On the Internet, You Can Cook Up a Storm…Literally

Quite recently I spent a day with a friend who termed himself a Foodie. Now if you’re like me, you are probably hearing this word for the first time.  The word “foodie” refers to a person who has an avid interest in food or one who has an ardent or refined interest in food. While I’d normally shrug off the idea that a person without any culinary training could know so much about food as to qualify himself a “foodie”, the level of knowledge displayed by this individual proved his claim true. So I dared to ask the question: “how come you know so much about food”. The answer? The Internet.

I thought I’d look into it, and share a few tips (maybe in the process I might also add a few new titles to my name). Here’s what I found.

There are more people eating online…

Chefs have been recording and sharing recipes since Roman times when, in the late fourth century, the Apicius was compiled for use in the kitchen. Through the centuries, documenting and distributing cooking techniques has evolved from print, to broadcast, to online video sites like YouTube where thriving epicurean communities have emerged.

On YouTube for instance, there is a vibrant community sharing recipes, exchanging techniques and updating the culinary landscape. Professional and everyday chefs are taking their place in the spotlight by showcasing their talent and passion for food. Many of these progressive people turn a video camera on themselves while they cook in their home kitchens and, through their YouTube videos, share their recipes with the world. Others from across the globe try these dishes, comment on them via text and response videos, and even offer their own suggestions.

At all times, YouTube offers a single place to turn to for every kind of recipe imaginable, from quick chocolate chip cookies to an impressive jollof rice and moi moi (with 7 lives). Parents coming home from work may not have time to whip up a three course dinner, but they can go to YouTube to watch a short video and get advice from other parents who have tips for making speedy meals. Meanwhile, those who are interested in gourmet can find easy-to-follow videos featuring elaborate and elegant fare.

Many chefs and caterers have also created videos with their favorite recipes.  Video is a great way to learn about cooking cuisines from around the world, because you can see what the required ingredients and cooking tools look like before you go the store.

Sometimes, money is not an object

Why splurge on an expensive or exotic dinner when you can cook the same for cheaper at home using ingredients you can handpick? Via online video, you can find detailed instructions and visual demonstrations that will allow you to cook complex dishes or transport yourself to another continent. For example, spice lovers will be amazed at the amount of traditional Indian food recipes that can be found online!

We have lots of examples of challenging recipes and some countries, like Spain, the UK and even Nigeria have local examples of YouTube cooks that are constantly sharing ideas on how to prepare expensive recipes using home-sourced, everyday ingredients.

Everything starts with a search, even the best meals

For most people today, the first step to innovation is a web search. And this is also true in the case of cooking.

It’s really quite simple: type in the search bar a couple of the ingredients that you have at hand, along with the word “recipes.”  Your search results will include a variety of recipe suggestions using those ingredients.

Other search tips include:

– try ingredients in plural and singular: [avocado apple] gives different results than [avocados apples]

– if you want to exclude an ingredient because you don’t like it or are allergic to it, put a minus sign in front of the word: [bacon salad -avocado]

– if you prefer a certain cooking style or technique, like “broiling” or “sauteeing, ” add that to your search query.  You could also narrow down your results with terms like “vegetarian” or “diabetic.”

– don’t enter too many terms, or you might narrow down your results too much.  Part of the fun is sifting through the search results and discovering new cooking-related sites.

The great thing about web search applications like the Google app is that they are available on your mobile phone – useful on those many occasions when you’re already at the market and you realize you have no idea what’s for dinner or you’re tired of your usual Tuesday basics.   If you see a particular type of meat on sale, or you finally find that type of fish you’ve always wanted to try, you can look up a recipe and easily go pick up additional ingredients.

You can also have a look at the Play store or the Apple App Store for cooking and recipe apps that you can browse while in traffic.