Recipe Management for Ereaders

LakeLoon · 10-25-2010, 05:09 PM

Are you using your ereader to store recipes? If so, how do you manage your recipe collection?

I'm interested in the pros and cons of different approaches, because I'm considering creating a (modest) recipe file for my Kindle and would like to figure out a sensible way to do it.

I am envisioning something on my (Windows) PC--e.g. an HTML file, a word processing document, or some sort of database--that can spit out a Kindle-optimized file whenever I add a new recipe. HTML sounds simple, but I'm not wild about the idea of formatting each recipe individually, manually adding hyperlinks/TOC, etc. A recipe database with an export function might streamline things--bonus points if it's free and non-proprietary.

Web searches have turned up a plethora of recipe manager programs, many of them paid (e.g. SousChef, MasterCook, BigOven) and some of them free, such as the ones described on these pages:

Anyone have experience marrying one of these types of programs with an ereader?

Thanks in advance for your input!

LakeLoon · 10-26-2010, 12:40 AM

While awaiting responses, I've been trying out some of the (free/trial) software I've located. Many of these have proven rather lackluster, but on first blush I'm fairly impressed by Gourmet Recipe Manager, which is free and open source, although still in "alpha" stage. It is available for Windows and *nix (including, apparently, MacOS), although the Windows port appears to be lagging behind a bit. Its utilities for importing recipes from various web sites look quite handy; it tries to identify metadata tags (e.g. ingredients, yield, preparation time) based on the source, but allows you to modify the tagging before you import (which, in practice, is usually necessary).

It has several export options, including plain text and HTML (as well as MealMaster, which appears to be a fairly "standard"/portable recipe format). The plain text is perfectly readable, but lacks a TOC/index. The HTML is more functional, but it creates a group of files (one recipe per file, plus an index file). This can be converted into a single MOBI file via Calibre, which creates a TOC and working hyperlinks . . . but it doesn't look particularly pretty. Perhaps some tweaking will make it look nicer?

For reference, this is what the converted file looks like on the Kindle:

(And yes, that source link works with the Kindle's web browser.)

Anyway, I would still value input from others who are doing something similar!

copyrite · 10-26-2010, 07:11 AM

Ah MealMaster... I still have that program on a computer somewhere in the house and had a rather intensive recipe collection, most of which never tried. Was active on a Fido BB back in the dark ages where we exchanged MM formatted recipes.

Now I collect books instead of recipes it seems.

I know this wasn't of any help to you but just had to add my 2cents...

FF2 · 10-26-2010, 10:01 AM

I've had a few versions of MasterCook. Generally, I'd say it works well. I can quickly search for a recipe and it provides nutritional info if you enter the ingredient list correctly. I have not done any export to see if it would serve in conjunction with my new K3. I don't even know its export capabilities.

Catlady · 10-26-2010, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FF2

I've had a few versions of MasterCook. Generally, I'd say it works well. I can quickly search for a recipe and it provides nutritional info if you enter the ingredient list correctly. I have not done any export to see if it would serve in conjunction with my new K3. I don't even know its export capabilities.

I have an old version of MasterCook as well. I had been thinking I'd like to get recipes on my e-reader, but I was just planning to load pdf or txt files of some favorites just to have them handy in the supermarket and in the kitchen--nothing very complex or ambitious.

FF2 · 10-26-2010, 04:55 PM

I just got a breadmaker and copied the pdf recipe portion to my kindle3. The pdf is not the best for kindle reading but it is there.

LakeLoon · 10-26-2010, 05:19 PM

Thanks for the feedback so far!

Since Gourmet Recipe Manager made it pretty easy to input my recipes without retyping them, I ended up using it to import all of the recipes I had in mind (around 50 of them). It certainly saved me a lot of typing! The output on the Kindle isn't perfect, but it's good enough for now, and the process is nice and simple. Here are screenshots of the "tweaked" format, including a recipe with a photo:

GRM currently has a rather "spare" interface, but the functionality is good. Hopefully the authors will keep improving it. It does have some of the quirks you'd expect in "alpha" software, but overall it works smoothly and (very important) quickly. And if I ever decide to switch over to another program (like MasterCook), I should be able to transfer the recipes via export/import.

So, now I've got a Kindle Cookbook, which will hopefully help me avoid what happened last weekend. I was visiting friends and we decided to make turkey burgers, and I knew there was a good recipe . . . in my cookbook back home, where it wasn't doing me any good!

