by W Thomas Payne

Created on: February 13, 2008

The internet has influenced virtually all forms of communication, from cookbooks to nuclear physics. For foodies, the internet has become a delightful tool, with online cookbooks and virtual back fences for sharing recipes to tips on making a perfect souffl. But, has the internet replaced the cookbook? Absolutely not but the internet's influence on cookbooks, and cooking in general cannot be overlooked.

One of the biggest changes in cookbooks since the introduction of the internet to everyday life has been pictures. Bright, vibrant pictures. Pictures for everything from how to separate an egg, to how a finished dish should appear, and how to set the table to serve it in a proper setting. Even old-time cookbooks have introduced pictures into the mix of their offerings, along with their diagrams and illustrations. Web sites can deliver color pictures rapidly and cookbooks have followed suit.

Recipe sharing web sites have proliferated, with models ranging from "free for all takers" to virtual cookbooks, with recipe cards that can be downloaded for a small fee. The internet has created an entire generation of new gourmet cooks. In the past, many the potential chef felt uncomfortable tackling a delicate sauce, or felt "shut out" from trying a wide variety of new dishes by the price of owning the dozens of cookbooks it might require to try so many types of cuisine.

The internet has become an enormous virtual cookbook, providing cooks and foodies the opportunity to find the new and unusual, or new twists on their favorite meals. New information on how to pair wines and beers with food. New ways of presenting the finished dish. A whole world of food to which they might never have had the delight of sampling otherwise.

One thing that the internet has not changed (for most of us) is a need to have the recipe right there in the kitchen with us, with smears of flour and a dollop of sauce on the printed page or card for our favorite recipes. Rarely does a chef relocate their computer to the dangers of food splatters or high temperatures that their kitchen holds, while reading a recipe from the screen.

Cookbooks have changed and evolved with the internet, with cookbooks now being assembled by the cook whether they be compiled by a professional chef, or assembled by the budding gourmand looking for their next taste sensation and food creation. Cookbooks have become a gigantic, worldwide playground for the food enthusiast as a result of the internet.

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