MacGourmet.com

Beta Test MacGourmet Touch

2008-11-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, that time has FINALLY arrived! I'm looking for some brave souls to beta test the first version of MacGourmet for the iPhone/iPod touch: MacGourmet Touch.

What I need from people interested: Just your name and the id of your iPhone or iPod touch. The requirements are that you have a WiFi network, or WiFi-capable Mac, and are running Mac OS X 10.5 or later.

To get your phone id, sync your iPhone to your Mac, which will start up iTunes if it's not already running. Then, select your iPhone in iTunes and choose the Summary tab. Click directly on the "Serial number" label. This will toggle the display to show you the phone identifier. Without selecting anything, choose File > Copy and then paste the contents of the clip board into an email message (or just click this link to open a new email message), and send that off to macgourmet [at] advenio.com with a subject of "MacGourmet iPhone Beta". The beta test should get underway soon. Thanks!

Food & Wine Site Import Plug-in Updated

2008-11-13T12:58:00.001-05:00

Just another quick note: the Food & Wine site importer has been updated to version 1.2. You can download the latest version from the web importer page.

This new version accommodates changes made in their latest site redesign.

Cook's Illustrated Site Import Plug-in Updated

2008-11-13T09:39:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note: the Cook's Illustrated site importer has been updated to version 1.2. You can download the latest version from the web importer page.

This new version accommodates changes made in their latest site redesign.

MacGourmet: To Go - A Status Update

2008-10-17T11:35:00.001-04:00

I know, it's been a while since the last preview, but I've been hard at work on the iPhone version of MacGourmet, believe me. Contrary to what you may think, developing iPhone apps that sync with desktop applications is no piece of cake. Apple doesn't give us any way to easily pass information back and forth between the two platforms, which means that as developers, we are all forced to come up with our own ways of doing things. The iPhone also has many limitations, and very different ways of doing things from how we do things on the Mac.

To sync data right now, developers really only have two options: One is to sync with a web site. That's great if you already have an existing, scalable, and compatible web site out there, not so good if you don't. I'm a Mac developer, not a web developer, so that wasn't a great option for me.

The other option is to use Bonjour and a wireless connection to swap data between the iPhone/iPod touch. This also isn't an easy path, as it requires knowledge of networking and streams programing. It also requires the user to have a wireless network, or at least a wireless capable Mac.

For MacGourmet, I've chosen the Bonjour/wireless path. This is definitely going to be a limitation for some at first, but I had to choose one. I expect connectivity options to change or expand in the future though.

In the interest of time, the first version of MacGourmet: To Go will only offer one way syncing of data for your recipes, wine notes and cooking notes. You will, however, be able to create and edit shopping lists on the fly as well as sync them from your Mac. Why this limitation? Time. Syncing is incredibly difficult. Apple does it, and even they can't seem to get it right (if the information that regularly gets messed up on my phone is any indication). If the first version included full blown on-phone editing, and back and forth syncing support, the release would take much, much longer. I think that the first version will hopefully meet the needs of most people: the ability to take the recipes, notes and shopping lists that they have entered into MacGourmet on their Mac, with them.

I still don't have a release date for the app. I wish I did, and I'm working on getting it out as soon as I can. These things just take time, and I don't want to rush things just to get something out. It's also not the only thing I'm working on of course, as MacGourmet continues to see development, bug fixes, etc. and takes a significant amount of my time each day.

[You can find the first preview post, if you haven't seen it yet, here: MacGourmet:To Go Sneak Peek]

MacGourmet Updated to 2.3.5, Deluxe to 1.0.4

2008-10-17T10:30:00.003-04:00

MacGourmet 2.3.5, another free, minor update is now available.

This update fixes updates the web importers for FoodNetwork.com, YahooFood and Epicurious.com. For a full list of changes, please see the release notes.

As always, MacGourmet can be downloaded from the MacGourmet download page. MacGourmet Deluxe can be downloaded from Mariner's download page.

