The citrus dessert is a staple sweet in almost any San Diegan home. Thanks to California’s Mediterranean climate, San Diego has access to citrus fruits regardless of the season, and these fruits usually end up in someone’s dessert plate. But even if you’re not from San Diego, you can appreciate why citrus fruits are great ingredients in any dessert. Depending on the preparation, they can make any sweet treat light and refreshing, and their acidity provides a balance to the sweetness of the dessert. Most of all, citrus fruits load up your dessert with Vitamin C and antioxidants; they make your sweet indulgences healthier.

I have here a few easy citrus dessert recipes that you can make in your own kitchen. Try them out this summer, or any time you feel like enjoying a citrus dessert.

1. Blueberry Citrus Cake Recipe

My kids love sponge cakes as much as any other kid does. They like having sponge cakes for mid-afternoon snacks. My wife and I also love a slice of sponge cake with our coffee or tea. We try out different kinds of citrus cake recipes at home, but this blueberry citrus cake is the all-time favorite. It’s light and fluffy, and we really can’t resist the call of fresh blueberries whenever we can find them at the market. Here’s a recipe for blueberry citrus cake that I got from Taste of Home.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 1 regular-size package yellow cake mix (If you don’t like boxed cake mixes, you can make your own homemade yellow cake mix, of course. Here’s an excellent yellow cake mix recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1 tsp grated orange peel
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup canola oil

Ingredients for the citrus frosting:

• 3 oz softened cream cheese
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (or your desired alternative sweetener)
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 2 cups whipped topping
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 2 tsp grated orange peel
• 2 tbsp orange juice

Preheat your oven at 350°F. Combine your cake mix with the eggs, oil and orange juice in a large bowl. Once properly combined, beat the mixture in a mixer or food processor at low speed for 30 seconds, and then at medium speed for two minutes. Afterwards, fold the peels and the blueberries into the mix. Grease and flour two nine-inch round baking pans, and pour the mix into these pans. Bake the mix for 25 minutes. Once done, cool for 10 minutes before taking the cakes out of the pans. And then, place the cakes on cooling racks and set them aside.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese with the butter until the mixture becomes fluffy. Blend in the remaining ingredients except for the whipped topping. Fold the whipped topping into the mix when it has completely blended. Spread this frosting between the layers and over the sides and the top of the cake once the cake has cooled down completely. Chill in the fridge and serve chilled.

2. Citrus Cheesecake with Marmalade Glaze Recipe

My wife isn’t as crazy for sponge cake as my kids are. However, she does love a good cheesecake. Hmm, let me correct myself on that: My wife is crazy for cheesecake, especially if they have blueberries or chocolate. To please my wife, I’ve tried out a few citrus cheesecake recipes over the years. This citrus cheesecake with marmalade glaze is one of those that never fail to turn her head. This recipe is from Epicurious.

Ingredients for the crust:

• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 stick or 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the filling:

• 3 large eggs
• 3 8-oz packages softened cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup orange marmalade
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp and 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp grated orange peel
• 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
• 2 tsp grated lime peel
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 425°F with the rack in the center. Spread butter on the inside of a 9-inch baking pan. Whisk together egg yolk, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon peel until well blended. In a food processor, mix flour and sugar. Once blended, add in the butter and continue mixing. Once the mixture begins forming coarse crumbs, pour in the yolk and lemon mixture until the crust starts clumping. Get your crust out of your processor and press onto the bottom and the sides of your buttered pan. Stash the pan in the freezer for ten minutes. After ten minutes, take the crust out of the freezer and then brush lightly with whisked egg white. Then, bake the crust for 15 minutes or until golden. Take the crust out of the oven and reduce the oven’s temperature to 350°F. Set aside the crust to allow it to cool.

While the crust is cooling, beat the cream cheese in your food processor or mixer. Add the sugar. Put in the cornstarch, lemon juice, the grated citrus peels and the vanilla once the sugar is blended completely into the cheese. Add the eggs into the mixture one at a time; wait for the first egg to become completely blended before you add the second one. Lastly, add the sour cream. Pour this filling mixture into the cooled crust and then bake for 55 minutes or until the cake gets slightly solid and develops cracks around the edges. Remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool on a rack. Once the cake cools, refrigerate it overnight.

For the glaze, mix together marmalade and two teaspoons of lemon juice in a saucepan. Boil the mixture for two minutes, until it has become reduced. Take the cake out of the fridge and spread the warm marmalade glaze on its top. Chill the cake for ten minutes, and then serve.

3. Quick-Fix Citrus Salad Recipe

If my kids love sponge cakes and my wife loves cheesecakes, I’m perfectly happy with a simple citrus salad. Citrus salads are easy – citrus salad recipes take almost no time to prepare and you can play around with the ingredients. Most of all, it’s a healthy, no-fuss dessert that you can put together whenever you want something sweet, fruity and tangy in one bite.

There are lots of citrus salad recipes out there, but this one from Food has become my go-to dessert.

Ingredients:

3 blood oranges
2 tangerines
1 pink grapefruit
1 white grapefruit
1 red grapefruit
2 cups strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp white wine

Peel the citrus fruits and section them. Make sure to remove the bitter piths. Wash the berries and cut the strawberries in half. Mix all these fruits together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the honey, white wine and lime juice. Pour this dressing over the fruits and give the salad a gentle toss. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the salad marinate before serving.

These are the citrus desserts that are ever-present in my home. They are all tasty and easy to make. So, what’s your favorite citrus dessert?

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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Baking often intimidates the inexperienced home cook. That’s because in some ways, baking is more technical than cooking food over a stove. With the latter, you can easily play it by ear, so to speak. You can make adjustments with the dish you are cooking over the stove depending on how that dish is coming along. Baking, on the other hand, requires more precision. Your ingredients must be measured properly and your dough or batter processed just so. And once you stash the pan on a rack in the oven, you can’t make any adjustments anymore. You’ll just have to cross your fingers and hope that your baked goodies rise properly. Moreover, you have to keep a close watch on whatever it is you’re baking; otherwise, whatever you are baking will end up hard, dry or, worse, burned.

