Mac applications can have a unique feel and look while offering an amazing user experience thanks to their great functionality, but how do you know one when it’s staring at you right in the face? Maybe SousChef, a new cookbook application, is one of them? If the app is receiving praise as the “Delicious Library of recipes,” then the answer is yes.
Design. SousChef’s user interface is very Apple-like with some ideas being borrowed from Delicious Library. In a few words, it’s a fine looking app to grace the screen of your Mac. The main window has the source to choose from, the recipes in that source, and the recipe chosen being displayed. And when you go into full-screen mode for displaying the recipe in big letters, the whole screen goes black, similar to the old Front Row — perfect for grabbing your Mac as a cookbook replacement in your kitchen.
Functionality. SousChef is the ultimate source for storing and reading back all your favorite recipes: it features a main library with integration to an online database where any user can upload their own recipes or download new ones. Something that caught my eye is the ability to substitute some ingredients with others viable ones without major hassle — that way it is possible to change the recipe without messing up the whole thing. What makes SousChef an excellent cooking companion is the full-screen mode noted above, which also has the ability to use the text-to-speech aspect of OS X — in case that you have more pressing matters in the kitchen that requires constant visual attention. As for sharing the recipe besides using the app’s server database, it has the option to blog the recipe (with integration to Blogger, MarsEdit, or copy/paste the HTML snippet), email it, or print it out. In overall, SousChef simplifies the whole cooking experience to the point where the only thing that you have to worry about is handling the heat in the kitchen.
Limitations. One thing that feels missing is the ability to just browse all the recipes submitted to the app’s server. Sure, you can search through it by using keywords, but that won’t replace the experience of discovering a new recipe that appears out of thin air. Another thing notably missing is the support for smart folders — only regular folders and collection folders can be found here.
Final thoughts. SousChef is definitely one of the best cookbook applications available today for the Mac. It manages to help create a great cooking experience for almost any kind of user, which in this case can be anyone from the loving mother who cooks for her family, up to a chef who uses it to catalogue all of the signature recipes. While SousChef may be more expensive than other similar apps at $30, it is money well spent if you’re looking for such an app — despite of its limitations. And since SousChef can only get better with future updates, you have nothing to lose by checking out the free trial that may as well mark the beginning of a delicious experience.
