Personal Trainer: Cooking

Nintendo DS

Every now and then, a product hits the market that moves us one step closer to the flying cars and jet-pack future that the 1950s promised us. Sure, it’s only an interactive cookbook, but it smells like progress. With almost 250 recipes, video tutorials and a glossary, Nintendo has taken one more step toward turning its DS gaming system into a life peripheral. The majority of the content is designed for people who need a lot of help in the kitchen, but Nintendo doesn’t pull any punches. Recipes and tutorials represent a wide range of expertise, allowing people to advance in their culinary comfort zone. The one thing missing is the option to move easily between recipes so you can simultaneously cook an entrée, a soup and a couple of side dishes. However, the step-by-step recipes are voice activated so you can move within a recipe without getting flour all over your DS. Featuring an international menu, low-ticket price ($20), the ability to flag food allergies, and a helpful shopping-list feature, your DS may permanently reside next to Betty Crocker instead of Lara Croft.