Cookbook Software Update

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

scarbelly

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Jul 26, 2009
14,315
73
I have been testing a new Cookbook software program called Living Cookbook 2011. It is very easy to import recipes thru either the import tool or the Capture tool. You are able to add ingredients easily and if one of the ingredients in your recipe does not match up right you are able to do an ingredient search and so far I have found 90% of them listed in a different manner.

You can also easily scale a recipe and add it to a menu.  

I have made a cookbook and have several subsections for things like Appetizers - Bacon processing - Sausage - Smoking - Rubs etc and it is pretty quick and so far very easy to use

You can also make a shopping list by naming the list (such as a date)  and adding the recipe to the list. If you tell it what store you shop at it groups items by how they are laid out in the store and give you an approximate value of the item as well. We used it for the second shopping trip today and it was within $10 of each of the stores. If you have a large pantry it even tracks the items in the pantry. Very powerful and most of it is done thru mouse clicks  

There is a trial version good for 30 days and the tech support guy has been real responsive. He is going to put together some slides for a Wiki for this  -

Shooter Rick is also testing it and may have more to add from his testing too.

Here is the link to the free trial
http://www.livingcookbook.com/

Here is what a recipe looks like - The format is much better in the software but it gives you a ton of info

Apple, Sage & Fennel Breakfast Sausage

1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 cooking apples
1 bunch Green onion chopped
2 lbs ground pork
1/2 cup sage leaves freshly chopped - packed loose
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed or lightly chopped
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. In a 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat

2. Add the apples and scallion whites

3. Cook until apples are soft and starting to brown about 5-8 minutes

4. Let cool for 10 minutes

5. Combine all ingredients and lightly shape into 3/4-inch thick patties, avoid crushing apples

6. Fry to cook or freeze for later use

Servings: 10

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Time: 10 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/10 of a recipe (4.5 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 432.28
Calories From Fat (85%) 368.11
% Daily Value
Total Fat 40.87g 63%
Saturated Fat 13.21g 66%
Cholesterol 59.36mg 20%
Sodium 961.95mg 40%
Potassium 249.45mg 7%
Total Carbohydrates 5.52g 2%
Fiber 1.08g 4%
Sugar 3.1g
Protein 10.48g 21%
Edit to fix serving and nutrition / message sig
 
 
Last edited:
Looks great Gary. Except thats a big serving size and lots of calories LOL 
 
Looks great Gary. Except thats a big serving size and lots of calories LOL 
Funny this is one that I forgot to edit - I will fix it and repost it

Thanks Brian
 
 
Just took a look at the site and I have one question that I can't seem to find the answer for.  I've been using a DB  program (TreeDB Pro), recommended by one our members to keep my SMF recipes and and other site downloads in.  As you know many of our members will post many QVues in the sequence of a smoke, forluvofsmoke comes first to mind.  I cut and paste the primary information with all the vues, we're talking 18 to 20 pages before resizing the photos to get the file/recipe down to a managable 10-12 pages. You know there's many, many photos involved and each is just as important as the one only allowed by most cookbook programs.   Is there a way for this cookbook to accomodate multiple photos in the same recipe?  It certainly does look more useful than Mastercook.  I've used that particular program for several years before moving to the data base program.  I'll confess that it (TreeDB Pro) has it's quirks but so far, remains most useful.  I do endorse the LivingCookBook program though.  It sure seems to fill the needs of most of us who want a strong electronic recipe filing system.  I'm afraid I'm cursed by the need for recipes, more and more recipes.  You don't know what a curse that is until you try to find one you downloaded a couple of weeks ago.........  Look up bibliophile in the dictionary.  You'll find a picture of me.  I collect...... and that's the curse.
 
Dave

I just did a test with one of my recipes. Go to the images tab and there is a button to add. Click on that button and add all the pics you want. I am not sure how many it will hold but I got 6 in with no problems
 
So far Scarebelly has about covered all the highlights.  I find this a very usefull tool for diabetics also.  You can play with substitutions and changes and see the nutritional affect fast and simple.  It comes with tons of diabetic recipes in the trial version also.  The biggest issue I see is you must edit the serving size realistically to get meaningfull nutritional numbers.  I will give this guy my 35 bucks for sure.
 
I agree with Rick. This is a software worthy of being used by folks on this site. I have imported recipes from the net, from SMF and from word docs I have and as soon as I can get my scanner fixed I will use it too. The tech support has been very responsive and I am going to buy the two lic version so I can also use it on a laptop when we travel
 
I have recently purchased the program.  I love it.  One feature I have asked tech support to consider adding is a auto convertion from standard measurements to grams for sausage makers and curing inthusiests. I will post any feedback on this request here when recieved.

Shooter.
 
This is a experimental recipe i converted with the software to metric in 2 seconds once I figured out it was already possible and found the button.  LOL

Shooters Smoked Beef Sausage

4.54 kg  beef chuck
7.39 ml ground ginger
19.71 ml sage
19.71 ml ground nutmeg
19.71 ml white pepper
44.35 ml sugar
14.78 ml thyme
473.18 ml ice water
49.27 ml Tender Quick Cure or 2 tsp Cure #1
118.26 ml soy concentrate

1. Grind the beef chuck through a 1/8 inch plate.  Make sure to keep the ground meat cold during the entire process.

2. Mix all dry ingredients into the chilled water and mix into the ground beef well.  Do a fry test for season.

3. Stuff into 35-38 mm hog casings and hold in the refrigerator 12 hours.

4. Place in a 140F smoker for 1 hr and gradually raise the smoker temperature to 160F.  Smoke until the internal temp of the sausage is 145F.  Chill in a cold water bath and then air dry the sausage at room temperature 1-2 hours until proper bloom is achieved.  Package and freeze.

Servings: 44
Yield: 11

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/44 of a recipe (2.4 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 3 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 241.17
Calories From Fat (73%) 174.95
% Daily Value
Total Fat 19.4g 30%
Saturated Fat 8.14g 41%
Cholesterol 57.82mg 19%
Sodium 35.86mg 1%
Potassium 128.64mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 1.27g <1%
Fiber 0.18g <1%
Sugar 1.04g
Protein 14.36g 29%

Tips
If cure #1 is used add 5 Tbs kosher salt.
 
It just dawned on me that ml is a volume measurement not a weight measurement so my original request still is valid.  To be more usefull for cures and sausage the program needs to be able to convert tbs,tsp,ect to grams a weight measurement.  I will continue to post progress on this request. This would be a real plus in my eyes but with that said I still love this program!

Rick
 
Last edited:
If you are storing recipes both Rick and I would highly recommend that you go download the free trial of this software. Neither of us is getting anything for free from these folks and both of have done a lot of testing of this sofftware.  I have imported over 200 recipes so far with very little work.  If anyone wants some help figuring anything out just send me a PM This is hands down the best cookbook software on the market today.  At our request, they are in the process of putting together a screen shot tutorial that we can post here for you.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky