopping lists for single recipes or entire menus, or download to PDA

2. Cook’n for Every Holiday by DVO Enterprises

This instructional computer software [http://www.thesoftwarespot.com/default.asp?SID=xSUDBN7CQH9W2UP3PGZYM6&S=500&A=F&SearchText=&CategoryID=1695949&NID=6372614] includes 582 recipes, recipe manager, menu planner, and more!

Product Features:

  • Search thousands of recipes in seconds–just tell it what you have on hand
  • Adjust recipe serving sizes automatically
  • Demonstrate preparation techniques with video clips
  • Display hundreds of full-color food photos
  • Organize your own recipes
  • Print your recipes on decorative 3×5 cards
  • Create weekly menus
  • Make grocery shopping lists
  • Analyze the nutritional value of your recipes

Recipe Manager:

  • Organizing your family recipe collection in the computer is easy with Cook’n. You already know how to put in your recipes, that’s because Cook’n’s recipe window looks just like a recipe card. And, “Quick-Fill” editing does much of the typing for you.
  • Cook’n has simple cookbook-like chapters and categories that make it easy to find your recipes fast.
  • Cook’n’s Recipe Manager makes entertaining a snap. Simply select the number of guests you will be serving and enter it into your favorite recipe. Cook’n calculates the new ingredient amounts for you.

Menu Planner:

  • Build your own weekly and monthly menus
  • Drag and drop meals to make your menus
  • Combine recipes and food items to make complete meals. Then, drag and drop meals to make your own weekly or monthly menus.

Grocery Shopping Assistant

  • Compiles your family’s shopping list automatically
  • Organizes shopping list items by aisle
  • Converts to package sizes (e.g., tablespoon tomato paste to 8 oz. cans)
  • Calculates your grocery cost

Personal Home Nutritionist

  • Analyze the nutritional elements of recipes and menus (even the ones you add!)
  • Choose between brands to satisfy dietary needs
  • Cook’n will analyze the nutritional value of any recipe or menu (even the ones you add!). Easy to read…Cook’n nutrition facts window looks just like the label on a can.
  • Cook’n has nutrition facts from the labels of 10,000 food products. You can choose between different brands to see what the nutritional effect is.
  • Now you can plan menus based on dietary needs and tastes. Prepare one delicious meal for the entire family.