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Top 10 food-related apps

In the few years I’ve been downloading food-related apps, I’ve watched them develop from mere recipe archives and grocery-aisle guides to fully interactive media experiences that — dare I say it — outshine the printed page. I still take pleasure in opening a food-stained cookbook; I’m just happy to have greater access at my fingertips. The apps listed here represent the best of what I’ve seen this year. — Russell W. Warnick, Special to The Washington Post

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The Photo Cookbook: Quick & Easy $4.99 on the iPhone and iPad; 60-plus recipes. This might replace the cookbook you keep by the bedside for inspiration. It presents recipes with artistic flair, akin to slot-machine reels.

Russell Warnick /

Great British Chefs $4.99 on the iPhone or iPad; 180 recipes. Marcus Wareing, Tom Aikens and 10 other chefs (with 15 Michelin stars among them) guide you through some of their favorite menus. One of the app’s great features is its voice-controlled page turner. Speak into the app to move things along. Who needs Siri?

Great British Chefs $4.99 on the iPhone or iPad; 180 recipes. Marcus Wareing, Tom Aikens and 10 other chefs (with 15 Michelin stars among them) guide you through some of their favorite menus. One of the app’s great features is its voice-controlled page turner. Speak into the app to move things along. Who needs Siri?

Russell Warnick / Russell Warnick

Jamie’s Recipes Free and pay-per-use on the iPhone and iPad; six free “taster packs” of 72 recipes. Superstar chef Jamie Oliver follows up his 20 Minute Meals, undoubtedly one of the best cooking apps on the market. Videos and basic-skills tips help fulfill Oliver’s promise “to hand-hold and guide you to some of the best cooking you’ve ever done.”There’s one catch. The app’s basics are free, but to supplement its collection of recipes and videos, you need to buy “taster packs”: 10-recipe collections whose titles include “Fast Food, Slow-Cooking” and “Classic Comfort Food,” priced at $1.99 to $2.99.

Jamie’s Recipes Free and pay-per-use on the iPhone and iPad; six free “taster packs” of 72 recipes. Superstar chef Jamie Oliver follows up his 20 Minute Meals, undoubtedly one of the best cooking apps on the market. Videos and basic-skills tips help fulfill Oliver’s promise “to hand-hold and guide you to some of the best cooking you’ve ever done.”There’s one catch. The app’s basics are free, but to supplement its collection of recipes and videos, you need to buy “taster packs”: 10-recipe collections whose titles include “Fast Food, Slow-Cooking” and “Classic Comfort Food,” priced at $1.99 to $2.99.

Russell Warnick / Russell Warnick

Drinks & Cocktails Free for iPhone; more than 1,200 recipes. Slick and simple yet sophisticated, this one comes from the folks at Drinks999.co.uk. A range of concoctions, from easy and traditional to more complex and innovative.

Drinks & Cocktails Free for iPhone; more than 1,200 recipes. Slick and simple yet sophisticated, this one comes from the folks at Drinks999.co.uk. A range of concoctions, from easy and traditional to more complex and innovative.

Russell Warnick / Russell Warnick

Chefs Feed Free on the iPhone; coming soon to the Android and BlackBerry. Ever wondered where your local chefs like to eat out? In this app, more than 100 chefs including Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, Michael Mina and Art Smith dish on their favorite restaurants in San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Info for Washington and four other cities is in the works. You can also follow the chefs’ Twitter feeds, enhancing the potential for celebrity chef spotting.

Chefs Feed Free on the iPhone; coming soon to the Android and BlackBerry. Ever wondered where your local chefs like to eat out? In this app, more than 100 chefs including Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller, Michael Mina and Art Smith dish on their favorite restaurants in San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. Info for Washington and four other cities is in the works. You can also follow the chefs’ Twitter feeds, enhancing the potential for celebrity chef spotting.

Russell Warnick / Russell Warnick

Matt’s Pantry $3.99 on the iPad; 100 recipes. Private chef by night, app entrepreneur by day, Matt Shields lends his culinary expertise to a selection of dishes that can invoke memories and create new favorites, such as Oven Fried Chicken With Buttermilk Biscuits and Red Chili Glazed Cod. Recipes are accompanied by stunning images shot by his childhood friend, Matt Furman. The app makes it easy to add ingredients to your grocery shopping list.

Matt’s Pantry $3.99 on the iPad; 100 recipes. Private chef by night, app entrepreneur by day, Matt Shields lends his culinary expertise to a selection of dishes that can invoke memories and create new favorites, such as Oven Fried Chicken With Buttermilk Biscuits and Red Chili Glazed Cod. Recipes are accompanied by stunning images shot by his childhood friend, Matt Furman. The app makes it easy to add ingredients to your grocery shopping list.

