Tag: Eating »

Cooking is one of the most valuable life skills out there. It's also one that's very easy to miss out on for too long. Cooking Basics is an app that teaches its users the absolute basics (right down to how to mash potatoes properly) while also offering some great recipe ideas. These ideas can easily be applied elsewhere, too, ensuring that users have the foundations to be great cooks.

Laid out much like an interactive book, Cooking Basics is easy to browse. Its introduction offers up a series of class for learning the basics. These include lessons on how to set up the kitchen appropriately, how to chop safely, and how to measure accurately. In many of the cases, tasty recipes are used to illustrate a point as well as immediately teach the user how to prepare certain meals.

Delving further into the app demonstrates how much more information is contained within. A series of basic tutorials cover simple things like how to tell if pasta is cooked and how to peel fruits and vegetables effectively. It's all then reinforced by the huge selection of recipes. There's no fine-dining here, it's all about typical meal ideas that people would actually want to cook regularly.

All kinds of scenarios are covered here, from breakfast to supper and with plenty of light snacks in between. It's a great mix that covers loads of ground. Each recipe is clearly described with step by step instructions ensuring users know what they're doing at all times, as well as focuses placed on specific techniques. A shopping list feature as well as timer settings make things all the simpler. When it comes to identifying a specific leaf or vegetable, the app clearly labels them so it's easy to learn as one goes along.

Using various different forms of media, from videos, audio clips to images and text, Cooking Basics is an ideal starting point for beginners. There are great recipes for experienced cooks too, but I'd lean towards only truly recommending this to newbies, given the price. Nothing quite beats the satisfaction of cooking a great meal all by one's self and it beats takeout or ready meals easily. For $7.99, this is a great, fun and healthy step to take for the apprehensive chef.

Donkeys and Elephants: Chow Down is a colorful, cartoony iOS game about munching fruit with an ever-growing donkey/elephant (Donkeys and Elephants, get it?). It also uses a database to track player animal choices and scores, then tallies them to create a global score and potentially predict the outcome of the 2012 election. Stiven Deleur and his father have been hard at work with updates and a kickstarter project since the game's release, and have just recently "paired with a starting company" that's taken a big interest and will potentially have a significant impact on their success. I had a few questions for the young developer, naturally.

You'd mentioned that you decided to use Corona for coding over C++ and Xcode. What was it about Corona that drew you in?
Well my first encounter with app developing was when I heard about a young person who made an iOS app, so I decided to try. I briefly looked online but the Objective-C language seemed fairly hard. There also weren't many tutorials or explanations. A couple months later my dad proposed making an app, and he told me about corona. I decided to check it out. On their website there were lots of tutorials, guides, and even explanations to every function etc. After seeing that I thought that I could definitely make a game.

I imagine that, even with how easy it was to get started, there were some stumbling blocks. Were there any aspects to the app development process that gave you more trouble than others? Any that still give you trouble?
Everything seemed new and complicated at that time. But the major stumbling block was that corona has limitations. Not all services are available (e.g. ads, game networks, etc.) I always had to work around it somehow. Even now I can't do everything I want.

The Donkeys vs. Elephants political theme is obviously a focus here, so I have to ask: Donkey or Elephant?
I currently do not have a very strong view, but if I had to choose it would be Elephant.

And while we're on the subject, was it difficult for you to create a game with a political focus that didn't seem to "take sides?"
As I said I don't have strong views so the app is not bias in either way. Still, I tried to make sure everything was equal.

Have there been any items or upgrades that you've wanted to add to the store but just haven't been able to due to balancing/time constraints/whatever?
Well one thing that I have been thinking about are clothes for the characters. It would take about two weeks of work, but currently I am working on other things so I cannot make it happen just yet.

What's your personal favorite upgrade?
My favorite upgrade is coin multiplier! Even though its not cheap, its worth every credit because you gain money faster and can get more and more upgrades.

I also have to know: between you and your father, who's got the highest score?
Of course I have the highest score :) It might be because I spend so much time testing the game, or because I know exactly how it works. Either way I am beating him by a lot!

