Modernist Cuisine ebooks or apps?

[Anonymous Modernist 1801]

Nathan/Chris/Max,

I am not sure if this has been discussed before, but have you guys ever thought of creating a digital version of the modernist cuisine volume for the Apple iPad? You have all the digital photos (not all have to be in the digital version) and digital notes already at hand.

The books I have is stunning, however if I need to check/discuss articles outside the home, I'd love to be able to carry this library of information with me. The books are big and quite heavy on their own.

I'd be willing to shell out anything <USD200 (and less than 4GB) for the app and you have the option of adding/updating/correcting content along the way. Videos of interviews, techniques or simply discussion on particular food items would be awesome as well. This would probably solve some of the issues with volume printing too.

What do you think?

[Judy Wilson]

heatwave said:

Nathan/Chris/Max,

I am not sure if this has been discussed before, but have you guys ever thought of creating a digital version of the modernist cuisine volume for the Apple iPad? You have all the digital photos (not all have to be in the digital version) and digital notes already at hand.

The books I have is stunning, however if I need to check/discuss articles outside the home, I'd love to be able to carry this library of information with me. The books are big and quite heavy on their own.

I'd be willing to shell out anything <USD200 (and less than 4GB) for the app and you have the option of adding/updating/correcting content along the way. Videos of interviews, techniques or simply discussion on particular food items would be awesome as well. This would probably solve some of the issues with volume printing too.

What do you think?

Hi heatwave,

We've been asked this before and the answer is that right now we don't have any plans for an electronic version of the book. When Nathan first started the book over three years ago, screen technology wasn't what it is now, and even now, we feel that the beauty of the book would be lost.

That being said, it is still a possibility. We'll of course announce it if we ever decide to go that route.

[Anonymous Modernist 4453]

Does anyone know if MC plans on making an app for ipad, iphone, etc.? It would be great if they did? Any info anyone has would be great!

[Scott Heimendinger]

Hi Ian,

Can you describe the types of features that would interest you in a mobile app (tablet or phone) for MC?

[Anonymous Modernist 4453]

I was thinking the app could include recipes from each volume, pictures, the various cooking charts that are in the books as well as any other important keys the authors feel nessecary to help the chef with his day

[Anonymous Modernist 310]

On my side I would like better access to the errata and a portable version of an advanced recipe finder. ( With option to maintain our equipements and ingredients list for example)

I also started on my side an application with information of the cooking tables, best bets for temperatures and some parametric recipes. According to the library of congress that's legalbut I wanted to have the opinion of some members of the MC team about that since I don't want to antagonize peoples who produced such a wonderful work.

Happy holidays

[Anonymous Modernist 2565]

i for one would love to see "best bets" tables re-produced in app form.

would need to support both IOS and Android though.....

[Anonymous Modernist 5455]

That would be great. I just got the books and I'm slowly making my way through the first volume, it's wonderful but soooo big and heavy, it would be much more convenient if it could be in a PDF version I could read on my iPad whenever I had a few spare minutes.

[Anonymous Modernist 5626]

It might be a nightmare to program, but it would be fantastic to have a parametric recipe calculator. For example, I want to make the mojito spheres, but I only have 1 gram of one of the ingredients. How much of everything else would I need?

I know that the point of the parametric recipes is that these calculations are easy to do, but it might be a nice touch!

[Anonymous Modernist 5065]

This is exactly what I want to develop for Android. Just a simple recipe library app, which uses the MC's own format/style for recipe "definitions". According to this thread (http://modernistcuisine.com/cook/forum/cookbooks/rights-to-recipe-configurations/) using the formatting should not be a problem. After that putting in 1-2 recipe when needed cannot be too much, at least you have to do it once.

Of course this is just a fun project for me, so I can't guarantee any deadlines... If anyone comes across a great app, please let us know in this thread.

[Anonymous Modernist 698]

I don't need all the books while at work, but access to the kitchen manual would be amazing. The book gives context, but when in the kitchen I would just like access to the various tables and percentages given. Is there any possibility of an electronic yet secure version of the manual being available to registered owners of the book.

Thanks.

Also, thanks for the vision to start this project and see it through. I am looking forward to pastry in a few years.

Patrick

[MikeMac]

In your FAQ's Modernist Cuisine states about ebooks or Apps:

 

Eventually, there may be, but we have no current plans to offer an electronic version of Modernist Cuisine. We began this project before the market of e-books developed ... at the time we started designing the book, the Kindle had not even shipped yet. Kindle is a wonderful e-book platform (we love ours!), but it is not the best medium for a book such as this that offers so many large color pictures. Our use of dramatic photography is a large part of how Modernist Cuisine makes the art and science of cooking accessible. Although the Apple iPad has a color display, its screen size is still very limited, and by the time it shipped, we had designed a thousand pages for print. We decided that a large-format, high-quality printed book is still the best platform today for delivering this kind of content - particularly our photographs and illustrated step-by-step procedures - to the majority of the people who will want to use it. Eventually we would like to spend the time and resources to make an e-book edition that offers new and interactive features, but that is a lot of work and is probably a couple years away.

 

I hope Modernist Cuisine will consider the following 1) There are over 1500 recipes just in Modernist Cuisine and more to come when my copy of the second book comes in. 2) The book is amazing but pictures only go so far personally I want to get to the "meat" of the matter and use the books as a reference trouble is they are just too big and for me hard to get around in I find myself searching for things all the time. At work I quit carrying manuals years ago they are all in my Ipad now. 3) Modernist Cuisine is more than a hobby to me I love cooking and I love getting it right and it would be much easier if I could only reference the material in the books easily. 4) the size of the books means anyone who is handicapped is basically cut off from them unless someone can be around to physically open the books for them. 5) The creators of Modernist Cuisine deserve to make money or at least break even on their "labour of love" I actually believe the world is a better place with Modernist Cuisine in it. Yes I feel that strongly about the book and the authors. Well done; I admire you. 6) Hopefully Modernist Cuisine decides to publish a App or a E-Book.

[Anonymous Modernist 12182]

I second the request for an app that allows access to recipes in registered books. Something like Epicurious would be great for creating shopping lists.

[MikeMac]

It's great to see the new App and I look forward to getting it.

Personally I love what modernist cuisine does and to support them I bought every book they have come out with.

But how much do I use them? Frankly not that much they're too big and bulky I read everything on my iPad.

So to hear they come out with an app is great!!

And as a registered user I get to buyer at 50% off until after Christmas is even better.

I guess it goes to show good things come to those who wait.