Ratatouille's Remy said it best when he pronounced, "This much I know. If you are what you eat, then I only wanna eat the good stuff."
As any self-respecting gourmet will attest, food is one of life's greatest pleasures – and not simply for the act of eating, either. There are so many ways to enjoy the good stuff before taking even the first bite. You can read, discuss, shop, cook, photograph, share and finally enjoy it with the ones you "like" and love. And of course, there's an app for all of that.
Evernote Food (free) helps you keep track of all things culinary, from storing a collection of your most memorable meals, to discovering new recipes and filing all of your old favorites. The app also allows you to discover – and then reserve – a table at the restaurants you're just dying to try.
With more than 2,000 recipes and 400 illustrations, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything ($9.99) app really can teach you just that. The New York Times columnist instructs home cooks on everything they need to know, from kitchen basics to intricate recipes.
Vivino (free) allows you to snap a photo of a wine label to get tasting notes and pricing information in seconds from a database of more than two million wines. You can also interact with fellow oenophiles, rate wines you've tasted and get recommendations based on preferences.
Gordon Ramsay's Cook with Me ($5.99) includes almost 60 recipes with an accompanying video of Ramsay demonstrating each dish. Recipes are organized by category, difficulty, season, ingredient and time.
With more than two million recipes, Foodily (free) is the world's largest social network for recipe sharing. Users can keep track of recipes they love and see what friends are cooking. The app also features recipes from celebrity chefs and bloggers.
The Food.com Every Day is a Food Holiday app (free) finds cause for celebration 365 days a year. Foodies can partake in gourmet holidays such as National Cupcake Day, International Bacon Day and Eat What You Want Day... although that's every day for many of us.
Foodspotting (free) is "a visual guide to good food and where to find it." Instead of reviewing restaurants, the app lets you photograph and share great dishes.
Foodies can search the database by restaurant, dish or location and bookmark future picks too. Foodspotting doesn't allow negative ratings, focusing instead only on dishes people love.
Nigella Quick Collection ($5.99) features more than 100 simple recipes from Lawson, each containing six steps or less. Just like her TV shows and cookbooks, the app is artfully designed and produced, making it one of the most gorgeous apps foodies can indulge in.
With more than 30,000 participating restaurants, OpenTable (free) is the industry leader in online reservations. But the app also features helpful information on the restaurant such as chefs, menus and diner reviews.
Soon, diners even will be able to pay their dinner tab on their mobile phone.
With craft beer and food pairings the new norm, this list wouldn't be complete without a nod to beer buffs. The Untappd app (free) allows enthusiasts to share the brews they love and the places they hang out. Untappd also offers beer recommendations based on what you and your friends have been enjoying.
