As a food blog, we are always interested in finding other cooking and food Websites to peruse for kitchen ideas.  We recently found Recipe Key.  This Website can help you find recipes based on the ingredients available in your kitchen, level of cooking difficulty, and time spent creating the dish.  It can also be used as a means of social networking. 

We spoke with staff at Recipe Key to learn more about this Website.

How is Recipe Key going to distinguish itself from other social network sites?
Recipe Key is a social network with a twist.  The Recipe Key website aims to distinguish itself from other social network sites by giving its users in the online community a practical and everyday useful service.  By offering the ability to gain cooking insight from peers, learn about new recipes from fellow community members, and rate recipes posted by other users, Recipe Key is the first site to bring social networking to the kitchen.  The website’s innovative searching method allows users to search for recipes based on ingredients they already have in their kitchens, and helps users to discover a world of cooking possibilities

What marketing plans do you have to launch Recipe Key?
As the website is in its early stages, but already open to the public, we are utilizing a grassroots marketing strategy to spread the word about Recipe Key.  Through an extensive email campaign, strategic online forum discussions, and personalized word-of-mouth advertising, Recipe Key is steadily gaining exposure on the web.  We plan to continue this strategic approach while adding a stronger online advertisement component in the near future.  Our marketing goal is to establish partnerships with other websites in order to gain exposure cooperatively. 

What future features do you envision adding to Recipe Key?
We are currently working on the development of several new features for the site, including a tutorial video library called Countertop Companion.  These videos will guide users through various recipes and give the user the ability to cook along with the video.  This level of interaction on the website will more closely connect a user to the online community by allowing the user to comment on the video tutorials, give suggestions, and rate the videos usefulness.  We are also working on expanding the functionality of the Dietary and Allergy Restrictions so that in the future, a user will be able to input his or her personal allergies and Recipe Key will only produce search results within that user’s restrictions.  Another “Coming Soon!” feature to the site is the ability to substitute ingredients in specific recipes.  When a user finds that he doesn’t have a certain ingredient listed in a recipe, he will be able to see what other ingredients can act as substitutes for that original ingredient.  Recipe Key is committed to listening to the comments, suggestions, and recommendations from the website’s users.  We’ve created a public forum on the site that allows users to connect with other users, and also connect with us as the founders.  We monitor the forum daily in order to maintain constant contact with our users and their concerns.

Read more about Recipe Key.

Yesterday was a big sport games day in our household. Between our favored football team’s game at 4:00 and the World Series at 8:30, there was going to be a lot of time spent watching tv and eating snacks.

We created a menu that would please all of the eaters. There were homemade pita chips, veggies, and Southwest dip. We had a tray of fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, capicola, and melba rounds. Finally, cocktail shrimp rounded out our menu, as it was easier than cooking shrimp.  Unfortunately, when we did our shopping, we thought we had cocktail sauce at home. To my dismay, there was none to be found in the refrigerator or the pantry.

A creamy ginger wasabi sauce was produced as a replacement. However, I knew that wouldn’t work for all of the eaters. Thinking about various ingredients that were available, I arrived at a recipe that sounded tasty and would be quick to make. The shrimp dip was well-received and should become a requested snack item.  As a note, this recipe can be made with other jellies, such as boysenberry or black currant jelly.

Fruity Cocktail Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves	1 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce, depending on taste
Shop for all of These Ingredients At Home with Safeway
Combine ketchup and preserves in a microwavable bowl. Cover, place in microwave, and cook on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Return to microwave for additional cooking until mixture is smooth. Add hot sauce and stir well. Cover and chill for 2 or more hours. Serve cold with shrimp.

———————————————————————————–

Related Item for Your Review:

Dansk 3.75-in. Parallax Dipping Bowl, BlueFor dips, condiments, a helping of tasty nuts and so much more. Since 1889 the vision of Walter Scott Lenox has guided Lenox to set the highest standards for quality, artistry, and beauty. Today Lenox is among the world’s oldest and most respected names in fine tableware and giftware — favored by presidents, displayed in museums, honored with awards, and enjoyed in homes across America.

I had planned on going to dinner after a busy afternoon of homework and music lessons for kids. However, as I was getting ready for work that morning I decided that it would be far nicer to come home for a meal. Looking at the options in my freezer and cupboard, I quickly created an easy recipe.

With the chill of fall in the air, using the crockpot was my first choice. I had a package of boneless pork loins that I could defrost in a pinch. Having been to a local farmstand the previous weekend, I had apples and cider. From there I pondered what sort of flavors I would want to add. A sliced yellow onion would balance the sweetness of the cider. Plus, some cinnamon for both flavor and scent.

I was able to assemble my meal in the crockpot in less than 15 minutes, which paid off later. As we arrived home from our afternoon’s activities, the house was filled with wonderful aroma of pork, apples, and cinnamon. Even though I know the crockpot didn’t heat up the kitchen, the house felt very warm and welcoming.

While backpacks and lunchboxes were emptied, I quickly steamed some broccoli. Within minutes of arriving home, we were settled down to a simple yet filling meal. Why would I ever have considered eating out when dinner was this easy?

Easy Fall Pork
2 pounds boneless pork loins1 baking apple 1 yellow onion	3/4 cup apple cider1 chicken bouillon cube 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Shop for all of These Ingredients At Home with Safeway
Place pork loins in crockpot. Core apple and cut into thick slices. Cut onion into rings. Place apple slices and onion rings on pork. Pour apple cider into microwaveable, glass measuring cup. Add bouillon cube and cinnamon. Place in microwave for 30-60 seconds, long enough to heat cider and allow cube to dissolve. Stir well, and pour over ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.

———————————————————————————–

Related Item for Your Review:

Rival 5-qt. Round Programmable Crock-Pot, WhiteThis 5-quart slow cooker has all the great features of a traditional Crock-Pot by Rival, only now it’s programmable so you can have meals ready when you are, right down to the hour or minute. Features three settings including Serve Setting which it automatically switches to when the set-time is up. Sure-grip handles ensure added comfort and control. Stoneware crock removes for serving, and the Rinse-Clean interior makes doing the dishes a snap.