MacGourmet

MacGourmet is the recipe software I use on my Mac. I chose it over the other apps available, after trying all of them. What sold me was the simple recipe import from web pages using the Safari Services menu, and the active developer with a clear vision of what features to add and a defined path to add them. It will import quite a few file formats from other recipe apps, most significantly Mastercook.

It has a section for notes on wine, which I don’t use. I know people who do, though, and it would really be nice to have a place for them to record the information about that lovely, inexpensive varietal that complemented the duck perfectly. Because you will want that information 4 months later for a dinner party, but you’ll have forgotten the vintage.

When I began using Macgourmet that was all it could do. Oh, it had smartlists, pictures, a shopping list and a sweet large view for referring to a recipe from across the room. It was still only recipes and wine notes, though. True to the developer’s announced upgrade path, both menu planning and nutritional value calculations have been added. They are add-ons you purchase separately, or buy the retail package MacGourmet Deluxe and get them both with the app.

Even this added functionality is not the best part. The best part is the MacGourmet iPhone/iPod Touch app. Now I have all my recipes on my iPhone. I simply use that in the kitchen for the things I use a recipe to make. Combine that with the timer on my iPhone and you have a perfect cook’s toolset.