MacGourmet News

Looking for food blogs with MacGourmet support? Here's a new, really well done blog for those of the vegan persuasion: Vegalicious. From the About page:

Once the decision has been made to become vegan, we believe the key to staying on a vegan diet is having a wide variety of meals that satisfy your 'taste' as well as provide the nutrition that you need. Recipes that offer a variety of colors, flavors and textures will help to sustain your enthusiasm and interest in being a vegan.

If you find recipes there that you like, you can download them into MacGourmet with one click and drag. Check it out, even if it's just to see a great example of a well done food blog with MacGourmet support added to it.

(If you do a food blog, especially if you are a MacGourmet user and you either have MacGourmet support or are interested in adding it, you can let me know about it, by sending an email message: macgourmet [at] advenio.com.)

The fourth public beta of MacGourmet 2 (v2.0.0 beta 11) is now available.

This is just a small update to fix some problems that cropped up in the last beta, namely not being able to use the delete toolbar button in the main lists and lists not saving your sort order and selection correctly.

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST BEFORE DOWNLOADING THE BETA
When MacGourmet 2 is first run, it will create a new version of your existing database, so it doesn't modify your existing MacGourmet version 1 database if you have one.

Still, as when using any beta software, it's always a good idea to back up your existing information (usually the entire MacGourmet folder in the Library/Application Support folder in your home folder). If you find any problems, please choose Help > "Send Feedback" from within the application to send in a report so that they can be fixed.

Also note that while this build is a universal binary, it is a debug version, so it might be slower than the final version. The final release will, of course, be an optimized universal build.

The fourth beta can be downloaded here: MacGourmet 2 Public Beta

For a full list of changes since the last release, please see the MacGourmet Release Notes page.

Please see this previous post for more information on MacGourmet 2, including pricing, etc.

The third public beta of MacGourmet 2 (v2.0.0 beta 10) is now available.

Updates are coming fast and furious, and I think we're getting closer to the first release candidate and final release. Highlights in this latest update, in addition to a bunch of bug fixes, include the ability to delete any of the previously "locked" database items in the library browser and the addition of category and keyword entry in the import assistant.

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST BEFORE DOWNLOADING THE BETA
When MacGourmet 2 is first run, it will create a new version of your existing database, so it doesn't modify your existing MacGourmet version 1 database if you have one.

Still, as when using any beta software, it's always a good idea to back up your existing information (usually the entire MacGourmet folder in the Library/Application Support folder in your home folder). If you find any problems, please choose Help > "Send Feedback" from within the application to send in a report so that they can be fixed.

Also note that while this build is a universal binary, it is a debug version, so it might be slower than the final version. The final release will, of course, be an optimized universal build.

The third beta can be downloaded here: MacGourmet 2 Public Beta

For a full list of changes since the last release, please see the MacGourmet Release Notes page.

Please see this previous post for more information on MacGourmet 2, including pricing, etc.

Give the gift of MacGourmet this holiday season!

MacGourmet (CD Edition) makes a great, unique gift for your favorite chef and Mac fan. For just $29.95 (plus shipping and handling*), only $5 more than the download version, you can order MacGourmet on CD. The CD edition includes the latest release of MacGourmet and a serial number, the print-quality version of the documentation (in PDF format) and sample recipes, all packaged in a DVD case.

To celebrate Cyber Monday, traditionally the largest online shopping day of the holiday season, buy a copy of MacGourmet (CD Edition) from the online store on 11/27/2006 using the coupon code CYBERMONDAY (** This deal has expired **) and get free Priority Mail shipping*, that's a savings of $5.95! Because version 2 will be a free upgrade, anyone receiving the current version of MacGourmet (v1.2.3) can get started on building their collection now, and download the update to 2.0 for free when it's available.

To order, just visit the Advenio online store. Happy Holidays from Advenio!

*Currently only shipping to addresses in the U.S.

The second public beta of MacGourmet 2 is now available.

Please see the previous post for more information on MacGourmet 2, including pricing, etc.

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST BEFORE DOWNLOADING THE BETA
When MacGourmet 2 is first run, it will create a new version of your existing database, so it doesn't modify your existing MacGourmet version 1 database if you have one.

Still, as when using any beta software, it's always a good idea to back up your existing information (usually the entire MacGourmet folder in the Library/Application Support folder in your home folder). If you find any problems, please choose Help > "Send Feedback" from within the application to send in a report so that they can be fixed.

Also note that while this build is a universal binary, it is a debug version, so it might be slower than the final version. The final release will, of course, be an optimized universal build.

The beta can be downloaded here: MacGourmet 2 Public Beta

For a full list of changes since the last release, please see the MacGourmet Release Notes page.

I'm pleased to announce the first public beta of MacGourmet 2.

I know, there are a lot of people who have been waiting for an official announcement on how much the upgrade to version 2 will cost. I can finally shed some light on this:

Version 2 is going to be a free upgrade for registered users.

Yes, some people will think I'm crazy. Some will think that a free upgrade is appropriate. I decided to make sure everyone moved to version 2 together, because it is the core on top of which a lot of cool new things will be added.

Upon the its final release, I am, however, going to try something a little different from the norm: "voluntary upgrade charges with extra goodies." More details will be coming later, but if you want to recognize all of the hard work that goes into Mac software development and an all new version of a product, there will be a way for you to do this, and get cool stuff in the process, and maybe win one of several cool prizes.

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST BEFORE DOWNLOADING THE BETA
When MacGourmet 2 is first run, it will create a new version of your existing database, so it doesn't modify your existing MacGourmet version 1 database if you have one.

Still, as when using any beta software, it's always a good idea to back up your existing information (usually the entire MacGourmet folder in the Library/Application Support folder in your home folder). If you find any problems, please choose Help > "Send Feedback" from within the application to send in a report so that they can be fixed.