So you’ll find more success in your baking experiments, I have compiled here a list of ten baking tips and tricks that will help make the baking process easier for you. After all, baking should be a joyful endeavor.

General Baking Tips and Tricks

1. Always preheat your oven. Most baking problems result from the oven not being preheated properly. If you don’t preheat your oven before baking, you will end up with soggy pie crusts, unevenly baked cookies, or cakes that failed to rise. To preheat your oven, just set it to the temperature you want. Wait for ten minutes and then check the temperature inside the oven with an oven thermometer. Don’t just rely on the indicators on your oven. More often than not, these indicators will tell you that your oven has been preheated, but the temperature inside the oven isn’t what you want it.

2. Avoid opening the oven door. Once you’ve got your baking pans or sheets stashed inside the oven, keep the oven door closed. The temperature in your oven goes down whenever you open the door because doing so lets cooler air into the oven. Resist the temptation of opening the door to check on what you’re baking; just look at it through the glass panel on the door. Open the door only to see if what you’re baking is already done, whether by using a thermometer or doing the toothpick test.

Bread Baking Tips

3. Use only the best ingredients. There are only four basic ingredients to bread: flour, water, salt and yeast. And yet, because bread has only four ingredients, it’s even more essential that the quality of these ingredients is stellar. Poor-quality ingredients yield poor-quality bread, and it’s something that won’t be easy to hide.

4. Take your time. Baking bread isn’t exactly a process you can hurry up, even when you’re using a bread machine. You have to wait for the ingredients to react together before going to the next step of the process. The yeast needs time to work before you start kneading the dough, the kneaded dough needs time to rise before it is placed in the oven, and so on.

Cake Baking Tips

5. Keep an eye on your cake while it’s in the oven. You’ll know your cake is done if it has risen slightly in the center, the center bounces back when you press your fingers lightly on it, and if a toothpick you inserted in the center comes away clean. Just look at the cake from the glass panel of your oven before testing it with your fingers or toothpick. As mentioned earlier, you shouldn’t open the door of your oven too frequently.

6. Wait for your cake to cool completely before frosting. After you’ve taken the cake out of the oven, just set it on your cooling rack without removing it from its pan for 20 minutes. This will allow the cake to bake completely. After 20 minutes, take the cake out of the pan and set it on the cooling rack to cool completely. If you frost your cake while it’s still warm, the frosting will just melt off.

Baking Tips for Cupcakes

7. Let your refrigerated ingredients come to room temperature first. When refrigerated ingredients like eggs, butter, cream cheese, etc. are allowed to come to room temperature before baking, they become easier to incorporate together into the batter. Your cupcakes will taste more even that way. This applies to cake baking as well.

8. Be gentle when mixing your batter. You’ll want your cupcake to be light, soft and airy. You will achieve that by processing your batter with a very gentle hand, as this allows air bubbles to form and expand inside the batter. Mixing your batter vigorously will cause those air bubbles to collapse instead, resulting in a denser and harder cupcake. If you’re using a mixer, keep it at a low speed and don’t over-process your batter. Again, this also applies to baking cakes.

Baking Tips for Cookies

9. Under-bake your cookies. Check your cookies at the minimum time approximated by your recipe to avoid over-baking or burning them. If they already have the desired look but are still soft, take them out of the oven. Your cookies will continue baking even after they’re taken out of the oven until they have completely cooled off.

10. Chewy or crunchy is all in the timing. A cookie will become chewy or crunchy depending on how long it is allowed to bake. If you want chewy cookies, get them off your baking sheet and on to your cooling rack as soon as they are done so they can cool off immediately. On the other hand, if you want crunchy cookies, let them stay on the baking sheet for three to five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This will allow your cookies to continue baking after they’re taken from the oven and thus become crunchy.

Baking doesn’t have to be intimidating. Even if you’re new to baking, you can create baked goods successfully as long as you follow the recipe closely and keep these baking tips and tricks in mind. Happy baking!

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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Hamburgers have forever had a love affair with the tastebuds of those that visit the United States. It has also been a staple for both tourists and locals, especially when perfectly partnered with a good basket of crisp golden fries. It is no suprirse that burger joints can be found all over the country, and many of them considered quite exceptional.

While you are probably left with a million burger choices in the U.S., nothing beats the burgers found in San Diego. Burgers in San Diego have been considered as the best in the country. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with going to the good old In n Out burgers in San Diego, but this state has so much to offer. Below, I’ll list three of San Diego’s best kept burger secrets that will make you never want to go back to burger restaurant chains.

1. Tioli’s Crazee Burger

One of the best burgers in San Diego isn’t your usual burger affair, but it is extremely delicious. Tioli’s Crazee Burger has been featured in different news channels and shows because they offer you something very different, 30 kinds of different, in fact.

Located in North Park, this burger restaurant in San Diego is visited by people for wide variety of burger meats. To name a few, they serve meats of aligator, ostrich, venison, wild boar, and kangaroo. And that’s just 6 of the 30 they serve to their customers. But of course, if you want to stay loyal to your good old classic burger, they have that too. The best gourmet burgers in San Diego can be found here, classic ones and adventurous ones.

On the flipside, they also serve salads and sides, beers and wines that are perfect to pair with you burger of choice! One more thing, Tioli’s Crazee Burger is just about one of the two burger restaurants in San Diego that have been featured by Food Network Channel’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Pretty awesome don’t you think?

2. Rocky’s Crown Pub

If you’re in the mood for the classic pub burger joint, then this is the one for you. Even though the restaurant is self-service and provides limited choices, Rocky’s Crown Pub promises you of one of the best burgers you’re ever going to put in your mouth.

There may be a million burgers in San Diego, but this is definitely one of those that you’re going to wait in line for. I warn you now: do not be discouraged when you enter the restaurant as seating may be very hard during peak hours. Once you taste their burgers, you will be happy knowing that it was worth the long wait.

