Web Spy: Yummly

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, TFLN…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Dad's on Vacation, Covet, and Any Clip) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

I love to cook, but sometimes I have trouble trying to figure out what to make–I get sick of the same old recipes over and over, and there are times when nothing sounds good.  Thankfully, I’ve discovered Yummly, a site that helps me find recipes based on what I feel like eating…. or more realistically, what I’ve got in my fridge.

Yummly is part search engine, part foodie community–and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

The site’s front page contains a giant search box (the “FoodFinder”) that asks simply, “What are you in the mood for?”  Type in “cookies,” and 13,806 recipes come up.  You can then narrow down your results by using Yummly’s extensive filters, which include: course or meal, ingredient like & dislike (for example, you can choose to see only recipes that include chocolate, but not nuts), type of cuisine (such as American, Chinese, Italian, etc.), diet and allergy restrictions (such as vegan or gluten-free), nutrition (calories, fat, cholesterol, and carbohydrate levels), price and time involved, the recipe’s source, and taste (such as sweet, savory, bitter, sour, or salty).

Once you find a recipe you like, you can click on it to get the ingredient list and directions, as well as nutrition information and options to save the recipe to your favorites and share it with friends.  You can also edit the recipe by adding or substituting ingredients (and view other’s variations) and add your own pictures.

In order to save and edit recipes, however, you’ll need to create a profile.  On your profile, you can add  info about your favorite types of foods and cuisines and find and friend people with similar tastes (“TasteBuds”).  Also, Yummly learns your what you like based on your favorite recipes and your searches, and then offers customized recommendations on your profile.

I just can’t get over how cool Yummly is! It will totally change the way we all eat (meaning, no more boring grilled cheese 5 nights a week) and expose us to tons of new foods we never new existed.

My belly thanks you, Internet.