Also note that this is a debug version and that it's compiled for PowerPC, so it will be slower than the final version and run under Rosetta on Intel Macs. The final release will, of course, be an optimized build and a Universal Binary.

The beta can be downloaded here: MacGourmet 2 Public Beta

Finally, if you're an unregistered MacGourmet user, buy before the end of the beta or December 15th, whichever comes first and you can save $5 on the current Download Edition version of MacGourmet, just as a way of saying, "Thanks for downloading and testing the new version." Just use the coupon code BETATHANKS (** This offer has expired **) when you fill in your order information.

Because MacGourmet 2 is a free upgrade, buying now will get you the final version of MacGourmet 2 when it's ready as well, and will automatically enter you in the version 2 launch prize giveaway.

My thanks to the closed beta testers, I got a lot of great feedback that helped improve the product. I'd also like to thank everyone else who asked to be a tester. I wanted to keep the closed beta group at a certain size, so the group was only so big. After a certain point there were also too many requests for me to respond to each one personally. The offers were certainly appreciated however.

"Joy of Cooking," the most popular cookbook in America, has just undergone another makeover just in time for the 75th anniversary.

The new version puts back a lot of the information removed from the original and 1975 editions by the 1997 update. The strengths of "Joy of Cooking" have always been, according to the NYTs review, information on all things: "You open it to figure out how to structure a soup, how long to boil an egg or how much condensed milk goes into a coconut macaroon. Need a short history of basil? It's here, along with tips on working with a caterer and recipes for every holiday cookie you've ever tasted."

According to the New York Times (free subscription required):

...Scribner, the publisher, wants you to add a new "Joy" to the shelf. Just in time for its 75th anniversary, "Joy of Cooking" has undergone radical surgery. Meet the Best Loved and Brand New "Joy of Cooking," in bookstores for $30 this week.

If this sounds a little familiar, that's because "Joy of Cooking" underwent a similar transformation in 1997, when we were asked to forget our beloved dog-eared copies and buy the All New, All Purpose "Joy of Cooking," priced at $35.

That well-engineered but unloved revision turned out to be the New Coke of cookbooks.

Caught between unhappy family heirs and tepid reviews, Scribner is now suggesting we just forget about all that nonsense 10 years ago. They didn't really mean it when they scrubbed the homey Rombauer-Becker family wisdom and killed the canning section.

Apparently, the makeover in 1997 removed a lot of the "home wisdom" of the original, but in the 75th edition it's back.

The new old "Joy" is essentially a rewrite of the 1975 edition, the most popular one. It corrects, at least in the mind of Ethan Becker, Irma Rombauer's grandson and the keeper of the family franchise, the big mistake that was the 1997 version.

There appears to be both good in the new book:

...the new book has a much deeper section on grains, and devotes lots of space to cooking vegetables in a microwave, a method I am increasingly fond of. The very solid cocktail section has been restored and, in keeping with the sensibilities of the founding family, there is more material on how to grow food and forage.

and some bad:

While the new book rightly restores sections that fell to Ms. Guarnaschelli's pen - the ice cream and pickling sections, for example - it goes too far in its effort to rebuild the family house. Some of the gee-shucks recipes are just not very good, and the Becker family homage woven throughout the chapters can seem creepily cultish.

but according to the Times reviewer:

...the new version is the most complete and current "Joy" you can buy. If I didn't have my trusty 1975 version, I would shell out $30. But for the number of times I actually dip into "Joy," the '75 will suffice. After all, a meringue is a meringue and cuts of beef don't really change.

Read the entire review while it's available: Does the World Need Another 'Joy'? Do You?

Buy Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition at Amazon.com, where you can also find a lot more reviews of the new edition.

This came across the ol' MacGourmet.com news desk today. Are you preparing a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner for the first time? Are you looking for a set of tried-and-true recipes to replace your own "misfires?" How about an entree for your vegetarian friends, or ways of scaling that dinner to larger numbers? You'll find this and more in a nice ebook or hardcopy form, just in time for Thanksgiving. And, if you buy it in time for Thanksgiving, you can help feed others: $1 of each sale will go to the San Francisco Food Bank.

Ithaca, NY (PRWEB) November 3, 2006 -- It's easy to find Thanksgiving recipes, but much harder to find a complete set of tested recipes that go together to help real-world cooks in real-world kitchens make a delicious Thanksgiving meal without stress or last minute problems. Help is now at hand in the new book, "Take Control of Thanksgiving Dinner," written by Joe Kissell, author of the Geeky Gourmet blog. The 104-page book may be ordered in traditional printed form ($19.99) or as an instant-gratification PDF download ($10) from http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/thanksgiving.html.

For each book sold during the month of November, $1 will be donated to the San Fransciso Food Bank, a non-profit organization (where Joe Kissell has volunteered) whose mission is to end hunger in San Francisco. For more information about the San Francisco Food Bank, visit http://www.sffoodbank.org/.

Kissell walks readers through all the steps: planning, shopping, preparations the day before, and finally cooking the turkey and trimmings on the big day. Detailed recipes are provided for traditional Thanksgiving dishes, from turkey and stuffing to cranberry relish and pumpkin pie. Appendixes cover special cases from allergies to vegans. A downloadable "Print Me" file provides shopping lists and schedules, as well as concise versions of the recipes to tape up in the kitchen. Readers are encouraged to modify the included shopping lists, schedules, and recipes to suit their holiday traditions.

The downloadable version is a carefully designed PDF file with hot links for cross-references and mentioned Web sites, making it easy to navigate quickly; the print version is professionally printed and bound with a lay-flat binding.