What do you consider the best recipe software for Windows?

On Sun, 20 Mar 2011 17:42:00 -0400, Landon wrote:


I wouldn't set up a tower and monitor in the kitchen. My opinion is
laptops are perfect for that environment. I don't fry, but it seems
like the kitchen collects greasy dust anyway and IMO a laptop is
easier to keep clean.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
Leonard Blaisdell wrote:

Thanks, that's pretty much as i do also, i often use las palmas my self
but i keep looking for something better, there's a brand of sauces &
spices called el guapo that i like but they both seem a bit less well
seasoned than what i can get from a couple of local Mexican restaurants.
I have been tempted to poke through the trash at one place near me,
see what brand of empty cans they are throwing away but haven't got up
the nerve to do so yet:)
--
JL
 
On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:40:14 +0000, l, not -l wrote:


If I'm using freebie software, and it suddenly starts 'crashing', I'm
prepared to mooch around on the 'net to see if anybody knows why and/or
has come up with a patch... However, if I *pay* for software, I'd expect
the vendors themselves to notify me if/when M$ Windows patches screw
something up in their software package - and supply patch(es) for download
from their support website. *Having* to join some yahoo discussion group
to get information/patches for stuff like this is ludicrous, IMHO.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy
 
On 3/22/2011 1:12 AM, ChattyCathy wrote:

Cathy,

You are correct.

There is basically no corporate support for Mastercook. The company that
made it is gone. Another company bought the rights and the people on the
Yahoo! discussion group work with that company's programmers to fix
glitches.

I have several expensive software programs like Word Perfect Office and
Adobe Elements and *never*, over the many, many years I've used these
bought and paid for programs, has either company sent me a notification
about patches. It is up to me to go to their web site and look for
updates or, in the event something doesn't work and I contact them, they
will email me a patch.

The newest version of Mastercook is simply the last version by the
defunct company that had some additional code put in so that it will
load and run better on Windows 7 and Vista. Before that, people running
W7 and Vista had to do things with "administrative permissions" (I have
no idea what that is, I still run XP)

I also use Firefox and Thunderbird. If I have a problem I go to one of
Mozilla Project newsgroups (news.mozilla.org) and get help or I go to
the Mozilla web site. Is that any different than going to a Yahoo!
discussion group? I don't think so. Both places have people who
volunteer. Neither place charges a fee for the help. I use Open Office
and I go to their site and see if there are updates. They don't send me
notices.

The Mastercook discussion group has several very dedicated people, some
of whom worked with the original developers on upgrades and
enhancements, who volunteer their time and efforts to help users of the
software. I find it very comforting to have a place I can go where I
trust the information and assistance rather than just "mooch around" the
internet. These folks will be around for the long haul, unlike many free
software providers and even commercial software providers.

I did pay for my software as I'm sure others did, but lots of people pay
for "free" software by making donations to the developers. Unlike the
people purchasing the program now, I did not pay the current owners, I
paid the developers who are no longer there, but If I ever switch to a
newer OS and buying another copy of the software would make it easier to
use, I'd do it.

Though you aren't at all interested in its capabilities, I am quite
attached to it and I have not found anything else, paid or free, that
does what it does for me. I do not find having to go to a Yahoo!
discussion group any more "ludicrous" than taking my car to a local
mechanic instead of bringing it back to the factory where it was made.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.
 
On 22-Mar-2011, ChattyCathy wrote:


Had I visited the ValuSoft (publisher of MC) customer support webpage, I
would have found the patch there. Finding out about here or through the MC
support group simply prompted me to do something that I would have done if
the problem were a big enough issue. Most software packages with a loyal
following also have independent discussion communities that have formed.

I don't think it is normal practice for vendors of $20 software to "push"
changes or spend a lot of time on notifications; that is why they are
low-cost - they use web-based tech-support.
--
Change Cujo to Juno in email address.
 
On Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:16:45 GMT, "l, not -l" wrote:


At last, the voice of reason.

$20

For a piece of software that will hold, track, import, export and
provide great search capabilities for a million recipes, more or less.

$20 for goodness sakes. If I turned the old couch in my Florida room
upside down and shook it, I think that there may be that much in it in
pocket change.

That's less cost than one meal out.

Way less than one fill up at the $$GAS$$ station. etc. etc. etc.

Some of you folks who are complaining so loud about this software
should remember we're talking about $20. Let's stay real folks.

Thanks "l, not -l", for pointing out the obvious.

