3 hot new food apps
A round of app-lause, please, for our favourite newfangled foodie finds for the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad: MasterChef Academy; Come Dine With Me; and Eating Italian.
MasterChef Academy
This sleek app from the creators of MasterChef wins top marks for inspiration. Masterclasses (on subjects such as meat, fish and stocks and sauces) help hone your skills and techniques. The 45 recipes are clearly laid out and categorised as easy or medium. Former winners and finalists, including Dhruv Baker, Mat Follas, Alex Rushmer and Tim Kinnaird, demonstrate techniques, and a series of ‘pressure tests’ assess what you have learnt. Apps don’t get tougher than this. £2.99 from iTunes.
Come Dine With Me Party Planner
This app from the makers of the cult Channel 4 series wins our vote for entertainment value. Use it to plan your chosen meal, invite guests via your contacts list, and put together a shopping list. Then use the app as a step-by-step visual guide through the recipes. The dishes are easy and the photos look gorgeous (and we’re not just saying that because they’re from delicious.). On the night itself, the man behind the voiceovers, Dave Lamb, will delight (or dismay) hosts with his irreverent one-liner commentary. This one will lighten up even the most uptight dinner party. £1.79 from iTunes.
Gino D’Acampo’s ‘Eating Italian’
The irrepressible Gino, Italian TV chef and ‘jungle king’, is the star of this app. It’s more basic than the others, with 30 recipes (15 with videos, which we found slow to load) for Italian classics such as panzanella and tiramisu, plus brief video tips such as how to store fresh herbs. Recipe ingredients are easily loaded into a shopping list. There are also two glossaries, so you can listen to Gino say “prego – you are welcome” as many times as you like. Sadly, it doesn’t come with a guide to Neapolitan hand gestures, but if you’re a Gino fan, there are “no ess-cuses” not to have a go. £3.99 from iTunes.