Importing cookbooks that you have either downloaded from our website or swapped with friends and family is very easy to do. You can simply drop the cookbook on the current cookbook list or use the Import Cookbook option from the context menu available.

If you have downloaded a cookbook from our website Cookbooks page then you will see the cookbooks in your Downloads folder, unless you specified a different location.

To import a cookbook, that you have either downloaded from our website or have been sent by someone, either 'control-click' or 'right-click' on the current cookbook list and select 'Import a Cookbook...' from the context menu.

You will then be presented with the 'Select a cookbook to import' window. This allows you to navigate to the cookbook that you wish to import. When you have selected the cookbook you wish to import, click on the 'Open' button, and the cookbook will be imported and added to the current cookbook list.

You will then be asked if you wish to synchronize the new cookbook. When you receive a new cookbook that someone else created, it may contain categories, origins, types, classifications or measures that you don't already have on file in your CommonInfo datafile. This is the datafile that TheRecipeManager uses when you are searching for recipes. Synchronizing a cookbook finds and copies any of these new items into your CommonInfo datafile, so that they can be used for searching.

We always recommend that you select the 'Synchronize...' button

This will then start the the process which may take a few minutes to run and displays a progress message.

Once completed you will receive a Synchronization Complete message, which details the number of categories, types, origins, classifications and measures that have been added to the CommonInfo datafile. You can select the 'OK' button.

You will then see the imported cookbook open in the current cookbook list.