I also just noticed that Cook's Illustrated completely redesigned their web site, so I plan to update that importer, assuming their changes allow it, as soon as I get a chance.

Changes for FoodNetwork.com

2008-10-01T13:24:00.002-04:00

FoodNetwork.com just redid their entire site. I'd like to update the importer for the changes, but they still seem to be in the process of changing things, so until their changes "settle" I have to hold off on making a new importer, otherwise I'll just be doing work for nothing.

It doesn't look like the new format is too complicated, so once I'm confident in things, it shouldn't be too bad to release a new importer for it. Stay tuned here for updates.

MacGourmet Deluxe Gets "Great" Rating from Mac|Life

2008-09-13T19:06:00.006-04:00

Check out this month's Mac|Life magazine for a 4 star review of MacGourmet Deluxe! They have this to say: "...the app cooks up some nice features, including menus, meal planners, shopping lists, nutrition guidelines, and, of course, your favorite recipes available at the click of a button." You can read the full review online here.

A Bit of Info Regarding Email/Privacy and the MacGourmet/TasteBook Mailing

2008-09-13T12:03:00.005-04:00

This weekend I sent out an email message with information on the MacGourmet/TasteBook partnership. This is the first time I've done a mailing, so I just wanted to provide some information on it, and make you aware of our privacy policy.

Over the years, I've gotten lots of requests from people who want to receive MacGourmet information for major changes, like new major versions, new major features, and new offers. I finally got to the point where I could try sending one. The list was built using the email addresses of those who left the "Contact Me" box checked when they ordered. It has always been checked by default, but I've now changed that so that it's unchecked by default. The last thing I want to do is send email to those who don't want it, and if getting the first mailing was a problem, I apologize profusely. Removing yourself from this new list is a simple as clicking the "unsubscribe" link in the email message, so if you don't want to receive anything in the future, please take a second and click the link.

If you do want to continue to get MacGourmet-related email, this list will only be used for major announcements, so mailings should be few, and you can unsubscribe at any time. This list is also not provided to 3rd parties and never will be, so it will ONLY be used for MacGourmet-specific news.

If for some reason, you are not on the mailing list, and would like to be, you can subscribe to the list below.

MyRecipes.com Site Importer Plug-in Updated

2008-09-10T14:41:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note: the MyRecipes.com site importer has been updated to version 1.1.2. You can download the latest version from the web importer page.

This new version accommodates changes made in their latest site redesign.

MacGourmet and TasteBook, a Great New Cookbook Combination

2008-09-09T09:00:00.005-04:00

You can now create cookbooks with the latest versions of MacGourmet and TasteBook, the best place on the web to discover, organize and share favorite recipes and turn them into personal hardcover cookbooks.

With TasteBook's simple drag-and-drop interface, making a personal cookbook is as easy as creating a "playlist" for your recipes. Complete with customized covers, each personal cookbook is a unique gift--or an everyday essential.

With Tastebook, MacGourmet makes creating your own cookbooks is as easy as exporting your personal recipes from MacGourmet and uploading them to Tastebook.com, combining them into chapters with recipes from sites like Epicurious and SimplyRecipes and ordering your personal cookbook. They make great gifts, why not get started on those Christmas presents early this year with personalized cookbooks from TasteBook?

For a limited time, create a new account and upload your MacGourmet recipes, and you can use the code RECIPESW to save 20% on your cookbooks. For more information and sign up, just head on over to TasteBook.com and create a free account. Once you do that, uploading your recipes is easy using these simple instructions.

The 20% OFF offer expires September 30th, 2008, 11:59pm, PST. Enter coupon code RECIPESW at checkout to redeem. The 20% off offer applies only to orders of $34.95 or more (not including shipping or tax). Cannot be combined with other offers. No substitutions or cash equivalent given.

