We’re cooking a lot differently than we’re used to. For some of us, this simply means having to cook at home, versus grabbing coffee, lunch and dinner from our favorite local shops and restaurants. For others of us, even if we love cooking, we can’t just open a cookbook or find a recipe online and then run to the market to get the ingredients that we don’t already have in the fridge. Trying to limit our time outside the house means less (or zero) trips to the grocery store, and no more running to the neighbors to borrow a cup of flour or milk. It means using what we already have to make do — especially those jars and bags shoved way back in the pantry.
This can end up feeling like an episode of Chopped, where you’re asking yourself, “Okay, what can I make with wild rice, canned tomatoes, half an eggplant and four eggs?” Especially if you’re newer to cooking, this can add a lot of stress to the prospect of making all your meals at home, especially when we’re all trying extra hard not to waste or throw away food.
Well, there is an app that’s specifically designed around this dilemma: SuperCook! Using its awesome recipe database, you can either search through categories of ingredients (dairy, vegetables, grains, etc.), type in the ingredients that you have, or enter the name of a dish that you have in mind. You can narrow your search down by meal type, the type of cuisine and dietary restrictions. The recipes SuperCook culls are from personal blogs, reputable food sites (Martha Stewart, Food52) and other recipe aggregators, like AllRecipes. Bonus: There is an entire “drinks” category, where you can put in various types of alcohol and get new drink ideas. For instance, if you enter vodka and tea in the ingredients field, you can find recipes for tea alcohol infusions and a chai martini!
You can use SuperCook through its website, although its functionality and interface are smoother when used as an app for your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
What tools have been helping you become a more resourceful, confident home cook? Let us know here or on the PA Eats Facebook page!
- Feature image: Bigstock