Tracking player scores across the world and tallying them up must require a fair bit of work. Was it easier or tougher than you'd expected when you first came up with the idea?
Tracking player scores is actually not that hard. Its not like we hand count them (that would be hard-core!) The scores just get sent to an online database, and then they just get added up. To make that system I had to learn how to use mySQL databases, as well as a little bit of PHP.

I was also wondering, were there any plans to separate the data by region? What I mean is, seeing who prefers what on a global scale is definitely cool, but when it comes down to US elections the folks in other parts of the world don't really have a say. So is there a chance that Donkeys and Elephants: Chow Down might give the totals for the US specifically, as well as the global data?
In the next update the data will be also separated by state. Currently the application is targeted for the 2012 US elections, so the data is not displayed about the rest of the world. However, they can still enjoy the game and be a part of the global score. If the game is a success then that feature will definitely be considered.

So how impressed are your classmates? I imagine there aren't a whole lot of iOS developers sharing a homeroom with you.
Most of my classmates couldn't believe it. I had to show them the app, and my name in the credits.

Once you've finished with Donkeys and Elephants: Chow Down, are you planning to dive right back in and work on another game or take a little breather? And if you are planning a new game, would you care to share any details?
I will still work on applications, mainly improving this one, but I wont focus all of my time on it. I am starting my freshmen year in next week, so I will need to do lots of school work. There are no plan for the next app yet, but it will definitely come

Donkeys and Elephants: Chow Down is available now for $0.99.

FoodMafia might be a threatening sounding name but it's one that food fans should remember. Based on the website of the same name, FoodMafia is a new app that has dining recommendations made up of chefs, food lovers, food bloggers, food critics, and industry professionals.

Users can check out all the best restaurants nearby them, with ratings and reviews from some of the most experienced foodies out there. Wherever you happen to be, FoodMafia hopes to track down ideal food hotspots, which can then be filtered by price, cuisine and rating. Uniquely, rating is divided into two categories comprising of regular members and FoodMafia approved members, ensuring that such reviews can be trusted.

FoodMafia promises to be a cut above the rest when it comes to recommending great places for a tasty meal.

The app is currently free, with the price rising to $1.99 next month, so this is the ideal time to check it out.

Visiting London at the moment, possibly for the Olympics? Or just happen to visit London and in need of some restaurant suggestions? Well, you're in luck! The Tatler Restaurant Guide 2012 has recently been released offering an eclectic guide to the best restaurants in London, with a small handful located outside of the capital.

Everything from classic restaurants to stylish and new eateries are catered for here, with plenty of hidden gems for those who want to discover something a little different.

Users can search according to name, location, cuisine, editor's favorites, or simply consult the map for inspiration. Information such as what to expect to pay is included as well as suggestions as to whether dressing up beforehand is essential.

There's social network sharing courtesy of Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, plus users can email details to others. GPS functionality completes the app with it easy to find directions to a restaurant.

Tatler Restaurant Guide 2012 is out now and is currently free to download. It's normally priced at $1.99.

Guess what, America? There are people who really don’t crave burgers, steaks, and gobs of meat for every meal. There are people who don’t even eat food that contain products that come from animals of any sort. This group of people runs under the Vegan flag. Those of you curious about trying this lifestyle should continue reading.

21-Day Vegan Kickstart is an app geared toward folks looking to jump onto the vegan bandwagon, or just take a gander at what the eating lifestyle is like. The app sports step-by-step recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even a snack. The recipes are easy to read and offer a decent variety of fine dining choices.

Here is where the problem lies in the app. The description goes on to comment about improving and regaining your health. That statement makes it sound like the rest of us are all living some atrocious life style of eating sin. This just rubs me all kinds of the wrong way.

Eating a vegetarian meal can be just as healthy as eating a vegan friendly course. Both of these can be just as healthy as eating a fat slab of slowly cooked prime rib. What makes it healthy is how people live their lives and what they do to burn off those calories from the prime rib.

The benefit to this app is it gives some pretty easy and simple recipes for people to follow. Even if you are not considering a vegan lifestyle, some simple meals are presented that take almost no time to prepare. Just perfect for today’s non-stop running around society.

The app is currently free and available for the iPhone. Regardless of your dietary preferences, there is sure to be something in here to suit just about anyone’s taste buds. Why not give it a look and see just what your taste buds have been missing all along?

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