[Don't forget that with the Cookbook plug-in, which is optional for MacGourmet, and included in MacGourmet Deluxe, you can also make PDF cooksbooks. TasteBook cookbooks are different from print-on-demand copies though. They use a format specifically tailored for cookbooks.]

Some Nice New Reviews of MacGourmet

2008-09-04T14:13:00.004-04:00

I've been updating the MacGourmet Quotes page a lot lately! Some new quotes from recently added reviews are:

"With so many ways to sort, organize, and search for recipes, MacGourmet Deluxe is invaluable for anyone who loves cooking and collecting recipes."
First Look: MacGourmet Deluxe, recipe management (MacNN)

"In all, MacGourmet Deluxe packs a whole lot of functionality into one application. While some of the additions are not for everyone (I won't use the Wine Notes, for example), the things you don’t use stay out of the way, and the focus remains on recipes, ingredients, and preparation - as it should."
MacGourmet Deluxe: A Chef’s Dream Come True (MacApper)

"It all boils down to this: if you need a database to manage your recipes, there are several available, though none has been more pleasant for me to use than MacGourmet Deluxe."
MacGourmet Deluxe 1.0.3 (ATPM)

You can find these reviews and more at on the MacGourmet Quotes page!

Buy a PanMass Challenge Bundle, Support a Great Cause

2008-08-28T08:29:00.003-04:00

Seth Dillingham is again trying to raise money for his Pan Mass Challenge run. This year, he even lets you build your bundle!

Included again, like in past years, are copies of MacGourmet and this year adds copies of MacGourmet Deluxe. It's a great cause, so if you're hankering for a bunch of new Mac software and want the money to go to a great cause, head on over to Seth's build-a-bundle page.

MacGourmet on MacVoices

2008-08-07T11:37:00.000-04:00

Chuck Joiner of MacVoices was nice enough to have me on his show recently, to talk about MacGourmet and MacGourmet Deluxe. We had a great conversation about where MacGourmet has been, and where's going. You can listen to it here: Michael Dupuis of Advenio Gets Cooking with MacGourmet

MacGourmet:To Go Sneak Peek

2008-08-05T20:16:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since the App Store opened, so I thought I'd share a sneak peek at how MacGourmet:To Go is coming along. I've been working on this on and off for a while now, and I'll admit that development has been slower than I'd hoped.

One challenge is that I'm trying to make this as full-featured as possible, without getting too complex, because any iPhone app should be simple, and, if there is a desktop counterpart like MacGourmet, should be a subset of that.

What that means for MacGourmet:To Go is that I'm not doing JUST a recipe application, I'm essentially doing recipe, wine note, cooking note AND shopping list applications. That's quite a lot, and I'm sure there are/will be other applications that do each thing individually, so I think you can kind of get an idea of the amount of work involved.

I haven't even mentioned the fact that I have to develop my own way to get your data on the iPhone/iPod touch, because Apple currently doesn't provide this for us.

At any rate, there you go! Work is progressing, and I'm trying to get it done as soon as it is possible. Enjoy!

MacGourmet updated to 2.2.4, Mealplan gets Tiger iCal Fixes

2008-08-04T09:24:00.001-04:00

MacGourmet 2.3.4, another free, minor update is now available.

This update fixes a handful of issues, and updates the web importer for FoodNetwork.com. For a full list of changes, please see the release notes.

As always, MacGourmet can be downloaded from the MacGourmet download page.

Mealplan 1.0.4 is now available.

This update resolves a problem syncing planner data to iCal on Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger). For a full list of the changes, please see the release notes.

MacGourmet:Mealplan can be downloaded from the Mealplan page.

For MacGourmet Deluxe users, you don't need to worry about these individual updates. You will be able to receive MacGourmet Deluxe 1.0.3 using the built-in software updater, or from the Mariner Software web site, when it becomes available shortly.

Nutrition 1.2.3 Now Available

2008-07-07T08:16:00.004-04:00

Nutrition 1.2.3 is now available. The new version resolves a problem introduced in 1.2.2 that was preventing calculations for some recipes.

