Help

This page contains guides that will get you started with the main features of The Kitchen Wall such as adding recipes and using the sites main features. There is also an FAQ section to answer common queries.

Look out for these boxes when using The Kitchen Wall as they contain helpful tips and pointers.

Add a recipe

We have tried to make adding a recipe intuitive and quick. Here we cover the steps in more detail.

Cuisine/Locale

Use this drop down list to select a cuisine type. Try to use the correct cuisine and if possible avoid using the 'other' cuisine choice as 99% of the time there is a more appropriate option.

Quick Description/Intro

Try to add something interesting, like a fact about the recipe or what drinks you might recommend to accompany it.

Photo

Choose a photo from your computer and click the upload button to submit your image. Adding an image to your recipe makes its look far more attractive for other users and may persuade someone to try it! Medium to large sized images are best. The width of the page makes a good rough guide, anything over half this width will look great on the site.

Adding ingredients

Put lines of ingredients in the boxes, you'll probably need more than the three provided to simply click 'Add more boxes' to create some more. If the ingredients you are adding is not already in the database then you will be prompted to add it. Simply enter the ingredients (for examples for '1 tbsp maple syrup' you would type 'maple syrup' in the box), choose the category and click submit. When adding an ingredient please take extra care to choose the correct category (the 'Other' category reserved for wildcard ingredients such as 'Bamboo skewers').

Add Instructions

The recipe instructions are added in much the same way as the ingredients; add new boxes as required. Don't be afraid to space out instructions into separate boxes, check other recipes for a good guide.

Credit

This box lets you credit the original author if the recipe is not your own or if you have taken it from another source.

Tags

Tags make for better search results and better integration with The Kitchen Wall's many features. Add as many tags as you want!

Diet check boxes

Please try and tick the appropriate boxes, if you aren't sure what one of them means below are some brief definitions:

  • Vegetarian - The recipe contains no meat products though may contain eggs and dairy products (eg. cheese, cream, milk)
  • Vegan - The recipe contains no meat products whatsoever
  • Gluten free - Free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat (including Kamut and spelt), barley, rye, oats and triticale
  • Nut-Free - The recipe contains no nuts or nut products

Add a restaurant

We have tried to make adding a restaurant intuitive and quick. Here we cover the steps in more detail.

Description

The description will be visible on the restaurant page so try to write a summary of the restaurant without writing a review.

Cuisines

Select up to three types of cuisine that best describe the restaurant (for example 'Indian' and 'Nepalese').

Contact Details

Use these boxes to fill in any contact information available.

Address

Use these boxes to fill in the location of the restaurant. Many personalised features depend on these details so try to fill them out accurately

Facilities and Tags

Displayed are the most used tags for convenience, select all that apply to your restaurant and add any more you can think of.

Use the nutrition calculator

To use the nutritional calculator select a meal from the nutrition menu and then simply drag and drop the items of food onto the plate.

The graph will update itself to show what percentage of your GDA the meal provides. The graph itself stops at around 130% so if the meal goes off the graph then it might be time to take a look at some alternatives!

Use the My Fridge feature

The Fridge area allows you to add items you have at home in your cupboard and fridge to a virtual fridge. From this you can view suggestions based on the contents of your fridge and see what recipes you can make.

Adding an item

To add an item to the fridge area type it into the box on the My Fridge page, as you are typing the options below should update to save you the effort of typing it out in full. Once you have chosen your item simply click to submit it, the item should now display below.

Removing an item

To remove an item from the fridge go to the My Fridge page. In thumbnail view (see below for information on view types) hover over the image you want to delete and click the 'delete' button. In text view simply click the red cross next to the item.

Changing the view type

The fridge can be viewed in thumbnail view or text view. Text view is best for fridges with many items while thumbnail view can make it easier to find items. To switch between them simply click the 'Change View' buttons at the bottom of the fridge.

Changing the search results

On the fridge search results/recipe suggestion page the contents of your fridge is displayed, each item has a checkbox. Untick items that you don't want to use and the search should update appropriately.

Use the My Garden feature

The garden area acts as a planner for a garden or allotment project. Add all the plants you wish to grow in the future and throughout the year you will be told when and how to sow, plant and harvest your crop! When a plant is ready for harvest you will also be given suggestions on what to make with it. The garden area also gives you gardening tips unique to your garden as well as allowing you to submit your own.

Adding plants to My Garden

To add a plant to your garden click the 'Add item to growing area' button at the top of the growing area, this will take you to the add plant page. Use the add box to enter types of fruit and vegetables then click the 'add' button to add them.

Removing a plant from the growing area

To remove a plant you need to go to the 'Add a plant' page. The 'Add a plant' page lists all the items in your garden, simply click the red delete icon to remove a plant (any plant removed easily be added back).

Checking off tasks

Once you have completed sowing, planting or harvesting an item tick the box at the bottom of its seed pack to move it into the completed items box. This makes it easier to see what tasks have been completed and what is left to do.

Adding gardening tips

To add a gardening tip click the name of the vegetable on its seed pack, this will take you to the plant page. If you are logged in you should be able to scroll down the page and add tips. The tip start/tip end boxes decide when the tip will be shown to people so if the tip is about avoiding winter frosts restrict the dates appropriately!

FAQ's

How do I edit my own comment?

If you are logged in you can edit your comments by clicking on the existing text and making changes. Clicking out of the box automatically saves any changes made.

How do I edit my recipe?

If you are logged in then an option to edit your recipe should appear underneath the shelf, click edit to go to the recipe edit page. Remember to click the 'Save changes' button at the bottom of the page, to discard changes you have made simply click away from the page without saving.

Notice Board

Restaurants

Head over to our restaurant area to find pubs, take-aways and restaurants in your area.

Picnic weather

Check out our Summer Recipes, we recommend the Pimm's Jellies!

Recipe Box

See a recipe you like? Save recipes to your recipe box..

Garden Area

Planning to grow your own fruit and veg? Choose a plant and follow our step by step guide.