Six Mobile Apps for Food and Drink

What brings summer to mind than the idea of lots of backyard barbeques, whether you're in your back yard, enjoying a tailgate party or grilling in a park or on the beach? With these food and drink apps, your summertime can be filled with good food and delicious drinks. Invite your friends and share the fun.

Grill-It!

This grill master's dream app categories food by type, and all the recipes that will make your friends jealous are right there at your fingertips. Choose from beef, port, poultry, chicken, side dishes and vegetables, and award yourself the title, Grill Master of 2012! Just open the app, and you get a new recipe each week for free.

Both Android and iOS mobile users, these apps are $0.99 for each platform.

GrillTime

Another grilling favorite, this app for iPhones takes the guesswork out of grilling perfection. Load the type of food and the thickness then set the timer. Sit back, enjoy friends, family and a brew or two. The pop-up will notify when to flip the food and when it's done to perfection.

Cost: $1.99.

Smoothie Recipes

In this iPhone and Android app, you get 120 recipes pre-loaded. No more using your valuable data plan to surf the Internet for that recipe you had once but forgot to write down.

You get not only recipes for some truly delicious smoothies, you also get nutritional information as well, so you can monitor your intake of nutrients and calories if desired.

The iPhone version costs $1.99, but the Android app is free.

Lunchbox

If cooking at home just isn't on your agenda, pull out the Lunchbox app for iPhones, type in the food you're craving, if any specifically, and watch your smartphone offer a list of nearby restaurants that offer the food or food type you want most.

The app also provides reviews, contact information and even directions for navigation.

Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List

This free iPhone app brings dish serving choices from common but well-loved through gourmet cuisine even for the inexperienced cook. There is little that impresses more than a surprise meal of taste-tempting dishes when least expected. If you want to impress someone or even treat yourself but have no cookbooks, Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List comes to the rescue with over 30,000 recipes pre-loaded – complete with shopping list of ingredients, so you'll ever miss that dash-of-something again.

Mixologist Drink Recipes

This $1.00 app for iPhones brings years of drink mixing experience to your mobile phone. If you are hosting a dinner party, a card party or friends and family night, skip the expensive bars: Bring your own well-hidden bartending “skills” to the fore.

List the liquor you have on hand. Choose a selection of drinks, then ensure you have all the ingredients you need for a night at home, serving expert drink mixes.

Enter your drink, read the recipe, pour and serve – That's it. But don't forget to leave the tip jar!

by Jaye Ryan, a freelance author who enjoys writing about mobile apps and entertainment apps for MobilePhones.org.uk.