For a full list of the changes, please see the release notes.

MacGourmet:Nutrition can be downloaded from the Nutrition page.

For MacGourmet Deluxe users, you don't need to worry about this update. You will be able to receive Deluxe 1.0.2 using the built-in software updater, when it becomes available shortly.

MacGourmet Deluxe: The Bundle You've Been Waiting For

2008-07-03T13:56:00.000-04:00

Last week saw the release of MacGourmet Deluxe from partner Mariner Software. Deluxe is essentially the same as MacGourmet with all three optional plug-ins added, for one discounted price. What's different? Other than pricing and packaging, nothing, but it's a very convenient way to buy and keep everything updated, whether you buy the download or the retail boxed version. The boxed version also makes a great gift!

For a limited time, current MacGourmet users can upgrade to Deluxe for $9.95 by visiting the Mariner Software site and entering their MacGourmet serial number when they place an order. MacGourmet Deluxe: It's everything, all in one box.

(Still have questions about Deluxe? More answers can be found here: MacGourmet Deluxe/Mariner Q & A)

Cookbook Updated to Version 1.0.2

2008-07-03T08:34:00.002-04:00

Cookbook 1.0.2, a free, minor update is now available.

This update fixes a problem that could cause your cookbook to either not get created, or in some instances, cause MacGourmet to crash.

MacGourmet:Cookbook can be downloaded from the Cookbook page.

For MacGourmet Deluxe users: You don't need to worry about this update. You will be able to receive Deluxe 1.0.1 using the built-in software updater, when it becomes available shortly.

MacGourmet, Mealplan, Cookbook, and Nutrition all Get Updates

2008-07-01T09:01:00.000-04:00

MacGourmet 2.3.3, another free, minor update is now available.

This update fixes a handful of issues, and updates the web importer for FoodNetwork.com. For a full list of changes, please see the release notes.

As always, MacGourmet can be downloaded from the MacGourmet download page.

Also released today are updates to all 3 plug-ins:

Mealplan 1.0.3 is now available. It resolves printing issues for Leopard users, and fixes a handful of issues. For a full list of the changes, please see the release notes.

MacGourmet:Mealplan can be downloaded from the Mealplan page.

Cookbook 1.0.1 is now available. It resolves some cookbook creation problems, an occasional crasher and fixes a handful of issues. For a full list of the changes, please see the release notes.

MacGourmet:Cookbook can be downloaded from the Cookbook page.

Finally, Nutrition 1.2.2 is now available. It resolves fixes a couple of calculation errors. For a full list of the changes, please see the release notes.

MacGourmet:Nutrition can be downloaded from the Nutrition page.

For MacGourmet Deluxe users, you don't need to worry about these individual updates. You will be able to receive Deluxe 1.0.1 using the built-in software updater, when it becomes available shortly.

MacGourmet:Cookbook Released

2008-06-24T17:30:00.001-04:00

Cookbook, a brand-new new plug-in for MacGourmet, adds the creation of real PDF cookbooks to MacGourmet.

Pick from a variety of cookbook styles, create chapters and specialized image and text pages, and specify the order of the recipes in each chapter. MacGourmet's new cookbook builder allows you to optionally include a cover image, table of contents, and an index of ingredients. It also allows you to create a PDF suitable for upload to print-on-demand services like Lulu.com, CreateSpace and CafePress. Cookbook is the perfect thing for building that family cookbook you've always wanted to create.

If you want to see a sample of what's possible with Cookbook, you can download a sample creation to get an idea of some of the things that can be done with it. With Cookbook, you can choose from a variety of cookbook styles, there are a bunch available.

Cookbook is available in the same way that Mealplan and Nutrition are, as an optional add-on to MacGourmet. You can to try it out, and if you like it, you be able to add it to MacGourmet for an introductory price of just $9.95. If you don't need it, you won't be forced to pay an upgrade fee to get something you don't want. Cookbook is also part of MacGourmet Deluxe which is available from Mariner Software, if you choose to purchase that product bundle.

