Mark Bittman? There's an App for That

by Naomi Shulman, Posted Apr 19th 2010 @ 11:30AM

how to cook everything ipone app Photo: iTunes

How to get our Bittman fix? Let us count the ways: There's his New York Times "Minimalist" column, of course; his expert contributions at KitchenDaily.com; his health and fitness articles for Runner's World and Men's Health; and, lest one forget, his 1044-page tome How to Cook Everything. I happen to own that $35 behemoth myself; I thumb through it compulsively, getting Bittman's take on everything from scrambled eggs to bouillabaisse. But now the book's contents can be downloaded to your iPhone -- for less than two bucks.

Having bought the app this morning, I can now browse the 2000 recipes, bone up on kitchen basics, even go directly to Bittman's picks, right there on my phone. It also has features not possible in print media, like a built-in kitchen timer embedded in the recipes. In fact, I started to wonder -- will the app compete with the book? I asked the man himself what he thought.

More from Mark Bittman after the jump.

"Books are always going to be around," he pointed out. "I think the app is really a different animal. You're a perfect example. You have the book and the app, right?" Right. "You'll use the app for searches and at the store, stuff like that. But chances are, when you go into the kitchen, you'll bring the book in with you, not your phone. They'll complement each other nicely, though."

This may seem like a bargain not to believed -- all of How to Cook Everything (and then some), for less than 10 percent of the price. Indeed, according to the App Store HQ, it's a limited-time offer, so...don't be late for dinner, folks. As of this morning, Bittman himself had not yet downloaded it. "I was just going to plug in my phone and get on that!" he laughed. "Listen, my real hope is that this app will attract hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of new people to cooking for themselves."

Slashfood's giving away five free copies of this app to our readers, enter here.

You can also purchase the How to Cook Everything app on iTunes.

Filed Under: New Products, Chefs
Tags: how to cook everything, iphone app, itunes, mark bittman