How nostalgic would it be eating here, too? Rocky’s Crown Pub offers you the feel of your good old pub where you can gnaw down your meat with your favorite flavor of beer.

Sure, Rocky’s Crown Pub only serves burger (and nothing else) but they serve them in the most classic way possible. The burgers of this burger joint are tender, thick, and extremely tasty. Their burgers might be simple for some, but they prove to you how a real burger should taste like. They serve the real deal.

Come early if you want a seat right away, but waiting should be not a problem. The ambiance of the place is very alive yet at the same time, very relaxing. More than just the food, many consider eating at Rocky’s Crown Pub as a unique experience. The servers are light and friendly, and you truly feel that you really are in good company.

3. Hodad’s

Ask any San Diegan local, or do a quick search on Google, and you will easily find out that Hodad’s is without a doubt one of the best places to eat burgers in San Diego. Every person who has gone to Hodad’s has only good things to say about the place. They serve their burgers well, and always above the customer’s expectations

To no surprise, they are also one of the only two burger restaurants in San Diego that have been featured in Diners, Drive-In, and Dives on the Food Network Channel. There must be really something about this place!

People who have tried Hodad’s say that their burgers are perfect for every man’s taste. There truly is nothing like a burger place that offers a laid back vibe where you can enjoy your burger with every bite. Hodad’s makes sure that you can have your burger the way you want them, have every piece of extras to make that hamburger have a little more oomph!

It is also known that even the extras in their hamburgers, the bacon most especially, are almost as tasty as their beef. With all the news about Hodad’s being the best burger in San Diego, you can expect quite a number of people lining up for that good old burger.

Waiting should not be a problem though because of the light ambiance and the really good service. After all, in times like this, good burgers do come with a line of people waiting for their turn to grab that bite. And how can everybody not go to Hodad’s? They provide a wide range of burgers. Heck they even have burgers for vegetarians! Also, when you visit, don’t forget to order their milkshakes. Their milkshakes are known for blowing minds!

Good luck and have fun looking for the best burger place in San Diego for you!

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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If there was a star of the show for every celebration, it would no doubt be the cake made for the occasion. Nothing can compare to a beautiful cake as your centerpiece and there is nothing like its sweetness to remind you of the good times. And because it shines above everything else, you should always carefully choose what kind of cake you will get.

Truly, San Diego is a big city with a lot of sellers offering you the things you need. A lot of cake shops will promise you just about anything to get you to buy from them, making it very difficult to pick the best one. To make things easier for you, here is a list (in no particular order) of not just the good, but the absolute best cake stores in San Diego.

Shop Number 1: Nothing Bundt Cakes

In the neighborhood of Mission Valley, there is this bakery called Nothing Bundt Cakes. This famous bakery of cakes started due to the efforts of two friends who wanted to start a cake making shop that can cater perfectly to the taste buds of the people in the neighborhood. After time, sweat, effort and a lot of sugary love, they were able to put up Nothing Bundt Cakes.

The people of San Diego love their cakes. Every person who was able to taste the products from Nothing Bundt Cakes has said that the way they make their cakes are so extraordinarily perfect. They say it is sweet, moist, and tickles every inch on their taste buds. Their cakes are presented in a certain playful, wistful manner.

Nothing Bundt Cakes has a wide selection of flavors. They have your classic chocolate chip and red velvet cakes but they also have unique flavors such as white chocolate raspberry cake and pumpkin spice. This bakery is definitely a place where you can find the best custom cakes in San Diego as they do your cakes as how you want them done.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is also perfect for drive-in customers who just want a small piece of cake to lighten up their day as they serve smaller pieces of cakes.

Shop Number 2: European Cake Gallery

Do you have a wedding coming up? Well, here is the perfect place to get your wedding cakes in San Diego!

Located at the heart of Point Loma, European Cake Gallery is especially known for their wedding cakes that are of high quality but come in very reasonable prices. People say that the first thing you should order from this shop is the Swiss Black Forest Cake. It is their specialty as they were the first one to think of putting a different twist to the good old Black Forest.

As for their wedding cakes, they have a variety of flavors to choose from, and you are guaranteed to get the amount of cake that can serve all your guests in perfect quantity and quality!

They have wedding cakes available in white Bavarian, truffle, German chocolate, carrot cake and of course their signature black forest. They are also very meticulous in how they design their wedding cakes, and they let you help them design it. You can choose how your cake will look like.

Visit European Cake Gallery and try out their cakes, most especially their pride, the Swiss Black Forest Cake.

Shop Number 3: Let ‘Em Eat Cake

One of San Diego’s best kept secrets is this home-based cake shop known for all things good. It is called Let ‘Em Eat Cake, and it is a shop that is extremely well known for making the finest custom cakes in San Diego. People come in this shop with orders after another.

Jeffery A. Dean, who is the owner and head chef of the shop, is an artist who considers cakes as his canvas. The nice thing about this shop is that you can personalize your cakes in the way you want them too.

The kinds of cakes they make are ridiculous sin number! From birthday cakes to wedding cakes to know-the-gender-of-your-child kind of cake… You name it, they have it! If they don’t have it, they will make it!

As for the taste, their cakes are known to be flavorful and very customizable to the fittings of your taste buds. The owner guarantees you that a slice will definitely make you crave more.

Even though Let ‘Em Eat Cakes is merely done from home, the flavors available are numerous. They have Tres Leches, Strawberry Shortcake, Double Chocolate Chip Sin-Sation, Black Forest, German Chocolate, Red Velvet, Carrot Cake and a lot more to choose from.

Despite its tiny shop, Let ‘Em Eat Cakes exudes professionalism and offers really great customer service. Short notice cakes are accepted and long term ones are always worth the wait.

Although they are not as commercial as the others, they make their cakes as if they are serving for royalty. Perhaps it is safe to say that Let ‘Em Eat Cakes makes the best birthday cakes in San Diego as well as cakes for any kind of celebration. They taste exceptional, they can be highly personalized, and they most definitely treat every customer as kings and queens. There is nothing more you can ask for with this shop!