To find out more about Cookbook, and to download it, visit the Cookbook page at MacGourmet.com.

MacGourmet, Mealplan, MyRecipes.com Importer Get Updated

2008-06-24T09:15:00.003-04:00

MacGourmet 2.3.2, another free, minor update is now available.

This update fixes a handful of issues, and updates the web importers for FoodNetwork.com and Epicurious.com. For a full list of changes, please see the release notes.

As always, MacGourmet can be downloaded from the MacGourmet download page.

Additionally, Mealplan 1.0.2 is now available. It includes support for localized date display, a new portrait-styled planner printout option and additional fixes. For a full list of the changes, please see the release notes.

MacGourmet:Mealplan can be downloaded from the Mealplan page.

Finally, if you haven't seen it already, the MyRecipes.com site importer was recently updated to handle changes at that site. It can be downloaded from the web importer page.

Food & Wine Importer Updated

2008-06-06T15:53:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note: the Food & Wine site importer has been updated. You can download the latest version from the web importer page.

The next version of MacGourmet will include more encoding support, so this will also improve Food & Wine imports, as they seem to use a lot of encoding characters not caught previously.

Announcing The MacGourmet Plug-in SDK

2008-06-05T08:31:00.002-04:00

Are you, or someone you know, a Mac developer? Are you, or someone you know, interested in being able to extend the features of MacGourmet?

If yes, and yes, head on over to my blog and see the full MacGourmet Plug-in SDK announcement.

The MacGourmet Plug-in SDK is essentially what I used to make plug-ins like Nutrition and Mealplan. It's also behind the file importers and exporters, and the web site importers.

I'll be making the Plug-in SDK available upon request, so that others can add some of the things they've been dreaming about to the product.

Updates Galore: MacGourmet 2.3.1, Nutrition 1.2.1 and Mealplan 1.0.1

2008-06-02T10:35:00.003-04:00

MacGourmet 2.3.1, another free, minor update is now available.

This update fixes a handful of issues. For a full list of changes, please see the release notes.

As always, MacGourmet can be downloaded from the MacGourmet download page.

Nutrition 1.2.1 is also available and resolves a few minor issues. For a full list of changes, please see the release notes.

MacGourmet:Nutrition can be downloaded from the Nutrition page.

Finally, Mealplan 1.0.1 is now available, and along with some minor fixes, this update adds planner notes. Planner notes allow you to add items to your planner that are not recipes. For a full list of changes, please see the release notes.

MacGourmet:Mealplan can be downloaded from the Mealplan page.

Cookbook Unveiled: Looking for Beta Testers

2008-05-22T08:50:00.002-04:00

Cookbook, a brand-new new plug-in for MacGourmet, will add the creation of real PDF cookbooks to MacGourmet.

Pick from a variety of cookbook styles, create chapters and specialized image and text pages, and specify the order of the recipes in each chapter. MacGourmet's new cookbook builder will allow you to optionally include a cover image, table of contents, and an index of ingredients. It will also allow you to create a PDF suitable for upload to print-on-demand services like Lulu.com, CreateSpace and CafePress. Cookbook is the perfect thing for building that family cookbook you've always wanted to create. If you want to see a sample of what's possible with Cookbook, you can download a sample creation to get an idea of some of the things that will be possible...

Cookbook will be available in the same way that Mealplan and Nutrition are, as an optional add-on to MacGourmet. You'll be able to try it out, and if you like it, you be able to add it to MacGourmet for an introductory price of just $9.95. If you don't need it, you won't be forced to pay an upgrade fee to get something you don't want. Cookbook will also be part of MacGourmet Deluxe.

Cookbook is getting close to release and I'm looking for some help shaking out any remaining issues. If interested, just click on the link to send a request to macgourmet [at] advenio.com. Thanks!