Software Review of:
Joy of Cooking 

The software minimally requires a 90 MHz Pentium or faster, Windows 95, 16 MB RAM, a 4X CD-ROM, 100 MB free hard disk space, and SVGA graphics. However, it runs better if you double the Processor, double the RAM, and double the speed of the CD-ROM. My PC met the recommended requirements and I am running Windows 98. The software opens up with the table of contents which also has a Navigation Bar on the bottom and a list of special sections on the left. The first thing that I did was to go to “find” and look for a recipe for my favorite salad, which is tabbouleh. Unfortunately I spelled the word wrong the first time and could not find a recipe. After checking a dictionary, I tried again and was thrilled at how quickly the recipe appeared on the screen. I then checked the left side of the content page to see what each word or phrase opened up. Techniques gives a list of the ways to do things in cooking, especially those methods that we do not perform every day. 

One technique new to me was the problem of a recipe that calls for a specific size pan that I don’t have in my kitchen. It showed me how to use aluminum foil to make a pan smaller. The glossary is exceptional. Not only does it give an explanation/definition of the term or item but it also shows a picture whenever possible. The bookmarks are my favorite part of the whole software. Any cook book that I use often is marked with little pieces of colored post-its that mark recipes. My cookbooks are especially filled with little post-its. With bookmarks in this software I can find a recipe, click on the bookmark and then the next time that I want that recipe, click on bookmarks and there is a list of my favorite recipes. (I won’t have to worry about spelling tabbouleh again either.)

My recipes is another section that I know I will utilize a lot. I am an incorrigible collector of recipes from packages, friends, and printed matter.  With “my recipes” I can type these recipes in and have all of my favorite recipes in one location (my PC). I also can take recipes from “Joy” and modify them to suit our health concerns and taste and keep the modifications in “my recipes”. With shopping list, it is possible to create a grocery list as you are planning a meal or a party so that you are sure to have all of the ingredients on hand when you are ready to cook. A menu planner and a recipe exchange are also available. I did not explore these, but with the help menu, it will be easy to learn how to use both of these sections. I did explore the customize section and was very impressed with what it has to offer. First there is room to put your name so that recipes can be personalized, especially in the “my recipes” section. Under customize, you can choose if you are living at an altitude above 2000 feet and the recipes will be automatically adjusted. It is also possible to show a health icon for low fat, saturated fat, sodium and fiber. This icon also appears to make adjustments to recipes and makes it a lot easier for a person to watch their food or the food they prepare for their family.

The Navigation Bar at the bottom of the screen is really easy to use and does not interfere with the recipes or use of this software. It includes Main Menu, back, forward, Weblink, help, print, pilot, exit, and find. The “help” menu is really good. Every time I was puzzled by something, I clicked on help and it explains with words and pictures how to use the item or section in question.

At first I was not happy with the screen that “Joy of Cooking” uses because it completely covered my monitor making my system tray and start button inaccessible. This hindered my way of reviewing software, but within a very short time I had adjusted and like the easy to follow screen. At the time of closing (exiting) the software, you must go through all of the credits. That, too, turned out to be a non-problem. I really like this cooking software. It is so easy to print out a recipe and lay it on the counter to prepare my meal rather than using a big cookbook and taking a chance on spilling ingredients on the book. It is also so much easier to find a recipe than thumbing through a book, yet I can still browse recipes for something new if I wish.

I have seen Joy of Cooking software at Sam’s, Best Buy, and other software vendors. The suggested retail price is $29.95 but it can be obtained cheaper on the Internet. I found it difficult to locate on the Internet because Amazon, Barnes and Noble and even the parent company, Simon and Schuster, kept taking me to the hard cover book. My solution was to use a search engine and type in “Joy of Cooking CD”. Anyone who uses AT&T Worldnet as their ISP can obtain it from AT&T for $4.97.