There is so much more that San Diego has to offer, but these three are the best the will definitely fill up that centerpiece space in your life’s greatest celebrations.

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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Making a gluten-free pie can be a challenge to home cooks who have just made the switch to the gluten-free diet. That’s because the perfect pie crust has certain characteristics that is just not that easy to replicate if made with gluten-free ingredients. If done incorrectly, a pie crust with gluten-free ingredients won’t be as flaky – and many of us judge a pie by its flakiness. It won’t be as sturdy, either; it would be too delicate, prone to burning and break easily.

It is nonetheless possible to make a perfect pie using gluten-free ingredients. It will take you a lot of practice, that’s for sure. But no matter how challenging making a gluten-free pie is, it shouldn’t intimidate you. You can become a master of making gluten-free pie.

How to Make a Gluten-Free Pie Crust

So, how do you make a gluten-free pie crust that will compare well even with the most perfect of pie crusts made with gluten? There are a number of techniques you can follow that will give you a great-looking gluten-free pie crust that will just be as amazing as regular pie crust.

First of all, use only the best ingredients for your crust, especially the flour. A lot of the so-called gluten-free all-purpose flour available out there will give you a crust that tastes like cardboard. Make sure that your gluten-free flour is pastry quality. If you’re not so sure about how good the gluten-free flour available in your local supermarket is, you can try creating your own flour blend.

Here is a recipe for a gluten-free flour blend from Carol Kicinski of the Simply Gluten-Free blog. It calls for whisking together 3/4 cup super fine white rice flour with 1/4 cup sweet rice flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup Asian tapioca starch and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum until these ingredients are fully combined.

Second, make sure your pie crust ingredients are cold. To make the job of creating a pie crust out of cold ingredients a lot easier, you need to use a food processor. Using a food processor to create your dough will also give you a flakier crust.

Third, let your dough rest for at least one hour before you roll it so that the moisture can spread evenly through the dough. Speaking of moisture, you need to be careful not to pour too much water in it when you make your dough. Otherwise, you will end up with a tough-crusted pie.

Lastly, be gentle when rolling your dough. Remember that your dough doesn’t have gluten, so it won’t be as sticky and it would be quite fragile. Before you roll your dough, dust it with a coat of gluten-free flour. And then, set your dough in between two flour-dusted sheets of wax paper. Then, you start rolling your dough gently.

Check out these instructions for how to make a gluten-free pie crust on the For Dummies website.

Keeping Your Pie Gluten-Free

Here’s another very important tip that you need to keep in mind when you’re making your gluten-free pie: Avoid cross-contaminating it with other ingredients that may contain gluten. When you’ve become an expert in gluten-free cooking, you’d know which ingredients may have gluten and would be able to stay away from them. But while you’re still new to the gluten-free diet, it can be a challenge to know which products contain gluten and which ones don’t. You may end up contaminating your supposedly gluten-free food, not just your gluten-free pie filling and crust, with gluten if you’re not careful.

To avoid cross-contamination, make sure you’ve got your pie ingredients ready before you even start working on your pie. In culinary parlance, it’s called the mise en place. Measuring out and setting up your ingredients and tools as the mise en place requires will ensure that you’ve got everything you need. It will save you time as well, and keep you from accidentally using ingredients that will ruin your pie, including gluten.

More importantly, always keep your workplace clean. Doing so will keep your food not just free of gluten but also safe to eat.

The Classic Gluten-Free Apple Pie

Once you’ve learned the basics of making a gluten-free pie crust and how to keep your gluten-free pie filling really gluten-free, you shouldn’t feel intimidated with making pie without gluten anymore. And really, with so many gluten-free pie recipes available out there, you can play with whatever ingredients and flavors you want with your pie.

And what better way to apply your new knowledge of making gluten-free pie than putting a gluten-free twist to the classic apple pie? Here’s a great gluten-free apple pie recipe I found on Celiac.com.

Ingredients for the pie crust:
1 1/4 cups gluten-free multipurpose flour (or make your own flour blend as described earlier)
1 tbsp sugar (or your preferred sugar substitute)
6 tbsp cold butter
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 large egg

Ingredients for the filling:
6 medium-sized apples, peeled and sliced thinly
2 tbsp gluten-free multipurpose flour (or your very own flour blend)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar (or your preferred sugar substitute)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Make your pie crust and put it in an ungreased glass pie plate. Make sure you press it firmly against the bottom and the side. Mix the ingredients for your filling and gently pour it over your pie crust. Cover the filling with your top crust and wrap its edges under the edges of the bottom crust. Seal these edges together and flute them. Cut v-shaped slits in several places on your top crust. Bake your pie for around 15 minutes, and then wrap the edges of the crust with strips of foil to keep them from burning. Then, bake your pie for another 30 minutes or until the crust is golden, the filling is bubbly and the apples tender. Take your pie out of your oven and leave it to cool on your cooling rack for at least two hours.

Making a gluten-free pie can be a challenge, especially when you’re still new to gluten-free cooking. But don’t let it intimidate you. You can bake your gluten-free pie and eat it, too.

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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Who doesn’t love a chocolate dessert? I have yet to meet a person who wouldn’t melt at the prospect of sinking their teeth into a rich dessert full of chocolaty goodness, no matter how strict their diet is. There’s something about chocolate that makes people simply want to give in. Chocolate makes people happy. Just ask Harry Potter – he’d tell you that the best cure to a dementor’s cold and depressing touch is to eat a bit of chocolate.

However, for all that people are quick to dig into good chocolate, most generally find the prospect of whipping up their very own chocolate dessert a bit daunting. They have this notion that chocolate dessert recipes are difficult to follow, take time to prepare and require tricky baking techniques. There are indeed some chocolate goodies out there that need an expert’s touch (such as the notorious chocolate lava cake), but there are still a great number of easy chocolate dessert recipes that you can make even if it’s your first time to put an apron on and get working in the kitchen. I’ve compiled some of these kitchen newbie-friendly recipes, and I’m sharing them with you.

