Online Recipe Box

As I attempt to build a repertoire of go-to recipes, there are many brave souls willing to sample my latest kitchen experiments. This includes entrees and side dishes from various cuisines and of course, my beloved after-every-meal sweets. If the dish is a hit, I’m privileged to hear, “Can you get me that recipe?”

So where do I get the ideas for my stovetop playtime? I’ll admit to a subscription of Everyday with Rachel Ray; in fact, I’ll fess up to it being a guilty pleasure. I love the pictures, cooking techniques and mention of fun little gadgets as I turn each page. I’ve learned about common ingredient pairings, unique veggies, how to save at the grocery store and have even gotten a couple stocking stuffer ideas from Rachel. But how do I know those mouthwatering pictures will turn into a tongue pleasing success? I don’t.

The place I find the most comfort (I’m laughing as I type these words) is at allrecipes.com. Not only is there the largest collection of recipes I’ve ever found in one website, but there is proven success at your fingertips. Want to make eggplant parmesan? Type it into their quick search engine and you’ll instantly receive numerous posts of various eggplant parmesan recipes. Not sure which to pick? Sort them by user rating and make the version with the most votes and/or the highest star rating (5 stars being the maximum).

You can also sort by title or relevance depending on what you need. For example, if you have some leftover coconut you’re not sure what to do with, you can type “coconut” into the recipe or ingredient portion of the search engine and every single recipe with coconut as an ingredient will appear.

Not impressed? Each season or holiday, there is a separate link with related festive dishes and creative culinary ideas. You can also specify if you need recipes omitting dairy, gluten or any other allergy related requests. There is even a “diabetic friendly” tab, which will take you to an entire collection of related recipes.

We’re beginning to approach a time where every drive thru and menu will have the nutritional information listed with each item. At allrecipes.com you can search for recipes using the nutrition search option or you can simply see the nutritional information of the specific recipes you view.

Can you print these recipes easily (this seems like a silly questions, but many websites don’t have this feature yet)? Of course! You can choose to print your recipes full page or a specific 3x5 or 4x6 size to fit in your tangible recipe box. Or you can simply store your favorite or anticipated recipes in your online recipe box with the click of a button.

Not sold? How about a 4 ½ star chocolate chip cookie recipe with 5,796 votes and reviews? I think I’ll go make a successful midnight snack right this moment. Happy eats!