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Before we talk about how amazingly convenient technology has made our lives these days I would like to say that I am still a stern believer of good old school cook books, and tattered recipe notebooks with food stains handed over from generations.

Having said that, sometimes it makes a lot of sense to simply pull out your smartphone and type couple of keywords to find a quick recipe, food tips or learn about places to eat.

Although, other than some amazing food blogs, there are tons of apps available for iOS and Droid, developed for all the foodies out there. But the options are so many that it can get a little overwhelming for someone looking for informative, simple and hassle-free food apps. Being a foodie myself, I've tried my hands of quite a few applications, and have come to a conclusion, that when it comes to food - simplicity is the key. So here are 5 of my favorite apps that can make your culinary experiences creative and exciting:


Chef's Feeds




























Food critics and user-generated reviews aren't always the best sources to help you decide on what to eat and where. The best food critics are the chefs themselves, and this app is a 'chef-driven restaurant guide' that brings recommendations from hundreds of local chefs from best food cities in the US. "Chefs Feed goes straight to the source: the people whose job is to know food inside and out." shares the Chef's Feed website.

This is a free app that is currently available for iPhone users only, and they are working on introducing Android version very soon.

Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals




















As the name says, this app consists of Jamie Oliver's best recipes of dishes that can be prepared in about 20 minutes. You will find about 60 recipes in here with step by step instructions, images and few videos of Jamie sharing his kitchen skills and giving you some pretty interesting tips and tricks. A cool feature in this app is 'shopping list' that in a way organizes the ingredients that you need for a particular dish; making your supermarket trip shorter and faster. And if you are feeling a little adventurous, then shake your phone for a random Jamie Oliver recipe.

This is an award winning app (paid) that is available for both iOS and Android users.


VegOut




























We cannot talk about food and ignore our vegetarian friends. Contrary to the notion that vegetarians have fewer options, this app shares loads of places where you can get yourself a vegan or vegetarian treat. Not only does it feature international listing of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, it also helps you find stores around you or cities you that you plan to visit. "Restaurant listings can be found by your exact location or a custom location if you're planning to travel. VegOut is a must have for any vegetarian who travels or is just looking for a new place to eat!" shares VegOut.

This is a $2.99 app available for iOS users. 


Epicurious





























At one point in time Epicurious used to be one of my favorite websites, and it would be safe to say that their smartphone applications are equally exciting.

With over 30,000 recipes, this app brings you step by step 'stove-side' instructions along with a shopping list feature that helps you shop for all the right ingredients. You can also use voice recognition for searching, and share your favorite recipes and ingredients with your friends using social media.

This is a free app available for both iOS and Android users.


Fooducate





























The creators of Fooducate like to call it a 'dietitian on speed dial'. This is an app for all those who are very particular about healthy food. It's quite simple to use, all you need to do is scan the barcode of a product, the app will then bring you precise information about exactly is inside that product.

You can see its nutrition grade, check out the bad and good qualities of that product, it suggests you healthier alternatives, and quite interestingly shares detailed info like: excessive sugar, trans fats, addictive, preservatives, food coloring and other info about a product that a manufacture wouldn't want you to notice. "Just pick up a product from the shelf, scan it, and let Fooducate do the rest." assures their website.

This is a free app available for both iOS and Android users. 

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