In the early 1980s, when computers were just beginning to appear in the household, a common question was, “Can the computer store recipes?” With a good data base program and a lot of abbreviations, the answer was a tentative “Yes.” Today, the Internet makes it possible not only to store recipes but to share them with the world and for the world to share them with users.
Recipes Available in Multiple Formats
The recipes available on the Internet are available in a variety of formats. They can be found in collections and standing alone.
- Online within a website: Find these recipes in blogs and other social networking sites.
- Downloadable PDF files: Frequently find these in commercial or organizational sites like Campbell’s or the California Avocado Commission.
- Hard copy sent via snail mail: These recipes come in many forms such as index card groupings, pamphlets, booklets, and even regular bound books.
- Video How to: These are available for all aspects of food preparation. They may cover anything from the proper method to fillet a catfish, how to set a formal table, or a step-by-step preparation of a particular recipe.
Some websites may contain only one of these formats while others supply several of them. A commercial website might provide access to a single recipe which can be printed, plus a video of the actual item being prepared, plus the recipe may be part of a promotional publication which may be available as a downloadable PDF file or ordered via snail mail.
Searching for Recipes on the Internet
Searching for recipes on the Internet depend on the focus of the searcher. This focus can be reflected in the search criteria.
- General Cookbook or Recipe Book Collections
- Individual Ingredient
- Special Nutritional Requirements
- Collection of Ingredients
Searching the Internet for General Cookbooks
Using Google, simply type “free cookbooks” and collections of hundreds of free cookbooks become available. Some search hits are for listings of free cookbook sources while others are for single cookbooks. Books may be available for free through snail mail or as PDF files. (Note: Some snail mail books require a shipping and handling fee.)
Searching the Internet for Individual Ingredients
This year that little home garden in the back yard yielded a bumper crop of tomatoes. Tomato in a green salad or on a sandwich gets boring over time. To find a wider variety of recipes that includes tomatoes, type, “recipe tomato” in Google’s search box. This will bring up multitudes of recipes that fit the requirement. When searching for a single ingredient like olive, a searcher might want to type, “olive organization.” This will yield olive grower organizations that almost always include recipes, forums, and other social networks that may share an interest in meals prepared using olives.
Finding Recipes that Meet Special Nutritional Requirements
Perhaps someone in the family is dairy sensitive or requires more calcium in their diet. The search criteria in this situation might be: “recipe gluten free” or “recipe vitamin e.” Other special nutritional ingredients might be:
- Low cholesterol
- Niacin
- Diabetes
- Carbohydrate Loading (Marathon runners)
Seeking a Recipe Based on Available Supplies
Last night the area was hit with a devastating snow storm that makes anything but emergency transportation too dangerous. Shopping is out of the question. The refrigerator and pantry are well stocked but exactly how they would be combined for an appropriate meal is the question.
- Do a quick inventory of food on hand.
- Go to a favorite search engine
- Type the word “recipe” followed by several of the available food items that sound like they may work together and hit ENTER. (Ex. recipe shrimp lettuce ketchup vinegar horse radish)
The recipes that appear contain all the listed items. (Note: Use common sense for this one. Listing everything available will probably not get results as good as those from making a wise selection of ingredients ahead of time.)
Searching for Special Cookbooks
Maybe a person really likes citrus fruit or has special dietary needs. Rather than look for a special recipe for every meal, a specialty cookbook may be the answer. To do this the cookbook, ingredient/nutritional criteria will be combined.
- Go to a favorite search engine
- Type “free” followed by the ingredient or nutritional requirement (Ex. “free fruit cookbook,” “free vegan cookbook”.)
Results will consist of sites containing the desired ingredient/s but along with these there will also be some free cookbooks—either downloadable or snail mail.
Finding recipes on the Internet that meet either ingredient or nutritional requirements can be performed easily by using the techniques above. Results may come in the form of recipes online, downloadable PDF files, or free materials sent via snail mail.
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