# Free recipe database?



## chefdrewwatkins (Sep 8, 2014)

I'm looking for a solid recipe database with thousands of recipes I can add to my database in MasterCook. Something that covers recipes of all categories. I want to have a great selection of recipes for any occasion already in MasterCook so I can reference and edit to my needs so I'm not googling recipes and never finding them again. I have a nice collection of cookbooks I reference, but I don't have the time to import them into MasterCook to scale/price/edit all of them. This will be a foundation for my own personal database I will add to and work off of. I'm having trouble finding something that isn't a web based site that I would have to manually import every recipe into Mastercook. Thanks in advance for the help.


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## chefdrewwatkins (Sep 8, 2014)

Ok maybe I'm being too picky, I'm just looking for additional cookbooks/recipes to add to MasterCook. Things with basic recipes across a broad range of categories. Things like a collection of traditional american comfort, or a collection of classic french or 50 uses for ground beef. It's taking forever to import my personal collection of recipes I have on paper that are pretty standard as they come.


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## madewithnotepad (Sep 10, 2014)

Honestly, I have the same problem, so I just decided to make my own database that I'm working on. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired I just recycle old specials, but nobody wants to see the same special day after day. I just started making this a few days ago, but my plan is to fill it up with everything I learn so I have a database and I know exactly where everything, what's in it and how to find it. I feel more comfortable with recipes I've used and know well, anyway.

http://shortcutforchefs.blogspot.com/

So, maybe there's no way around it except doing it yourself.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Hire a high school student to type them in for you.


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## wlong (Aug 2, 2011)

Not sure this is what you are talking about but there are a LOT here.

http://mc6help.tripod.com/RecipeLibrary/RecipeLibrary.htm

Do a google for recipes for Master Cook


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## chefdrewwatkins (Sep 8, 2014)

wlong said:


> Not sure this is what you are talking about but there are a LOT here.
> 
> http://mc6help.tripod.com/RecipeLibrary/RecipeLibrary.htm
> 
> Do a google for recipes for Master Cook


Yes, I downloaded almost all of those and realized it was the same recipes that came installed with MasterCook. Tried a lot of googlin' but a lot of the sites were closed or not relevant.

I guess I could hire someone to do a lot of data entry, but I have so many I would like to be transferred from paper to computer.

I was hoping to just find something similar to the collection of standard recipes I have in my books so I can easily search, scale, print, cost etc. I also have a royal army recipe manual in PDF I'd like to import to Mastercook with like 800 recipes. It covers a lot of stuff and would take forever to import using the import assistant.


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## wlong (Aug 2, 2011)

You can copy and paste any recipe from the web into Master Chef can't you?   Should be no need to type each one.


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## chefdrewwatkins (Sep 8, 2014)

wlong said:


> You can copy and paste any recipe from the web into Master Chef can't you? Should be no need to type each one.


I don't have to type each one but I have to select recipe to copy and paste then select each title, ingredients, instructions etc. there is an auto fill button, but I can never use it when I copy a recipe.


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## wlong (Aug 2, 2011)

Why not just save the web page to a folder.  Say it is a beef sandwich, make a folder named recipes and a sub folder sandwiches (could even do another sub folder for beef or what ever) and let windows do the work for you.  Or you could save it to a text file the same way by copy and pasting it to word or something like that.  For something you might not use, sounds like a lot of work for nothing putting it in master cook or anyplace else as long as you have a computer.  It will always be on the net unless the site closes.


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## jwalkjr (May 28, 2013)

"Joy of cooking" has a basic recipe for everythjbg. Just tweak them out to your preference. Just got one in the mail from thriftbooks.com for 12 bucks. Really awesome reference


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## cheflife0812 (May 8, 2021)

madewithnotepad said:


> Honestly, I have the same problem, so I just decided to make my own database that I'm working on. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired I just recycle old specials, but nobody wants to see the same special day after day. I just started making this a few days ago, but my plan is to fill it up with everything I learn so I have a database and I know exactly where everything, what's in it and how to find it. I feel more comfortable with recipes I've used and know well, anyway.
> 
> http://shortcutforchefs.blogspot.com/
> 
> So, maybe there's no way around it except doing it yourself.


Might be a long shot, but are you still working on this blog??


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## JeromeRoss (10 mo ago)

Hmmmm, if you are interesting for recipes with photos and step by step, i can message you one good site, but i must found him. Brb


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## JeromeRoss (10 mo ago)

Hey dude, i was telling about one site with step-by-step recipes, i found it.

https://topfood.club/en/

Just look at this site and tell me if its good for you!


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## Moscoffier (Jun 16, 2021)

Why would you bother accumulating recipes you haven't tested? My own database (custom-built with Ninox) only contains stuff I have cooked or stuff I intend to cook soon. Because I'm in Europe I also need to convert any North American recipes to weight instead of volume. I usually reference the web link to the original and then write up any tweaks and observations. In other words quality, not quantity.


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## Moscoffier (Jun 16, 2021)

FoodFighter said:


> Ninox?


À database engine. You need to populate it yourself. There's a recipe template. I use it because I don't believe in minor software companies who hold your data: they have a habit of going belly up. Because it's MySQL based, I will always be able to retrieve my data even if the software is no longer supported.


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## Moscoffier (Jun 16, 2021)

Not yet. I want to train myself to use it properly first. At present the printing templates don't work for me so I cut & paste into a word processor when I want a properly formatted printout. A bit of a pain but I'll get there...


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