Russell Warnick

Seamless Free on the Android, iPhone and BlackBerry; delivery options in more than 25 U.S. cities, including Washington. One of the most frustrating things about ordering food online is having to navigate restaurant Web sites. This comprehensive delivery database allows you to create an account, find a restaurant and place an order — without the fuss.

Seamless Free on the Android, iPhone and BlackBerry; delivery options in more than 25 U.S. cities, including Washington. One of the most frustrating things about ordering food online is having to navigate restaurant Web sites. This comprehensive delivery database allows you to create an account, find a restaurant and place an order — without the fuss.

Russell Warnick / Russell Warnick

Fooducate Free on the iPhone and Android; more than 200,000 foods. Open the app and point your camera at the bar code of the food item you’re interested in; within a few seconds, the app has provided you with the item’s nutritional information; listed warnings, such as “contains controversial artificial sweeteners”; and rated the product’s healthfulness.

Fooducate Free on the iPhone and Android; more than 200,000 foods. Open the app and point your camera at the bar code of the food item you’re interested in; within a few seconds, the app has provided you with the item’s nutritional information; listed warnings, such as “contains controversial artificial sweeteners”; and rated the product’s healthfulness.

Russell Warnick / Russell Warnick

Fishmonger $1.99 on the iPhone; more than 40 species of fish. Step away from YouTube: This app shows you how to choose and prepare varieties of fish from cod and salmon to barracuda and sturgeon. No recipes, though.

Fishmonger $1.99 on the iPhone; more than 40 species of fish. Step away from YouTube: This app shows you how to choose and prepare varieties of fish from cod and salmon to barracuda and sturgeon. No recipes, though.

Russell Warnick / Russell Warnick

Food52’s Holiday Recipe & Survival Guide $9.99 on the iPad; 75 seasonal recipes. You’ll find that the smartly edited recipe collection, menu ideas and cooking tips will be a year-round, go-to resource.

Food52’s Holiday Recipe & Survival Guide $9.99 on the iPad; 75 seasonal recipes. You’ll find that the smartly edited recipe collection, menu ideas and cooking tips will be a year-round, go-to resource.

Russell Warnick / Russell Warnick

Featured Photo Galleries

In this image released by the Miss Universe Organization, Miss Washington USA 2012, Christina Clarke; Miss West Virginia USA 2012, Andrea Rogers; and Miss Wisconsin USA 2012, Emily Guerin compete in their swimwear by Kooey Australia and fashion footwear by Chinese Laundry during the 2012 Miss USA Presentation Show on May 30, 2012 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2012 MISS USA Pageant will air LIVE on NBC June 3 at 9:00 p.m. ET from the Theatre for Performing Arts in Las Vegas. = RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT 'AFP PHOTO / Miss Universe Organization / DARREN DECKER' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS =DARREN DECKER/AFP/GettyImages

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NEW YORK, NY - MAY 30: Jon Stewart attends the Sesame Street Workshop 10th Annual Benefit Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 30, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

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The SpaceX Dragon commercial cargo craft is seen in a camera on the end of the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm as it moves away from the station in preparation for its return to earth in this image from NASA TV May 31, 2012. REUTERS/NASA TV (SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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The SpaceX Dragon capsule detached from the international space station Thursday morning.

Police investigate the scene where a man who was believed to have shot and killed several people earlier in the day shot himself Wednesday, May 30, 2012, in the West Seattle neighborhood of Seattle. A gunman opened fire at a Seattle cafe earlier Wednesday, killing three people and critically wounding two others and later a man believed to be the same suspect shot and killed a woman and took her car near downtown, abandoning it less than two miles from where the alleged shooter shot himself as officers closed in on him, authorities said. His condition wasn't immediately known. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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LANDOVER, MD May 30, 2012 U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Fabian Johnson (23) hits a crossing pass to forward Herculez Gomez (9) for their 1st half goal against Brazil Men's National Team goalie Rafael (12) on May 30, 2012 in Landover, MD (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

Brazil too much for U.S. to handle

Herculez Gomez scores just before halftime, but Brazil runs away with a 4-1 victory.

Camels rest at a watering hole outside the town of Aleg May 25, 2012. REUTERS/Joe Penney (MAURITANIA - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

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HANDOUT PHOTO: Camera men film as the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew, U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin, blasts off from it's launch pad at Baikonur cosmodrome, May 15, 2012. (Courtesy of Shamil Zhumatov/ADAY.org)

A snapshot of life

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