By Amanda Ferrara, Student at New York University

With the new year fast approaching (and New Year’s resolutions beginning), I am sure many of you are ready to start 2012 off right with changes to your diets or cooking skills. No matter if you are a converted vegetarian, a dedicated meat eater, someone looking to adapt to a healthier diet, a student new to the kitchen or a chef looking for new ideas, I have the website for you!

FoodPair is a helpful website that I was recently introduced to and spent some time exploring. The website has tons of recipes to try out and a blog to read that has some good tips such as how to ripen fruits and vegetables and holiday meal planning advice. However, the best feature of this website is the extensive search options to find that perfect recipe.

By clicking the search tab at the top of the site, you will be able to filter your search by number and types of ingredients, simplicity of the recipe, type of meal  and any diet restrictions. I began by selecting vegetarian, low fat and main dishes as my search filters. I found some really delicious-sounding recipes to try later this week such as Ravioli with Sautéed Zucchini and then changed my search to find Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes for dessert!

I also decided to register on FoodPair (it’s free!) and I was able to add these recipes to a list that I can easily access at any time. Registered users also gain the benefit of being able to "lock" filters so that FoodPair will remember dietary considerations each time the user searches for recipes. Another feature worth mentioning is the "discover related recipes" section that appears at the bottom of each selected recipe. You will be able to see a display of suggestions of recipes that are similar to the one that you are currently viewing. The Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes led me to a multitude of recipes such as Peanut Butter Caramel Bars and Frozen Hot Chocolate!

Overall, I was really impressed with FoodPair. With the detailed filtering and the ability to save recipes, I know that I am definitely going to be using the website as a main source for finding new meals and snacks to prepare in 2012. Now off to make some ravioli and frozen hot chocolate!

[Image from FoodPair]