Food at nexus of new social networking site

Think of it as the cook's version of Facebook.

A free social networking Web site launched just weeks ago by a Madison, Wis., couple offers a place to share recipes and cooking tips with friends and family, and to stay connected over food.

Sharecipe.com asks users to create a profile and then build a network of friends in the same manner as Facebook. The profile includes basic facts and "fun facts," such as favorite book, favorite quote, favorite restaurant, favorite food and favorite vacation destination.

Once you create a profile, you can search for friends already in the network and begin sharing recipes. You also can invite others to join.

"The goal is to be a place where people can share recipes with families and friends - people you already are connected with," said Alex Colbert, who founded the site with his wife, Katie. "We think there's a market for people to share recipes that have connections with the people in their life. This isn't a place to make friends or randomly search for recipes."

The shared recipes could be Grandma's potato salad, or the fabulous tart you sampled at a friend's dinner party. You can post photos when you add a recipe. You can post cook's notes to share the story behind the recipe.

Recipes may be posted as private, so only the people you want to see them may view them.

"It's simple to look at and to use," said Colbert, whose mother-in-law, Sandra Thompson of Madison, inspired the Web site's clean design.

The Colberts want people with all levels of computer aptitude to be able to use sharecipe.com, said Alex, who is 35.

"The idea started because when we were living in San Francisco, Katie and her mom would send recipes back and forth via e-mail," he said.

They realized a Web site also could help their friends all over the country stay connected through their passion for food.

Unlike Facebook, sharecipe.com does not allow you to post a current status such as "cooking a five-course meal for 20 close friends." But it does allow you to share the recipes and photos of all five courses so your mom can view them, or your dinner guests can relive the fun.

Here's an added bonus: If you forget your grocery list, once you arrive at the store, you can look up the recipe at sharecipe.com using your BlackBerry.

You could even show the neighbor you run into at the store a photo of what you're making for dinner.