Quick Chocolate Dessert Fixes

So let’s say you’ve got a sudden craving for chocolate that won’t be satisfied by simply munching on a chocolate bar or scooping chocolate ice cream. Or you have an unexpected guest for dinner and you want to impress them with something chocolaty for dessert. What do you do then?

Thankfully, there are a lot of quick chocolate desserts that can get you out of that kind of chocolate dilemma. Here are three ideas you can play with.

1. Chocolate-dipped fruits. Chocolate-dipped fruits are very easy to make and take no time at all. Most of all, they’re fun and allow you to experiment. The most popular version of this chocolate dessert is chocolate-dipped strawberries. Just melt a cup of semi-sweet chocolate in a pan or the microwave and dip the strawberries in it. For added texture and flavor, you can toast your choice of nuts, give them a rough chop and then roll your chocolate-dipped strawberries on them. Chill the fruits for 15 to 20 minutes before serving them.

2. Yoghurt sundae. Yoghurt sundae is another excellent chocolate dessert you can whip up quickly in your kitchen. All you need is a tub of frozen yoghurt, melted semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate syrup, plus toasted and chopped nuts. Just scoop some yoghurt in a tall sundae glass, pour the chocolate over it, and then top the concoction with your chopped nuts. If you have marshmallows and cherries lying about in your pantry, you can add them to your toppings.

3. Marshmallow fudge. This yummy chocolate dessert isn’t exactly a quick fix for your cravings as it will take time to prepare, but it’s very easy to make and will satisfy even the sharpest of chocolate cravings. Just heat up a can of condensed milk in a pan and use it to melt semi-sweet chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted, add the marshmallows until the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture in a baking pan lined with parchment paper and then chill it in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

White Chocolate Dessert Recipes

What if what you’re looking for at the moment is white chocolate instead of the regular brown variety? Well, you’re in luck, because there are a lot of white chocolate dessert recipes out there that you can make in a flash. Check out these easy white chocolate goodies:

1. White chocolate-dipped strawberries. Remember the chocolate-dipped strawberries from earlier? They can easily be made using white chocolate. This time, instead of melting semi-sweet milk chocolate in the pan, melt white baking chips instead. Then dip the strawberries in it and chill the berries in the fridge. To make this treat look prettier, you can add chocolate swirls using brown chocolate syrup. Coating the dipped berries with toasted and chopped nuts will work as well.

2. White chocolate cheesecake. This white chocolate cheesecake is delectable and melts in your mouth. To make it, just process 500g of graham crackers with 100g melted butter in your food processor, then press the mixture into a baking tin lined with a baking sheet. Afterwards, dissolve two sachets of plain white gelatin in hot water. Then, get back to your food processor and mix together 1000g of cream cheese with 1 cup sugar, 1 cup thickened cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 200g of melted white chocolate along with the dissolved gelatin. Once the mixture is fully combined and smooth, pour it over the layer of graham crackers in the baking tin and sprinkle it with your favorite cheesecake topping – chocolate chips or chopped fruits. Stash the cheesecake in the fridge for at least four hours or until it is firm, cut it into squares, and then serve and enjoy.

Healthy Chocolate Dessert Recipes?

As the old adage goes, too much of a good thing is still bad for you. If you want to enjoy your chocolate desserts without breaking your diet, you can do one of two things. You can either minimize your chocolate dessert portions or use healthy chocolate dessert recipes instead.

Healthy chocolate dessert recipes aren’t that difficult at all. All it requires is a little substitution to reduce the sugar and fat content of your beloved chocolate dessert. Let’s take as an example the chocolate-dipped strawberries recipe I described earlier, which can be made using either regular milk chocolate or white chocolate. Strawberries by themselves are very nutritious and healthy to eat. But to make your chocolate-dipped strawberry dessert even healthier, you can use unsweetened chocolate or raw cacao instead of regular milk chocolate for your dipping.

There are other ways you can cut back on the fat and sugar content of your chocolate desserts. You can, for instance, use artificial sweeteners instead of fine white sugar. You can also substitute almond butter or peanut butter for regular butter. Soymilk, coconut milk and almond milk are also alternatives to cow’s milk that you can play with in making your chocolate desserts.

Chocolate desserts are irresistible. They flip a switch in our brain and make it difficult for us to say no. It’s not hard to whip up a rich and decadent chocolate dessert at home. And you can make your chocolate dessert healthy with a few tricks and substitutions.

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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Have you already reserved a table at any of the many San Diego restaurants for Mother’s Day? If you haven’t yet, you should definitely pick up the phone or tap on your keyboard and make those reservations right now. Mother’s Day happens only once a year, and the special women in your life – your mother, your wife, your daughter, even your mother-in-law – deserve a lovely brunch or dinner this Mother’s Day.

Now, if your reason why you haven’t made your Mother’s Day table reservations yet is you don’t know where to take your special ladies on that day, here are five of the best San Diego restaurants you can check out.

1. BICE Ristorante

BICE Ristorante, located in the Gaslamp Quarter, is recognized as one of the best Downtown San Diego restaurants that specialize in Italian fine dining. In fact, BICE has established a reputation for being the place to be if one wants to dine on the finest that Italian cuisine has to offer. It is a recipient of a Lamplighter Award and was named best Italian restaurant in San Diego by the California Restaurant Association. Under the helm of Executive Chef Mario Cassineri, BICE expertly combines contemporary food trends with long-standing Italian cooking traditions and uses only excellent ingredients produced locally.

If the mothers in your life love Italian food, they’ll certainly find an evening at BICE to be a one-of-a-kind dining experience. The menu is changed every week, and it contains homemade pasta dishes and antipasti courses. The restaurant also has a fabulous cheese and salumi bar, not to mention a wonderful selection of wines and other liquor. BICE may be a bit on the pricey side, but the food as well as the service and the ambiance are well worth it.

2. Donovan’s Steakhouse

Do the mothers in your life have a liking for a good piece of prime steak? Then take them to dinner at Donovan’s Steakhouse, also located at the Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego. This establishment has received multiple awards from various food associations in California, awards that include a Lamplighter Award and recognition by the California Restaurant Association. Leading its kitchen is Executive Chef Arturo Mejia.

