MacWorld: Voice-command cooking instruction app for iPad

The iCookbook, launched at this year’s MacWorld will help any chef shop, prepare and cook over 2 000 recipes. It features options such as voice commands, meal photographs and a built in scale that lets you alter the recipe depending on the number of servings.

We all know about interactivity, but how many apps actually listen to you?

Publications International, a recognized industry leader that sells more than 8 million cookbooks each year, announced the soon-to-be released iCookbook iPad app, designed to be the most useful and cook-friendly iPad app for home cooks.

With more than 2,000 tested recipes from major food and kitchen brands, each with a great photograph to inspire and guide in preparation and free additional recipes each month, iCookbook offers a dynamic way to explore, discover, and prepare delicious trusted dishes for family and friends using easy-to-find, affordable ingredients.

Designed by experienced and passionate food editors at PIL, iCookbook is built to help the home cook identify recipes to make, shop for ingredients, prepare each dish using Voice Command (which allows for countertop use with no mess on the screen), and save and share favorite recipes. Available at the iTunes Store, iCookbook also lets you print or e-mail recipes and grocery lists, or add a family favorite to the app.

Explore

iCookbook downloads with more than 2,000 recipes, and the consumer can also purchase themed collections and receive free monthly additions. Explore allows the user to browse or search using a variety of filters in any combination, which quickly leads to a solution for any meal or mood. You can browse intuitively by swiping through pages of recipe photos, and our exclusive Stir function selects nine recipes from any set or search group.

Discover

Tools built into iCookbook allow the home cook to scale recipes to change the number of servings. Users can also add their own favorites to the collection, attach comments or notes to each recipe, and gather favorites into a personal Recipe Box. In addition, iCookbook‚Ñ¢ is one of the first recipe apps to be AirPrint-enabled, so you can print recipes or shopping lists to share or shop with directly from your iPad.

Prepare

No more messy touch screens! The Prepare mode displays step-by-step instructions in a large format readable from several feet away, allowing the cook to control iCookbook by hands-free Voice Command alone. Move back and forth between preparation steps, access your Notes, or set up to three timers — all without touching your iPad™ with messy fingers.

Listen

iCookbook is the only recipe app that listens to you. The home cook can activate Voice Command and take control: Simple directions tells the app to advance to the next step in the directions, return to the previous step, or jump to a different place. All three of the built-in timers can also be set and activated by Voice Command. No need to wrap your iPad in cellophane or use messy hands to swipe the screen — or clean up sticky smudges afterward.

Every facet of iCookbook has been designed with the home cook in mind. Instructions are intuitive and clear: filter choices make sense and lead to a solid selection of meal solutions. iCookbook delivers easy-to-make, tasty, family-pleasing recipes that have been tested and perfected by their favorite brands. Each recipe has been carefully selected to be in iCookbook‚Ñ¢ by PIL’s food editors to provide variety and popular choices. The ability to share recipes via Facebook or e-mail expands the benefits of iCookbook.