Apple iPad Cooking Tips

The Apple iPad is a pretty amazing device. It does some things very well and some thing fairly well. It isn't the perfect tool yet, except in the kitchen. I've found that it can easily access any recipe site on the Web as well as utilizing a number of Apps to search, modify and store recipes. I've found the 16 GB WiFi to be more than adequate for any work in the kitchen as long as you have a wireless router hooked to your cable or DSL modem. Going for the cellular plan was more expense than I wanted to incur.

The iPad is fairly durable, but won't stand immersion in water, so some caution is necessary. I've heard of people slipping the iPad into ziplock bags for protection. Evidently the screen is still functional through the plastic. I've never found this necessary, but I try to cook cleanly with all the mise nicely laid out ahead of time and clean as I go. What is very helpful is some sort of silicone sleeve. It protects the outside of the iPad and also provides a nice non-slip surface when you prop the iPad against something. I use the iPad Silicone Case Rubber Skin as it is cheap and almost invisible. It also gives you a better grip on the slippery thing.

iPad stands are another option and work well, but it does add more clutter to your kitchen. I whipped up this stand at a very reasonable price (the cost of a metal hanger). I use it about 30% of the time, but mostly just prop the iPad against the coffee maker.

The easiest way to find a recipe is using the browser. (see our list of great recipe sites) Do a quick search for a recipe using a specific name or general primary ingredients using Google or the search engine of choice. For instance searching for "chicken curry" returns a lot of general Indian dishes where "chicken tikka masala" is much more specific. Sometimes doing a general search by ingredient can get you in the ball park and then you can narrow your results. For instance I'd never cooked kale, so a simple search for that word led me to a lot of recipes to explore. The problem with this approach is saving the recipe you like. You could bookmark it, but then you have to organize and store them in a useful way. This is where recipe specific apps from the iTunes store are useful. I personally use Paprika and find it has the best set of features from editing to storing recipes you find on the Web. You can browse in the application and then save what you find to the application. A link to the original recipe is maintained and you can edit it to your specific needs.

Keeping an eye on free app sites is a good way to pick up new or discounted cooking apps for no cost or try lite versions prior to purchase. I use FreeAppAlert or an app called PandoraBox on the iPad to check periodically for new culinary related apps. It is not a bad idea to grab them when you can and evaluate them at your leisure. Look for specific types of cuisine your like as well. There are quite a lot of Indian recipe apps for instance. There are some other helpful utilities like measuring conversions, portion size adjusters and shopping list builders.

Using Paprika is probably the best experience I've had with recipes on the iPad. It is easy to search for a recipe on the Web and then convert it and save it in the application. Some sites are a one click conversion and others need a bit of cut and paste effort. It isn't difficult and you can rapidly build a collection of new recipes to try. The recipes are categorized in whatever way makes sense to you. This is a great app and well worth the few dollars to purchase.

Another great app that is good for inspiration is Gourmet Live. The defunct magazine has returned as an iPad app with a good deal of material at their disposal. The app is free, but there is a store and you can purchase additional packages. Some of the recipes are a bit over the top and fussy, but good for inspiration and modification. There are interviews and videos as well. This app has potential to be a lot more.

Barron's The New Food Lover’s Companion, 4th ed. is a great reference tool and the iPad makes an ideal tool to browse or quickly look up culinary terms and ingredients. A little more expensive than your average app, but cheaper than an DVD or CD and about the same as the paperback book version .