Your special ladies will have their choice of USDA prime steak cooked however they want it, with either potatoes or vegetables in season for the sides. If they don’t want to eat beef, they can select other items from Donovan’s menu, which also has chicken, lamb, veal, ahi tuna, halibut and other seafood. They can pair it with a glass or two of wine from Donovan’s famous cellar. And they will enjoy the rich yet cozy atmosphere in the restaurant.

3. Island Prime/C Level

San Diego has a beautiful skyline, and many San Diego restaurants on the water take advantage of this unique facet of the city to create a unique dining experience for their customers. One of these restaurants is the popular Island Prime/C Level on Harbor Island. The restaurant stands on stilts over San Diego Bay and offers fantastic views of the city’s skyline as well as Coronado. The special ladies you will treat on Mother’s Day will gush over the romantic setting of this restaurant when you take them here.

What is in store for the mothers in your life when you dine at Island Prime/C Level? The restaurant is known for its fabulous menu expertly created by Executive Chef Deborah Scott, one of the most popular chefs in San Diego. There, your special ladies can enjoy a really nice steak perfectly cooked the way they like it, with their choice of sides made with organic ingredients. If these ladies don’t want to eat beef, they can select fish like salmon and mahi mahi. The menu also has chicken, lamb and pork chops. Of course, fresh seafood like lobster, king crab, prawns and mussels are also available. There is also a selection of wines that you can partake while taking in the restaurant’s wonderful views.

4. Peohe’s

If you want to spend some quality one-on-one time with your mom or your wife on Mother’s Day without getting too far away from the city, you should take her on a getaway to Coronado and have brunch or dinner at Peohe’s. An award-winning restaurant that has been featured in Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels on The Food Network, Peohe’s sits right on the water’s edge by the Coronado Ferry Landing and offers fantastic views of the San Diego skyline. These views, enjoyed through the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows, are marvelous during the day and romantic at night.

What’s on the menu at Peohe’s? Peohe’s is well-known for its seafood dishes created by Executive Chef David Bland, recognized as one of the up-and-coming chefs in San Diego. These seafood dishes are heavily inspired by the culinary traditions of the Pacific Rim. The restaurant also boasts of a first-rate sushi bar with its unique sashimi menu, dubbed New Wave. A must try is Peohe’s Surf & Turf roll, which is a lobster roll with filet mignon topping, as well as Peohe’s signature dessert, a Godiva chocolate liqueur cake with molten chocolate at its center. Your special lady will definitely love the treat to Peohe’s on Mother’s Day.

5. Royal India Del Mar

If the mothers in your life are not afraid of dining on spicy and exotic food, you should take them to Royal India Del Mar, one of the relatively new San Diego restaurants in the area. In Royal India Del Mar, they will be treated like the queens that they are with the restaurant’s sophisticated menus and personalized service. Your special ladies will feel that they’ve been transported to a palace in India.

What can your ladies expect from the Royal India menu? They can choose from the wide array of tandoori and curry dishes. Not all the curry dishes served at Royal India are spicy, so if your ladies don’t care about too much heat in their food, there are mildly spiced dishes available. But if they’re feeling adventurous, they can indulge their desire for spice in their food. There are also vegetarian dishes available on the Royal India menu if your ladies prefer vegetarian fare.

Mother’s Day happens only once a year, and it’s very important that you show your appreciation for the mothers in your life on this day. And one fabulous way you can express this appreciation for these special ladies is to take them out for a great meal at one of the best San Diego restaurants around.

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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It’s not uncommon to find a tropical dessert or two served after a meal in San Diego. There are a number of reasons behind this. Among these is the fact that California’s climate is so suitable to growing tropical fruits. This gives San Diego easy access to fresh ingredients for tropical dessert recipes. Another reason is San Diego has a large number of residents originating from tropical regions such as Hawaii and Southeast Asia. These transplanted San Diegans typically incorporate the flavors and ingredients they grew up with into the food they eat every day, including dessert.

When you’re in San Diego, it won’t be difficult for you to develop your own tropical dessert ideas. California, after all, is the land of fusion cooking and it’s anything goes in any San Diegan kitchen. The next time you crave for a tropical dessert, I suggest that you try making one of these lovely Californian tropical dessert recipes.

1. Homemade Tropical Ice Cream

Ice cream is a dessert you can enjoy all year-round in San Diego. With San Diego’s Mediterranean climate, it’s never too cold to enjoy an ice cream cone any time of the day. Store-bought ice cream isn’t such a good idea if you’re on a diet or cutting back on sugar for health reasons, though. The typical ice cream products available in the supermarket are laden with sugar or are not vegan/gluten-free. Thankfully, with the help of an ice cream maker or your trusty blender, you can make your own ice cream at home. This will ensure that the ice cream you eat is just the way you like it, without any hidden ingredients or substances you can’t eat.

Tropical ice cream is one of the best ice cream flavors around if you ask me. For me, this tropical fruit dessert is very refreshing and light on the tongue. Here is a homemade ice cream you can try making at home using a blender.

What you need:
1 cup chopped tropical fruits of your choice – bananas, pineapples, melons
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp nut butter (peanut or cashew)
1/4 cup yoghurt (preferably Greek yoghurt)

Directions:
Dump all the ingredients in your blender and process until smooth and thick. Put the finished product in a container and freeze overnight.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2-3 servings

2. Sweet Avocado Mousse

Technically, avocado is not a tropical fruit. It is, after all, native to Central Mexico. Nonetheless, the avocado has become so popular in Southeast Asia and many other tropical regions that it has earned a place among the ranks of tropical fruits. San Diegans are also quite fond of the avocado and include them a lot in their dishes. So, if you like avocados, here’s an avocado dessert you’ll surely love, from Epicurious.

