When a new home cook asks more experienced friends what’s the one true cookbook to have within arm’s reach, the answer is generally Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything (that is, if it’s not Cook’s Illustrated‘s Best Recipe). But at 1,000-plus pages, that thing’s a monster; a pain to lug around or to drag on and off the shelf. The new How to Cook Everything app is more like it. There are sensible browsing categories (most popular, quick dinners), and a simple search interface to help you paw through its 2,000 recipes. One neat feature: When you start on a recipe you can click to start a timer, great for absentminded and/or drunk cooks.

All the information for the app is stored on your phone. You needn’t have a connection to access any of the information, a plus for those watching minutes.

How to Cook Everything, $4.99

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