I am pleasantly disposed towards Mark Bittman. The New York Times food writer not only has to work with a small kitchen (just like me!) he also has a flair for simple, practical recipes that turn out great without a lot of fuss or bother. I have made several of Bittman's recipes in the past and had great success, which is more than I can say for most other celebrity chefs. (And Bittman's recipe for popovers was kind of life-changing. So easy! So good!)
So I was pretty stoked when I found out that Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" app is currently free in the Apple app store. I have always wanted to get the book, but never quite got around to it.
Never having read the book, I can't exactly do an apples-to-apples comparison. However, the app has a strong social component that I suspect the book lacks. From the main screen you can select "Most Popular" to view the recipes that people have rated the highest. You can also vote on recipes throughout the app to help add to the "Most Popular" stats.
All of the recipes are noted with FMVE on the main screen. This indicates whether a recipe is Fast, can be Made ahead, is Vegetarian, or Essential. Honestly I'm not sure how much this adds to the recipes, but I bet vegetarians find it handy.
The app has a lot of discoverability. You can search the app, or browse a ton of lists under "Bittman's Picks." These lists include "Top 100 Fast Recipes," "Top 100 Make-Ahead recipes," and more. There is also a section for techniques and other tutorials that even experienced cooks will find helpful. (I learned how to chiffonade!)
Throughout the app you will get the trademarked plainspoken, accurate descriptions that I value in Bittman's writing. For example, the time for meatloaf is described as "One hour, largely unattended."
Image courtesy Flickr/bubbletea1
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