By the way, as an Asian food lover for many years, I imported 700
Asian recipes from http://www.madsrecipes.com/ and all imported
flawlessly and gave me tons of new things to try.
 
On 22-Mar-2011, Landon wrote:


Import Assistant simplifies importing recipes you may want from here; while
MC's Explorer bar works pretty well importing from web pages.

The only feature that has not worked well for me is the PDA support - mostly
because my PDA is a mid-90s vintage Compaq Windows CE; I simply export
recipes from MC to text files that synch to the PDA. Haven't tried it
with my Windows Mobile phone.
--
Change Cujo to Juno in email address.
 
On Tue, 22 Mar 2011 11:12:54 -0500, Janet Wilder wrote:




That certainly doesn't make me want to rush out and buy a copy of MC...



I paid quite a bit for a copy of Adobe Acrobat (the full version that
allows one to create/edit .pdf files, not the reader) over five years ago
- and they *still* email me information about patches/updates/upgrades for
it. Did you perhaps neglect to register your software when you purchased
it or no longer have the same email address you had then?



Again, that doesn't overly impress me.




Well yes, I didn't have to 'sign up' to get free software, add-ons or
patches from the mozilla site.



Well no - why should they send you notices? Its free. I was talking about
software one has to *pay* for in order to obtain a legal copy.



Maybe, maybe not.



I do not recall saying that you should switch from MC to some other recipe
software anywhere in this thread. If you're happy with MC, that's grand.
However, I did recommend Gourmet Recipe Manager or BigOven to Roy, because
that's the recipe software *I* happen to like...


So your local mechanics know more about your car than the "official
agents" do? Interesting.

--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy
 
In article ,
ChattyCathy wrote:



We have the FREE Adobe Reader. It automatically checks for updates,
downloads and installs them (that is user configurable). We bought the
cheapest MS Office (about US$100) many years ago. It does weekly checks
for updates, and prompts for downloading and installation (also user
configurable), despite the fact that the version is obsolete.



I don't ship my car to the factory for maintenance, but the mechanics
have been trained by the manufacturer to repair my car. In fact, the
head mechanic used to be the service manager at a dealership for that
brand (Toyota).

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA
[email protected]
 
On 3/19/2011 2:58 PM, sf wrote:

I use Now You're Cooking and I like it a lot. We got Master Cook for my
mom, but it's not that user friendly to someone who can't use something
simple out of the box so she doesn't use it. I think she'd like NYC.
 
On Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:25:15 -0600, "Janet Bostwick"
wrote:


Hi Janet, I've done exactly what you've said for several years now,
but I'm getting enough recipes where it's becoming a hassle to do some
of the searches.

This software will enable me to do way more than any of the standard
word processing programs will do. That's what databases are all about.

In depth data searches made with a few check marks and word choices.

For instance, if I want to find a recipe for pork shoulder and I have
onions, potatoes, celery and squash on hand. What recipes do I have
that have those ingredients and what do I need for a serving for 6 in
a shopping list. Pull up the shopping list and print it.

See what I mean?
 
On Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:20:56 -0500, Janet Wilder
wrote:



I've got one of those too. If something looks interesting I will put
it there until I have tried it. Then move to the regular file or
delete it.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)
 
On Mar 18, 10:10?pm, Sky wrote:

Flourless chocolate cakes can be very nice, and with all the gluten
sensitive folks these days, they should be soaring in popularity..
--Bryan
 
On Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:12:59 -0500, Janet Wilder
wrote:


I prefer looking at the entire recipe. I've tried using the netbook
in the kitchen, but the screen is just too small for that and I don't
own a full sized laptop, so I don't know if it would work or not.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
In article ,
"M. JL Esq." wrote:




I'm afraid my enchiladas are uninspired by anyone's definition, but I
like them. I don't make my own sauce. I use either Las Palmas or maybe
La Victoria enchilada sauce. I've also use the packaged stuff with
tomato sauce, but canned tastes better to me.
I fry up ground beef, onion and green chiles (canned) and season with
salt for the filling, pass corn tortillas through hot oil, dredge in
sauce, fill, roll and set in a glass casserole that has some sauce on
the bottom. I pour the remainder of the sauce over the enchiladas and
then top with Colby, sliced olives and scallions. Reheat.
Like I said, uninspired. Served with Spanish rice and Rosarita refried
beans , and it's a meal I've eaten since I was a kid.
I could do much much better with a little effort. I choose not to. This
is easy peasy and a taste of my childhood.

leo
 
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