Frequently Asked Questions

We here at DinnerTool pride ourselves on helping you figure the answer to the nightly question, "What's For Dinner?" To provide as much help as possible, we've improved the site to better help you store your recipes and share with your friends on DinnerTool.

 

Here's a list of frequently asked questions to help you get dinner ready without a fuss. For anything we haven't covered, please email us at feedback@dinnertool.com and we'll answer your question as soon as possible.

 

 

There are two ways to populate your weekly meal planner. If you have particular recipes in mind, search the extensive DinnerTool recipe database and drag and drop recipes onto specific days individually. Or, click the homepage button that says "I'm Feeling Hungry!" and DinnerTool will pre-populate your weekly meal planner for you, making the dinner process quick and easy. Once you're finished, be sure to save and print your meal plan.

 

After exporting your weekly meals into a shopping list, or creating a shopping list from scratch, be sure to save it before printing. You can still go in and edit your list once it is saved, but saving it means that your list is stored as a record by DinnerTool and it will print in a seamless format. Our suggestion? Save your list by date or holiday.

 

 

As a registered DinnerTool user, you'll find that your Profile page contains options to add recipes, photos, friends and meals, connect with friends and get dinner on the table quickly.

 

Each time you upload a new recipe, you have the choice of whether to make it public or private. A PUBLIC recipe will be added to your My DinnerTool page under "My Recipes" and DinnerTool's searchable database. PRIVATE recipes will be added to your My DinnerTool page. Only you will be able to view these recipes, but later on, you can share them with your My DinnerTool friends.

 

Here you'll find all of the recipes you've uploaded onto DinnerTool.com, both public and private. When your DinnerTool friends view your profile, they will be able to see all of your recipes that you have made public, as well as any private recipes that you've shared with them. People who aren't your friends or registered on DinnerTool will see only your public recipes.

 

Here you'll find any recipe on DinnerTool that you have marked as "Saved" in the right rail of that particular recipe. No one will be able to see your saved recipes except for you.

 

This tab will show a list of all the recipes that you have shared with your friends and that they have shared with you. Your friends will also see this list in their "Shared Recipes." You and your friends can also leave notes for one another here!

 

Create an account on DinnerTool.com if you don't have one already. Once logged in, you can invite friends and family to share and recommend recipes via email or Facebook. Click on the "Invite Friends" button on the "DinnerTool Friends" section of your "My Profile" page. Connect either by Facebook Connect, which allows you to select and invite Facebook friends, or enter individual email addresses. A friend request will be sent and once it is accepted you will be able to share recipes with your friends!

 

Whether you tried a new dish or grandma's classic recipe, there are two ways you can share these pics with your inner circle! Upload individual photos onto your My DinnerTool profile page via the "upload photos" button below your profile picture. Click on individual pictures to enlarge them, and scroll through multiple images. Only you and your friends will be able to view these pictures, and this is a great way to showcase your creations! Another way to share your photos on DinnerTool is via one of your own recipes. When you add a recipe to DinnerTool, upload a picture of your meal at the bottom of the form.

 

If you've connected with DinnerTool through Facebook Connect, DinnerTool will automatically add your Facebook profile picture as your default DinnerTool picture. To change it, click the "edit" button above your picture and upload a new one. This will change your DinnerTool profile picture, but not your Facebook profile picture.

 

Make sure you are logged in. As an anonymous user, you won't be able to see any of the saved meals or your friends.

 

After you've logged in to DinnerTool.com, go to the Profile page and click the "edit" button to the righthand side of the My Information section of the page.

 

Sorry to see you go! Any feedback on why you've decided to leave us would be helpful. Tell us at feedback@dinnertool.com. To unsubscribe to the DinnerTool weekly newsletter, login to your account and go to the My DinnerTool profile page. There will be a section at the bottom of this page that says edit your subscriptions; click the edit button and change or delete your preferences.

 

 

Ariane Duarte is the chef/owner of CulinAriane, a four-star restaurant located in Montclair, N.J. She was inspired to cook at a young age by her grandmothers. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, she worked at some of the best restaurants in the country before she and her husband, Michael, opened CulinAriane. A chef contestant on Top Chef Season 5, Ariane has continued her media appearances on the Today Show, Iron Chef, Tyra Banks show and LX New York. While much of her time is spent at her restaurant, she loves spending time with her daughters, ages 12 and 14, especially at the beach.

 

Easy:

If you're just starting out in the kitchen, these recipes are for you. Preparation doesn't extend beyond the most basic kitchen skills, such as slicing, boiling and roasting. Create a terrific meal without the hassle.

 

Budget:

For cost-conscious chefs, these recipes are both delicious and inexpensive to make. The cost is generally no more than $30 per recipe for a serving of six, excluding staple ingredients such as sugar and olive oil.

 

Make Ahead:

Don't want to first start prepping a meal after a long day? Then check out our Make Ahead recipes, all of which can be easily prepared earlier in the day with no compromise on flavor. Just cook and serve!

 

Fast:

When you don't have hours to spend in the kitchen, search our Fast recipes. These delectable dishes only take a total of 60 minutes or less to both prepare and cook!

 

Healthy:

Search for Healthy recipes and you'll only get meals that feature health-conscious ingredients such as vegetables and low fat meats, generally prepared raw, steamed, roasted or grilled. None of our recipes in this category feature sugar, dairy or refined grains.

 

Low Fat:

3g or less of fat per serving.

 

Low Carb:

Less than 40% of the total calories come from carbohydrates.

 

Vegetarian:

Recipe contains no meat, fish, seafood or poultry.

 

Vegan:

Recipe contains no meat, fish or other animal products at all including eggs, dairy products and honey.