FoodieBuddha.com

So yeah, apparently there’s a cookbook for Angry Birds, that ridiculously popular mobile video game.  Officially titled Angry Birds: Bad Piggies’ Egg Recipes, it’s available right now for around $10.  I have absolutely zero idea what could possibly compel a person who plays Angry Birds to want to cook something inspired by the whacky little game, and I have no idea what type of recipes are inside, but that doesn’t mean their on to something.  I just hope we don’t see Resident Evil: 10 Easy Steps on How to Eat Delicious Food and Your Guests.

Scoutmob, the Atlanta-based coupon site, has just joined forces with check-in service FourSquare.  This partnership means that people who use FourSquare’s mobile application (iPhone / Android / Blackberry) can now access Scoutmob’s discounts from within the 4sq app.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, as FourSquare currently offers deals from sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, and Gilt City (just to name a few).  Meanwhile, this is a huge deal for ScoutMob, who offers its services in 13 cities (with seven more marked as coming soon).  As FourSquare has roughly 10 million users and last I heard Scoutmob was under 1 million, this is a whole new piece of exposure for our little Atlanta engine that could.

[via SM blog]

Nearly every home cook I know has a system for organizing their recipes.   Some of my older friends (and a few of the younger one’s as well) use a classic card system.  My mother, for example, has this little open top card box stuffed to the gills with all sorts of recipes.  Some of my other friends, who tend to use cookbooks as their source of inspiration, use a system where by they either dog ear particular recipes of note or they rip the pages from the cookbooks and three-ring binder that shiz.   Under the old school umbrella, I’ve even got a friend – let’s call here Martha – and Martha hasn’t written a recipe down ever.  Seriously – her head is like a freakish memory bank.  It’s like instant Dewey decimal up in there.

The problem with these paper based systems is that they are incredibly difficult to manage.  You have to commit to an underlying organization method (Cuisine type, Main ingredient, type of course).  This can make meal planning incredibly cumbersome (unless you’re Martha of course).

So unless you’re blessed with a particular gift for list management, using technology to keep track of your recipes is incredibly beneficial endeavor.  But choosing a way to store all your stuff electronically can be a daunting task.

Continue reading…

FoodSpotting (link) is a website/phone app that focuses on dish recommendation above and beyond the typical restaurant review.  Around roughly 18-month, the company announced today that they have seen over 1 million mobile app downloads across all platforms (currently android, iOS, and windows 7).

Interestingly, it appears that a good section of people use the service simply to provide themselves with a digital paper trail.  I have a hard enough time what I did last night, let alone last week, so in that respect, I use the app heavily.  Same goes for my under the radar use of things like FourSquare and Gowalla.

In addition to making the announcement, the mobile app received a bit of a facelift with a stronger focus on social appeal and brand-friendliness; and, Read Write Web, a technology blog, has a more in depth write-up that covers the history of the company, some notes about their market saturation, and the competitive landscape for these food porn sites.

Don’t have FS yet? Grab a copy from the  android market / apple store / win7 market.

Earlier today (technically yesterday by the time you read this), I spent some time reading an article on sustainability and seafood, which prompted me to write this little bit on an associated topic: the Monterey Bay Aquarium and their Seafood Watch app (android market/apple store).  The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the leaders in the sustainability discussion as it pertains to seafood.  They have launched a number of initiatives and have a hand in the food served at quite a number of seafood restaurants all over the country.

Project FishMap and the Seafood Watch app is an attempt to take their sustainable seafood recommendations and put them at the tip of your fingers in the most accessible way possible.  The app helps you not only see what seafood (even sushi) they consider ocean-friendly and then helps you find nearby restaurants that are sustainable conscious (or not for that matter).  Last but not least, they crowdsource information so that you can update your findings on the app and let other people know about it.  For those without an iPhone or android, you can use the mobile site.

DOWNLOAD: android market / apple store

More on Sustainable Seafood

Now, as that article by The Passionate Foodie will tell you, sustainability is a hotly debated topic.  It’s been turned into a buzz word and much of the accepted “facts” aren’t really accepted (or even facts).  So while I can’t universally back the list of seafood listed as sustainable, I believe Seafood Watch is a great tool for those looking to educate themselves a little bit more.  For those of you not as technically inclined, you can find pocket guides and online tools on MBA’s website.

While not perfect, the Aquarium’s Seafood watch app is a great start.  The Aquarium has taken great strides to update their information every six-months, so this should be relatively fresh (HA – I made a pun!) information.

For more info on seafood sustainability, take some time to read through a few of the Passionate’s posts on sustainability.  They are in depth, highly informative, and he has a huge TRUST factor in my book.  He never takes anything at face value, and does his best to present a balanced take on whatever the topic at hand is. (show him some @ love)

Moreover, get on the interwebs and start searching.  Learn what sustainability actually is and how it affects (and effects) you.    Here are some good reads:

• The WSJ on picking fish
• Bourdain & Ripert on Sustainable Fish

While this is a food blog, there is no doubt that the techie in me wants to take every opportunity to drop some nugget of wisdom every once in a blue moon.  Today is just such a day.  UrbanSpoon, a social review site for restaurants, just launched an Android version of their popular iPhone app.

For those of you with accounts (like me), you can use the app to login to the site and go about your daily business.  However, the coolest feature doesn’t require an account.  As you’ll see below, they have a slot machine toy.  Shake your phone, and US will suggest a nearby location for you to eat based on neighborhood, cuisine type, and budget.  Pretty slick and I’m glad they’ve ported the application over to the Android ecosystem.

For those of you who are still with me, this only works on Droid and Nexus One phones.  If you’ve got the barcode scanner, here’s the direct link to install:

Download UrbanSpoon:

[via us]

Though slightly off-topic, we here at Foodie Buddha do recognize the symbiotic relationship between drink and morsel.  Hence, this post! 

We all know the feeling.  You’ve had a few too many, you’re either completely elated or totally depressed, and all you want to do is call that person.  Perhaps it’s your wife and you want to tell your you love her (don’t – you’ll sound like an ass), perhaps it’s your significant other (don’t – you’ll sound clingy), or perhaps it’s the one that got away (DEFINITELY don’t – you’ll sound like a dwebe because you are one).

So while we all know these are things we shouldn’t do … we end up knee deep in the shit.  Thankfully, technology is here to help.  Enter The Bad Decision Blocker (website).

So yes, this little phone app is here to prevent you from drunk dialing.  Sadly, it is only available on the evil empires platform…but rest assured, it will probably end up on a phone near you sometime soon.