My Picks for the Best Recipe Sites on the Web

I am a recipe and cookbook nut, and a self-avowed foodie. I love food in all forms, and unfortunately have to work hard to keep my waist line from showing it. I have two large bookshelves filled with cookbooks, and the cookbook shelf is the first place I stop when I visit a bookstore.

Recently, I have discovered that the web is also a great place to browse through thousands of interesting recipes. I love to take a break and cruise through the reviews - and search by specific ingredients. I also find the web a great place to go if you are in a hurry to figure out the answer to the everyday question, "What's for dinner?"

My absolute favorite is Recipezaar - a site that allows you to quickly search by Cuisine, Course, Ingredient, Diet, Occasion, or Preparation (crockpot, baked, etc). You can also save your favorites to a Cookbook, and browse the Cookbooks others have selected. This site lets you sort the recipes that come up by ratings, and users leave ratings and comments on each item. I love it because I can pick the top rated recipes and make something wonderful quickly - after sorting by ingredient based on what I have in my cupboard.

One of my family's favorites is a recipe for Italian Meatloaf I found on Recipezaar, that has a nice topping made from catsup and brown sugar. Another great choice is Pork Yum-Yum, originally from the Orlando Sentinal.

Yet another great recipe site, for real foodies, is Epicurious. This site is sponsored by Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazine, so many of the recipes are more well suited for company and entertaining. Check the Quick and Easy tab to find fare suitable for busy worknights. Each recipe comes with a picture, so you can see what you are making before you start.

All Recipes has tons of kid friendly recipes, and also offers reviews on each. Today, the home page pops up with a mouth watering photo of Peanut Butter Muffins, which is one I just HAVE to try! And one clever member has cloned the Cinnabon - which is another on my list for a weekend morning. This site has a search box to allow you to find side dishes that go well with your selected recipe, another time saver.

As I look at my cookbook collection, I am realizing that bulky cookbooks are a thing of the past. Am I ready to part with them? Not just yet.