June 11, 2012 | Best of the Food Web, Informational

I’m leaving today to take a group of women and their daughters on a cooking trip to Italy, one of my very favorite activities in life! I’ll be blogging from the road a few times, but to hold you over today I’m happy to welcome Jane Johnson with this guest post.

Foodies can savor the fact that when it comes to recipe apps, there are thousands of delectable options! In my humble opinion, however, the very best food apps are created by chefs themselves—and who better to trust than the likes of domestic diva Martha Stewart, sizzling chef Jamie Oliver, the spicy likes of Mario Betali, New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman, and the grill masters at Weber Grills? So when my hubby and I went looking for a great app, you better bet we looked for guidance from the food greats via their very own smart phone applications.

Each one of the following five cooking apps have been tried and tested by popular food personalities. Not only do they feature the very best gourmet recipes from the experts—they also cull from their experience to include all the little cooking extras—like audio instructions, food prep tips, video guidance, intuitive shopping lists, and nutritional facts. If you want to cook like a pro and are searching for an app, get it from one of these pros:

Martha’s Everyday Food ($0.99 – for iPhone)

I’ve learned two very important facts in life—if you want to know how to fix a lawnmower with nothing but a bit of masking tape and a coat hanger, I ask my father, however, if I want to learn how to whip up an awe-inspiring holiday meal that will knock the socks off my family (even my snobby cousin Erika) I turn to Martha Stewart! The domestic diva shares her most scrumptious table art (and I’m talking about her beautiful meals complete with DIY center pieces) with her Martha’s Everyday Food app. Each morning you’ll be greeted by a new recipe. In each message, Martha imparts her wisdom for creating a meal that looks like a million bucks with very little effort. Each recipe includes instructions, beautiful pictures, and a shopping list (broken down by aisle).

Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals ($7.99 – for Android)

I’ve always wanted the Naked Chef in my kitchen—and now I turn to my smart phone whenever I need some of his cheeky cooking guidance. The Jamie Oliver’s 20 Minute Meals app dishes out 60 hearty recipes complete with detailed, step-by-step written and audio cooking instructions, visual inspiration in the form of pictures and short video clips, and even kitchen advice—such as how to properly chop an onion without crying every single time.

Mario Batali Cooks ($9.99 – for iPhone)

If you want to master spicy Italian cooking, you listen to the guy wearing shorts and orange Crocs (Batali’s signature wardrobe). Celebrity chef Mario Batali serves up his 60 favorite recipes in a sleek, stylish, intuitive app that oozes machismo. Each recipe sizzles with step-by-step instructions, photos, and even videos that will turn kitchen newbies into kitchen wizards faster than you can say “fettuccine”! And like all good Italian chefs, Mario’s advice doesn’t end with dinner—he offers up the perfect wine pairings with every meal idea.

How to Cook Everything ($4.99 – for iPhone)

The other day I was looking up a little-heard-of delicacy called “squab” (little did I know it referred to pigeon) and believe it or not I found it on the How to Cook Everything app. Like its title suggests, this app will teach you how to cook just about anything your tummy desires. It offers a database of over 2,000 recipes from the pages of New York Time’s food writer, Mark Bittman, and his cookbook of the same title. As far as cooking instructions go, this app is about as detailed as they come. Plus, it features a handy integrated cooking timer and shopping list that will automatically populate your list with the ingredients for your chosen recipe.

Weber’s On the Grill ($4.95 – for Android)

If you’re serious about grilling meat like my husband is, than nothing but Weber will do. The Weber’s On the Grill app features over 250 illustrated recipes with pictures that will make your mouth water in anticipation. But it doesn’t just focus on red meat, no this app will have you firing up the grill for fish, grilled portabella mushroom caps, zucchini, and asparagus, and even dessert! Plus, to ease you into summer cooking, you’ll get a collection of Weber’s very own how-to grilling articles.

Jane Johnson is a writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone related news, and commentary as well as reviews on popular providers and their products like T-Mobile top Android phones.