Kitchenwise Friends

[qos]

What is your preferred way to compile and make easily accessible recipes from a wide variety of sources? I have several cookbooks with a small number of recipes I like, recipe cards of widely varying sizes, a few sheets of printer paper, and online bookmarks.

I want to do better at meal planning, but can never remember all of what I have that I

Comments

[erl_queen]

I am pretty old school - I just write every recipe I like out on a 4x6 lined notecard and keep them alphabetically filed in a little box in the kitchen. I sometimes photocopy out of cookbooks or print off the internet, but if I make the recipe once from that and like it, I'll copy it onto a card and put it in the file instead.

[oakmouse]

This is exactly what I do too, except I use 3x5 cards in order to fit my battered, elderly, much-loved recipe boxes.

[edwarddain]

I don't really use recipies, but I do keep the shelves over the sink full of all the various cooking writing that I've acccumulated over the years.

Then it's handy if I want to look up something for an idea or need a reminder of cooking times or whatever.

[jillwheezul]

You could try the Control Journal of Fly Lady and use the calendar to meal plan. I followed the advice for Holiday planning this year, which was to take your favorite recipes and put them in your notebook which was just for planning T-day and Yule festivities. It totally rocked, except now I have way too many cookie recipes that I want to try!

[rocket_jockey]

We have a mixed system. The most eclectic part of ours is a set of 3-ring binders with clear sleeves. Recipes get copied, cut or printed out and they go into a sleeve.

I've started transcribing recipes into a computer program that databases the recipes, quickly scales the ingredients for different numbers of people, and gives a rough nutritional analysis per serving. It also has a menu planner function.

I have a shelf full of cookbooks, too, used mostly for reference. 90% of my cooking is improvisational based on what's in the cupboards and fresh a tthe market.

[wyldlingspirit]

When I want a recipe I look it up on the internet, often carrying my laptop into the kitchen to see while I'm cooking. This isn't very efficient to say the least! My kitchen is the size of a closet and counter space is at a premium. Not to mention the danger of getting batter all over ALF's keyboard!

Thing is, I seldom use recipes. I was taught to cook by "feel" -- which drives Allen crazy, lemme tell you! Pinch, handful, finger-length, dollop, dash and drizzle aren't his idea of measurements. But it works for me and nobody, incarnate or otherwise, complains about my cooking.

I'm going to dig out a three-ring binder to keep my favorite recipes, as well as kitchen/household charms and spells.

[edwarddain]

Yup! The big problem I have is when I get a request to duplicate something - depending upon the time that has passed I can have a very difficult time remembering exactly what went in when and how much of it did...

But nobody complains.