10-25-2010, 05:09 PM	#1
LakeLoon Wanderer Posts: 49 Karma: 318 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New Amsterdam Device: Kindle 3	Recipe Management for Ereaders Are you using your ereader to store recipes? If so, how do you manage your recipe collection? I'm interested in the pros and cons of different approaches, because I'm considering creating a (modest) recipe file for my Kindle and would like to figure out a sensible way to do it. I am envisioning something on my (Windows) PC--e.g. an HTML file, a word processing document, or some sort of database--that can spit out a Kindle-optimized file whenever I add a new recipe. HTML sounds simple, but I'm not wild about the idea of formatting each recipe individually, manually adding hyperlinks/TOC, etc. A recipe database with an export function might streamline things--bonus points if it's free and non-proprietary. Web searches have turned up a plethora of recipe manager programs, many of them paid (e.g. SousChef, MasterCook, BigOven) and some of them free, such as the ones described on these pages: http://www.dmoz.org/Home/Cooking/Recipe_Management/ http://ostatic.com/blog/get-cooking-...anagement-apps Anyone have experience marrying one of these types of programs with an ereader? Thanks in advance for your input!

10-26-2010, 12:40 AM	#2
LakeLoon Wanderer Posts: 49 Karma: 318 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New Amsterdam Device: Kindle 3	While awaiting responses, I've been trying out some of the (free/trial) software I've located. Many of these have proven rather lackluster, but on first blush I'm fairly impressed by Gourmet Recipe Manager, which is free and open source, although still in "alpha" stage. It is available for Windows and nix (including, apparently, MacOS), although the Windows port appears to be lagging behind a bit. Its utilities for importing recipes from various web sites look quite handy; it tries to identify metadata tags (e.g. ingredients, yield, preparation time) based on the source, but allows you to modify the tagging before you import (which, in practice, is usually necessary). It has several export options, including plain text and HTML (as well as MealMaster, which appears to be a fairly "standard"/portable recipe format). The plain text is perfectly readable, but lacks a TOC/index. The HTML is more functional, but it creates a group of files (one recipe per file, plus an index file). This can be converted into a single MOBI file via Calibre, which creates a TOC and working hyperlinks . . . but it doesn't look particularly pretty. Perhaps some tweaking will make it look nicer? For reference, this is what the converted file looks like on the Kindle: (And yes, that source link works with the Kindle's web browser.) Anyway, I would still value input from others who are doing something similar! Last edited by LakeLoon; 10-26-2010 at 12:46 AM. Reason: updating image links*

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10-26-2010, 07:11 AM	#3
copyrite Wizard Posts: 1,814 Karma: 4985051 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maryland Device: ...lots! ;) mostly reading on a Kindle Voyage	Ah MealMaster... I still have that program on a computer somewhere in the house and had a rather intensive recipe collection, most of which never tried. Was active on a Fido BB back in the dark ages where we exchanged MM formatted recipes. Now I collect books instead of recipes it seems. I know this wasn't of any help to you but just had to add my 2cents...

10-26-2010, 10:01 AM	#4
FF2 Wizard Posts: 1,105 Karma: 1025784 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: WiFi Kindle3	I've had a few versions of MasterCook. Generally, I'd say it works well. I can quickly search for a recipe and it provides nutritional info if you enter the ingredient list correctly. I have not done any export to see if it would serve in conjunction with my new K3. I don't even know its export capabilities.

10-26-2010, 04:55 PM	#6
FF2 Wizard Posts: 1,105 Karma: 1025784 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: WiFi Kindle3	I just got a breadmaker and copied the pdf recipe portion to my kindle3. The pdf is not the best for kindle reading but it is there.

10-26-2010, 05:19 PM	#7
LakeLoon Wanderer Posts: 49 Karma: 318 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New Amsterdam Device: Kindle 3	Thanks for the feedback so far! Since Gourmet Recipe Manager made it pretty easy to input my recipes without retyping them, I ended up using it to import all of the recipes I had in mind (around 50 of them). It certainly saved me a lot of typing! The output on the Kindle isn't perfect, but it's good enough for now, and the process is nice and simple. Here are screenshots of the "tweaked" format, including a recipe with a photo: GRM currently has a rather "spare" interface, but the functionality is good. Hopefully the authors will keep improving it. It does have some of the quirks you'd expect in "alpha" software, but overall it works smoothly and (very important) quickly. And if I ever decide to switch over to another program (like MasterCook), I should be able to transfer the recipes via export/import. So, now I've got a Kindle Cookbook, which will hopefully help me avoid what happened last weekend. I was visiting friends and we decided to make turkey burgers, and I knew there was a good recipe . . . in my cookbook back home, where it wasn't doing me any good!

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