What you need:
2 California avocados, chilled
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar (or your favorite sugar substitute)
A pinch of salt

Directions:
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Spoon out the flesh and put in a food processor or blender. Add the other ingredients except the cream and blend until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it peaks stiffly. Get the pureed avocado from the blender and fold it into the cream. Chill before serving.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

3. California Gingered Fruit Salsa Sundae

California is the home of fusion cuisine, so you’ll find no lack of fusion restaurants in San Diego. Many San Diegans experiment with fusion cooking in their homes as well. Thus, don’t be surprised if you find a fusion tropical fruit dessert before you when you dine in San Diego, in a restaurant or at a home. Here’s an excellent east-meets-west fruit dessert you’ll commonly find in San Diego and anywhere else in California, again from Epicurious.

What you need:
1/2 cup raspberries
6 large strawberries, diced
1/2 cup pineapples, fresh or canned, finely diced
1/2 cup ripe mango, diced
1 pint frozen vanilla yoghurt
2 tbsp sugar (or your favorite sweetener)
3 tbsp ginger, minced
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Mash the raspberries with the sugar and set it aside for five minutes. Afterwards, mix in the other ingredients except the yoghurt. Scoop the yoghurt into sundae dishes or dessert bowls and top it with the fruit salsa.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

4. Tropical Carrot Cake

Many of us like carrot cake. It’s delicious, that’s for sure. For me, I don’t feel too guilty eating carrot cake for dessert because it has carrots in it. Carrots are vegetables, aren’t they? And vegetables are healthy and good for you. But carrot cake isn’t a tropical dessert, isn’t it? So how do you make it tropical? That’s simple – just add a few tropical fruits into the mix, just like in this tropical carrot cake recipe from About.com Baking.

What you need:
2 cups carrots, grated
1 20-ounce can pineapple, drained and crushed
1 cup walnuts, pecans or your preferred nuts, toasted and chopped
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten slightly
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil

Ingredients for the frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened
1 16-ounce box powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup walnuts, pecans or your choice of nuts, toasted and chopped

Directions for the cake:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray grease and sprinkle flour on two bread loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Afterwards, add the carrots, the eggs and the oil. Beat the mixture until fully incorporated. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Pour into the bread loaf pans and then bake for an hour or until completely done. Once done, place in cooling rack and set aside until ready to frost.

Directions for the frosting:
Mix the butter and the cream cheese until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add in the sugar and the vanilla, and then the nuts and the coconut flakes. Once the frosting is completely mixed, check if the cakes have cooled. If the cakes have already cooled, spread the frosting evenly on each cake. Store the cakes in the fridge.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Yield: at least 8 servings

5. Chocolate Avocado Banana Pudding

Pineapples, coconuts and mangoes are not the only fruits the tropics are blessed with. They also have the yummy and versatile banana, a staple food in many countries. Bananas are the perfect ingredient to any creamy tropical dessert, including this pudding recipe from Food.com.

What you need:
2 ripe bananas, chopped
2 ripe avocados, pitted and scooped
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Put the bananas and the avocado flesh in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and continue mixing. Pour the mixture into a sealed container and chill in the fridge before serving.

These are just some of the tropical desserts you will enjoy when you are in San Diego. But you don’t have to be in San Diego to enjoy a tropical dessert. With easy dessert recipes like these, you can have your tropical-themed sweets any time you want, wherever you may be.

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican army’s 1862 triumph over France during the Battle of Puebla at some point in the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). Although not a major holiday in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo (or the 5th of May) in the United States has evolved into a festival of Mexican culture and heritage, especially with the Latino population dominating as the largest ethnicity in America. Customs of this holiday include parades, folk dances, street festivals in cities and mariachi music performances across Mexico and the United States.

Here are some easy Cinco de Mayo recipes that you can try yourself to recreate. These treats have come to be associated with this annual festive celebration. It includes a Cinco de Mayo drink recipe, a Cinco de Mayo dessert recipe and other easy Cinco de Mayo recipes to try at home. Barring the Margarita, they are all also Cinco de Mayo recipes for kids to enjoy as well.

Beef Chimichangas
(taken from tasteofhome.com)

What you need:
1 lb ground beef
3 cans tomato sauce (3 oz each)
1 can refried beans (16 oz)
1/2 cup onion (chopped finely)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic (minced)
12 flour tortillas
1 can jalapeno peppers (4 oz)
1 can chopped green chilies (4 oz)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Oil for deep frying

Directions:
1. Over medium heat, cook beef until it is no longer pink then add onions, beans, half of tomato sauce, garlic, cumin and chili powder.
2. On each tortilla, spoon the beef mixture. Fold sides and roll up. Secure with toothpicks.
3. Combine remaining tomato sauce, peppers and chilies in a saucepan and heat through.
4. Meanwhile, deep fry the chimichangas for 2 minutes or until each side is golden brown.
5. Make sure to drain excess oil. Serve with sprinkles cheese and sauce.

Mexican Margaritas
(taken from bettycrocker.com)

What you need:
2/3 cup tequila
1 & 1/3 cups orange-flavored liqueur
1 cup lime juice
8 lime wedges
1/2 cup coarse salt
2-3 tbsp powdered sugar
8 cups ice cubes (crushed)

Directions:
1. Use a food processor to blend orange liqueur, powdered sugar, lime juice and ice. Place in a non-mental container and freeze for 2 ½ hours.
2. Spoon orange liqueur mixture into blender and blend until slushy.
3. Pour into salt rimmed glass, add 1 tbsp of tequila and garnish with lime wegdes.

Mini Pork Empanadas
(taken from kraftrecipes.com)

What you need:
¾ lb lean ground pork
½ cup Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup flour
1 small onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
¾ cup unpeeled cooked potatoes (mashed)
2 eggs (beaten)
1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Mix butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beat with a mixer.
2. Slowly add in flour little by little.
3. Shape into a ball and chill for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, cook meat and onions in a saucepan. Add in spices and bouillon.
5. Add potatoes and cool completely.
6. Preheat oven at 400ºF.
7. Roll out dough on a floured surface to around ¼ thickness. Cut into 40 circles.
8. Spoon 1 tsp of meat mixture to each dough circles. Brush the edges with egg then fold into half. Press the edges together with a fork.
9. On a baking sheet, spray cooking oil then place empanadas.
10. Bake for 20 mins or until golden brown.

