This site provides an easy-to-use search feature. By checking off a series of boxes, you indicate the type of dish, main ingredients, calorie range, and preparation time for your ideal recipe. Another check box is available to request vegetarian recipes. If you were looking for a quick pasta dish, for example, you click in the box next to "Main dish," with "Pasta" as the main ingredient, and a preparation time of "30 minutes or less." After you click on the "Search" button, the matching recipes are displayed. Simply click on the recipe name that interests you to view the recipe details, complete with a photograph.

Although some sites have vegetarian options built in (like the HomeArts Recipe Finder, above), vegetarian-related sites are also good recipe sources. Whether you're a vegetarian or not, you should check out the recipe directory from this site! There are nearly 2700 vegan recipes, including "Addictive Bean Dip" and "Amazing Everlasting Starving Student Vegetable Soup." You can browse by category, alphabetically, or conduct a search. If you become a "member" (for an optional $15 membership fee), you'll have access to the weekly meal planner, grocery list, and recipe exchange features.

If you want to re-create your favorite recipes at home, two web sites can help.

Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes on the Web provides "kitchen clones of America's favorite brand-name foods." The top secret recipes include copycats for The Cheesecake Factory® Pumpkin Cheesecake, McDonald's® Big Mac® Sauce, and Pancakes from International House of Pancakes®, along with more than 40 others. Each week, Todd adds a new recipe.

CopyKat Recipes re-creates meals from restaurants like Benihana's, Bennigan's, and the Olive Garden. Recipes at this site are rotated on a monthly basis – more than 60 are currently available.

Campbell's Creative Kitchen mimics the index cards in your recipe file. You can search for a recipe, store it in your own "online recipe box," add recipe ingredients to your shopping list, and access cooking tips and nutrition information.

To begin, scroll down and click on "Custom Recipe Search," then choose the category, ingredients, and preparation time you desire. You can also look for specific recipes, or indicate Campbell's products you'd like to use. Pictures are available for some of the recipes, so you can see the finished product.

Visit YumYum.com for the sheer number of recipe choices -- 20,000! The search is simple -- just enter a word from the recipe title, select a category, and click on the search button.

Or, if you prefer to browse, use the YumYum Archives. The ingredient format may take some getting used to, but the extensive recipe selection is worth it.

CookieRecipe.com is cookie heaven! This site currently offers access to a growing database of over 650 cookie recipes, from Basic Brownies to Better Than Sex Cookies. Check out the Cookie of the Day, the top ten recipes of the week, and or play "recipe roulette."

Cookie recipes are available by category, alphabetically, or through an ingredient search. As part of the site's recipe exchange, you may also share or request recipes.

Meals Online offers a collection of 10,000 recipes. As an on- line "chef," you plan a complete meal by building your menu one course at a time (soup, bread, beverage, salad, appetizer, main dish, side dish, dessert).

Click "Let's Get Cooking" to begin. You choose the theme (barbecue, gourmet, casual dining, etc.), the number of servings, and the type of cuisine. You can also indicate low fat, low calories, low sodium, or low cholesterol.

Your recipe choices are displayed along with the preparation and cooking times, calories and total fat per serving. You can then review the detailed recipe, which includes additional nutrition data. Free registration provides extra features, such as a personal online recipe box and e-mail access to their staff of dietitians.

Sound yummy? What are you waiting for? Turn up the heat and get cooking!