Today, most people have some sort of smart device. Whether it be a tablet, phone, or iPod, you have a way to have information right at your fingertips. This can be a gold mine for foodies, cooks, or busy moms alike. If you are at the grocery store and forget an ingredient for a recipe you can bring that recipe up on your smartphone and pick up the missing ingredient. When you really think about it technology as come a long way. Foodie apps can be used to plan meals, find new recipes, or get information about ingredients. If you don’t have at least one of the foodie apps mentioned below you are missing out a wealth of information available at your fingertips.

Please note that most apps are interchangeable. I have them listed by popularity on that device. If you see an app in the iPad section but have an Andriod, 9 times out of ten that app is also on Google Play. I listed these in the order of popularity on that particular device. What may be wildly popular on iPad may not have gained steam on Android. I also listed some not so popular ones that are absolutely fantastic but relatively unknown. Of course Windows 8 apps are a complete mystery because too many people are busy hating it then seeing the real potential. ( I was a member of this club for a long time.)

iPad-iPhone-iPod:

• How to Cook Everything- This app has 2,000 recipes, 400 how-to illustrations, and a host of features that appeal to cooks on the go.
• The Professional Chef (iPad Only)-Culinary Institute of America- One of the most priciest apps I have come across but definitely worth the money. I have the book and really wish I could use the app along side it. You will learn how to cook like the pros without ever leaving your kitchen table. Known as “the bible for all chefs”, The Professional Chef has been rebuilt for iPad, iPhone, PC and Mac from the ground up as the richest and most all-inclusive resource in your kitchen. The Inkling edition of this classic textbook by the Culinary Institute of America includes videos, interactive images, shared notes between cooks using the book, and more.
• Ratio- This iPhone app that will help you calculate amounts of ingredients in all the fundamental culinary preparations. When you know a ratio, you don’t know a recipe, you know 1,000. And this application does all the calculating for you.
• SpeakEasy Cocktails- During Prohibition, getting a stiff drink required passwords and secret passageways. Now, two of the world’s top bartenders and leaders in the speakeasy revival, Jim Meehan and Joseph Schwartz, share their secrets with video tutorials, instructional graphics, and more than 200 recipes, culled from the world’s best.
• Kitchen Aid Kit Pro- Kitchen Aid -Combining high-tech abilities with funny and friendly interface Kitchen Aid Kit is an autonomous cooking lab – a perfect solution for every kitchen.
• Weber’s On the Grill- If you love to grill or barbecue, you are going to love this app! Weber’s On the Grill™ features 280 classic Weber recipes plus 40 recipes for rubs, marinades, and sauces that are sure to get you fired up to get out and grill. You can tag your favorites, and even create and share a master grocery list for your grilling recipes that you can take with you to the store. There’s a timer within the app, too, so you know exactly when to take your food off the grill.
• The Photo Cookbook-The Photo Cookbook is like a private cooking course in your own kitchen with an experienced cook who clarifies the preparation. Beautiful photography, elegantly displayed in high resolution on your iPad, illustrates every step.
• Fast Paleo-Over 2,200 paleo, primal and all gluten-free recipes—with new recipes added daily!!
• Green Kitchen-Green Kitchen is an inspiring source of organic and tasty vegetarian food, with ingredients straight from nature and a bare minimum of gluten, sugar and dairy products used. Enjoy and be delighted by creative recipes with drop dead gorgeous photos and detailed, easy to follow, instructions.
• Meal Board-MealBoard combines recipe management, meal planning, groceries and pantry management into a single app. It is fully customizable. You can manage your recipes, ingredients, food categories, meal types, stores, store aisles, grocery items and many more with its clean, uncluttered interface.
• Food Network In the Kitchen-In the Kitchen offers thousands of all-star recipes from your favorite Food Network chefs and shows, making cooking easy, enjoyable and delicious. Cook with Alton Brown, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri and more!

Android:

• All Recipes Dinner Spinner-A fun and easy way to find awesome recipes! Search by ingredient or give your phone a shake to find inspiration. Then relax and feel the cooking stress melt away. You’ll be making recipes from the #1 food site, all tested and reviewed by home cooks like you.

• Real Simple-For the cost of just one issue of Real Simple magazine, you’ll get hundreds of easy meals that take 40 minutes or less along with smart tools to make dinner prep easier
• Epicurious- This app from award-winning food site Epicurious.com includes over 28,000 delicious, professionally tested and created recipes from renowned magazines such as Gourmet and Bon Appétit, popular cookbooks, top chefs, and leading restaurants. Features a home screen “Recipe of the Day” widget and voice search
• Mario Batali Cooks- This app allows me to get as close as I’ve ever been to personally cooking with you in your kitchen. So grab some extra-virgin olive oil, and let’s cook some great food!!” - Mario Batali
• Big Oven- Take 250,000+ recipes (including all your own and recipes from friends), your grocery list and menus anywhere on your phone or tablet! With over eight million downloads, BigOven is the most complete cooking tool for getting inspired and organized in the kitchen and on-the-go.
• Healthy Recipes-Looking to lose weight and save money? Cooking at home is one of the easiest ways SparkPeople members do both! Our Healthy Recipes application lets you browse and search thousands of recipes, plus save your favorites. We also provide calories, fat, and more for each recipe. Perfect for anyone on a diet!
• Sweet and Spicy Indian Recipes- Sweet’N'Spicy is the largest collection of Indian Foods and Recipes powered by fullmeals.com. Sweet’N'Spicy has more than 6000+ recipes and 1000+ video recipes spread across three major categories Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian to Vegan.
• Must Have Recipes From BHG- Better Homes and Gardens brings you the best-of-the-best recipes, secrets and tips — all inspired by our beloved Red Plaid cookbooks — absolutely FREE! In all, more than 500 recipes, with photos of every one.

Windows 8

• Pepper Plate- Pepperplate is the only app for serious cooks - it has all the tools you need to cook weeknight dinners or host a dinner party for 12. Manage your recipes, create menus, shop with ease and cook like a pro on Windows 8, the web and mobile devices.
• iCookbook- The award-winning iCookbook™ is the first recipe and cooking app for Windows 8! iCookbook™ comes loaded with more than 2,000 hand-selected and kitchen-tested recipes—as many as found in 20 full-size cookbooks. All recipes can be displayed in an easy-to-read Prepare format for convenient use in the kitchen.
• Chef- Say hello to Chef, your kitchen’s new best friend. Designed for the latest and greatest version of Windows, Chef is the premier way to curate favorite recipes from across the web, plan future meals, and generate consolidated shopping lists. Chef integrates seamlessly with the Windows Share Charm, enabling you to send recipes to Chef with a swipe and a click.
• Every Day Food- Never wonder what to cook again with the Everyday Food app. You’ll always find the right recipe for any meal and every occasion. With straightforward steps and accessible ingredients, Everyday Food recipes are simple to prepare and always satisfy.
• YumVy- YumvY is the cooking companion app that makes cooking sophisticated, restaurant-quality meals at home fun, fast, and easy.
• Recipe Keeper- Recipe Keeper allows you to quickly and easily enter all your favorite recipes and organize them exactly the way you want. Create the ultimate personal cookbook with recipes from your own cookbooks, magazines and recipe websites.