Chunky Guacamole
(taken from homecooking.about.com)

What you need:
3 avocados
½ sweet onion (finely chopped)
1 large tomato (cored & finely chopped)
1 jalapeno (stemmed, seeded and finely chopped)
1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
10 fresh cilantro leaves (chopped)
1 tbsp fresh lime
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Toss together jalapeno, onion, and cilantro.
2. Scoop avocado from skin. Sprinkle with salt and pour lime juice.
3. Mash together avocado with onion mixture.
4. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Caramel Flan
(taken from tasteofhome.com)

What you need:
1-2/3 cups condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Over medium heat, melt sugar for about 12 minutes. Don’t stir.
2. When sugar is melted, lower heat to low. Continue to cook and stir occasionally until syrup turns golden brown. This will take about 2 minutes.
3. Pour into ungreased oblong soufflé dish. Allow to set for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, blend together milk, yolks, eggs, vanilla and condensed milk. Process for 15 seconds.
5. Pour over syrup.
6. Place soufflé dish into a bigger pan and add around 1 inch of boiling water to larger pan.
7. Bake for 60 minutes in a 350° oven.
8. Cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

There is no doubt that your Cinco de Mayo celebration will be a festive one with these recipes up your sleeve!

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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There are literally hundreds of cooking apps out there that you could load into your smart phone or tablet device. There’s certainly no dearth of apps on cooking for a mobile gadget these days. The trick is knowing which ones to get, so you don’t clutter yourself with a whole bunch of stuff you won’t really use. Here are six suggested top cooking apps available today, designed to save time and effort in the kitchen. The best cooking apps have a few features in common: a sleek interface that is simple to browse, elegant and sumptuous looking food images, and a first-rate selection of recipes. Some added features like automatic shopping lists, how-to cooking videos and nutrition information are also a plus. Here are some great choices.

1. BigOven

BigOven is a free cooking app that is packed with more than 250,000 recipes. The menu is as diverse as there are tastes and appetites, and includes new versions of some classic recipes. You can also drag and drop recipes into a calendar on a daily, weekly or monthly schedule to help you get organized ahead of time. $15 dollars can get you the Pro version, which can automate the creation of your grocery list. Sharing of recipes via social media is also a feature. To date, over eight million have downloaded this app. So what are you waiting for (unless you have it already.)

2. How to Cook Everything

Initially, you might get the impression that this cooking app at $4.99 is pricey. How to Cook Everything app may seem just a tad expensive, until you make a closer examination, and you will realize it’s a bargain. What you get is all 2,000 recipes from Mark Bittman’s book that goes by the same name. The published version of the book will set you back $20. How’s that for a good deal? The interface of the app is quite smooth, even if there are no pictures to augment the recipes. Some of the bells and whistles to come with the app is a cooking timer and shopping list. How to Cook Everything probably has more cooking instruction than any other cooking app. There are also videos dealing with a lot of topics ranging from how to sharpen knives to how to roast a chicken. It’s a one stop shop that’s a must companion in the kitchen.

3. The ChefTap Recipe App

Mimicking the pre smart phone days when we would tear off pages of a recipe from a favorite a magazine, or copy direction to a piece of paper, this app borrows that old school concept and applies it to today’s digital technology. The ChefTap Recipe App for Android allows you to import from any website or blog simply by dragging it in. You can bookmark practically anything that tickles your culinary fancy. With this app, you can collect a myriad of recipes from Pinterest, Food Network, tasteofhome, homecooking, or just about anywhere on the web where there is a recipe.

4. Simply Organic Recipes

What mobile device would be complete without a health conscious organic recipes app? Simply Organic is a no nonsense recipe app that takes the difficulty out of serving healthy and nutritious meals. Simply Organic uses a random recipe database if you just want a quick dinner recipe. There are a dozens of categories to choose from, with ofcourse, vegetarian entrees and even healthy recipes for children. It also allows you to manage and arrange your recipes in a number of ways that will be easy for you to draw them out later, and making it a breeze to locate favorite dishes. Naturally, nutrition facts are always at your finger tips in this health conscious cooking app. The only downside to Simply Organic is it does not have images.

5. Weber’s On the Grill

Carnivores listen up! Weber’s On the Grill is the app to have for anyone really into meat. You get more than 250 illustrated recipes, with mouth watering pictures making you want to start the grill. Like most recipe apps, Weber’s On the Grill comes with a shopping list and a section that features all time favorites. It is abundant with how-to articles if you’re not yet savvy cooking on a grill. There is an integrated grill timer, as well as a ‘doneness calculator,’ which guides you on cooking times for from rare to well done, and depending on the kind of meat you are cooking. At $4.99 the app doesn’t seem pricey especially if you like to cook your meat to perfection.

6. Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals

If you must have a celebrity chef branded app, very few would dispute getting one from the amicable Jamie Oliver. It’s a great recipe app, and very well-designed. Even at $7.99 it’s a steal with all the features. The detail and step-by-step instructions for each recipe presume not everyone is comfortable working in the kitchen. The recipes are definitely straightforward to do. There’s even a tab that lets you tweak the ingredients based on how many you are cooking for. The only thing disagreeable with it is it comes with a paltry 60 recipes, quite a drastically lower number compared to other cooking apps. Still, Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals is so well executed that it still is a must have app. Look at it as a go to app when all your other 5 seem to get boring.

If you are a novice cook and wish to whip up something special for your friends and family, choose among these apps for your smart phone and you are good to go!

Joshua Hampton

My name is Joshua Hampton and I love cooking. I believe that what you eat represents who you really are. Knowing how to cook properly will ensure that you have more enjoyment in your life, you have higher self-esteem and you have a better health. So, right now I am most obsessed about different cooking classes - it is so much fun, even my 5 years old kid loves it. Join now! - Joshua

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