Electronic Cookbook

[hellosailor]

"What is a "backup accessory"? like a zip drive or something? I didn't think about losing all of them. I wonder if there is a way to back up to the cloud... "

Forget the cloud, that requires you to have internet access. Just copy your "book" to a couple of flash drives. USB memory sticks. They're cheap and the new ones are often waterproof, or you can buy waterproof "ruggedized" ones. Zip drives are so 1980's.(G)

And yes, that means at least TWO memory sticks, because they eventually can fail, and it is cheap enough to have two of them.

[banjoship]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Be aware OneNote 2016 is being EOLed.

OneNote Windows 10 does not yet support tagging, but the feature is planned.

Personally going that sort of route, Evernote would be my choice, not so dependent on one specific platform, has done tagging for over a decade.

But for full offline access from all your sync'd devices, you do need to be a paying "premium user".

Last April MS advised there would be no further development of OneNote 2016, but that the current version would be supported until 2025. So OneNote 2016 is not going to disappear anytime soon.


Future development of OneNote will concentrate on the versions bundled with Windows 10 and Office. I have Windows 10 and also use that version of OneNote. However I suggested 2016 as it is free and works on a range of Windows operating systems.


I have used Evernote in the past and think that is also a good package. I have a slight preference for the layout and workings of OneNote. Either would be suitable for maintaining a cookbook. Also, Evernote can import OneNote content, making that transition simple if a user decides to switch..


My enthusiasm for OneNote is because it is one of the most used packages in my bag of computer tricks.


Lee

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by scarlet

I also posted this on facebook, so sorry if this is a repeat for some of you..

I love cooking and have tons of recipes and cook books. I do not want to take any of them with me as space, as you know, will be limited. I just bought a new laptop, and I want to create an electronic "cookbook" so that I can add all my favorite recipes, etc all in my computer, without having to bring a single cookbook. But, I'm batting zero on finding a good one. I want something simple... basically a nice looking table of contents (don't want it to look like a computer file.. ) I want my recipes to look just like they do on a recipe card, or cookbook.. (again, I don't want it to look like a computer file, or word file). It would be great if there was a way to add a photo of the dish, or a family event where we are sharing the food.. and that would be it.
What I do not want is a program that gives you "1000 recipes included"... I don't want those recipes.. I have thousands of recipes at home. I want my electronic cook book to be all of MY recipes...
Anyone have a program to recommend?

Howdy Scarlet.

I use a very intuitive app for note taking on my iPad. It is available at low cost on the Apple “App Store.”

It is called “Notability.”

It is highly recommended by Apple app reviewers as one of the best note taking apps on the market.

It allows you to type, hand write, add photos, add voice recordings, does text to speech, add drawings, highlight, etc. It does very fast searches, and is easy to create color coded categories. I have used it for years, with only a single purchase and it is often updated automatically on my iPad.

It is commonly used by professionals and students and anyone taking lots of notes, especially notes that incorporate graphics and photos and such.

I use it to keep my hundreds of recipes.

It is not a “cookbook” app, but I think it is an excellent alternative.

It also has multiple ways to automatically backup your notes to the cloud. Or you can send PDF files to others, make printed pages, etc.

Go here to learn more.
Notability by Ginger Labs

[john61ct]

My OneNote comment was strictly pertaining to

absence of freeform tagging, which I consider a must-have for this sort of knowledge base, and

the fact it only works on Windows, to me a laughable limitation these days

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by scarlet

That is exactly my plan. But, I'd like to also raid my mom, and aunt's recipe collection for family recipes... and then add all of mine... I figure a little time each day, and it will get done in good time.

Do you just use word? or do you have a special program you use?

Y'all should prepare to have a laugh: I use a primitive program called Notepad, and it doesn't do much.

I type 'em out just like a letter, one line per ingredient, with comments [Ex: "two eggs, lightly beaten"], double space, then the method. I save them as text files in a folder, and they are sorted by the same categories I used in the old 3 x 5 box: main dishes, sub sorted by meat types; vegetable dishes; cakes & pies; cookies; breads; and miscellaneous.

When I did 'em on 3x5 cards, I put the number of servings in the upper left corner, and backing temps, in the upper right corner. When I share them, I add notes about preparation time, or failure modes, whatever I feel like, but it's all very old fashioned, .

What I said before, though, about ease of preparation, well I have recipes that were easy when I had an electric oven that would start a slow cooking baked dish when I wanted and turn off after it would be cooked, and those kinds of recipes don't work for me cruising. It has to do with conserving cooking gas (we do use a pressure cooker), and also, with spending time hiking, swimming, exploring, visiting, etc., instead of in the galley. Mostly, I do not cook fiddly things on the boat. This doesn't fit for everybody, of course. We had friends whose piece de resistance was French Fries, and they were delicious! All that oil, all that paper waste, it wouldn't work for me at all. But they sure were good! Anyway, where it is too hot, we cook as little as possible.

It all works for me, because I don't use mixes, so all I have are known basic ingredients. I don't make things that require a food processor. I don't make things that require much refrigerator space. I changed what I cooked. I buy special stuff when it is available, but I have never been where ingredients are unlimited, except in the States, and a few rare spots in Australia, where, these days, you can get almost anything I want, with enough effort.

Cheers,

Ann

PS. I have one of those 1000 recipes programs, the problem I have with it is that most of them I thought I might try require some things I don't have and cannot get. It seems like it would be more useful to search for new uses for frequently stocked staples and vegetables, but when push comes to shove, we already know what we like best using them! and lack many of the side ingredients listed.

PPS. If you really care about your favourite and family recipes, also keep hard copy somewhere. The cloud's your friend till something bad happens.

Ann

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

PPS. If you really care about your favourite and family recipes, also keep hard copy somewhere. The cloud's your friend till something bad happens.

Ann

Yes.. I agree. I was actually thinking of sending everything to one of those companies that print books for you.

However, right now I'm in a holding pattern. I have a Mac laptop that I've had for 12 years... and just bought a dell instead (which I was going to use for many things, including my recipes).. but, it was a bad computer and I returned it. (lots of problems with it... )

So, not much out there for the mac... need to find another computer to buy...

[JPA Cate]

not much out there for the mac.

That's why both Jim and i have windows computers. In spite of all that's wrongs with windows --let me count the ways--still, more's available for them.

Fwiw (maybe little) this one on which I am typing now, is a Dell, and it has been relatively trouble free. My biggest complaint is that the on button is in the way of where I lift it to show Jim the screen, turning it off, when I want the screen to still display whatever it was.


Ann

[StuM]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

My biggest complaint is that the on button is in the way of where I lift it to show Jim the screen, turning it off, when I want the screen to still display whatever it was.

Ann

Same on my Acer laptop Can't count the number of times I've put it to sleep by accident. Right under your left thumb when you pick it up at it's point of balance is a stupid place for the on/off button - especially since it only takes a touch, doesn't need to be held down for any length of time.

[JimsCAL]

A starting point would be Kindle versions of any paper cookbooks you have.