You can solve a lot of social problems with software though. For example, simply extending an existing interface to one that assists users in matching their subjective taste to others' subjective taste. Goodreads was well known for this. (Edit: I see the cookbook already has at least one subjective-qualitative enhancement in the form of the Featured Recipes list)
Also we can be pretty critical here on HN but I see no reason why Wikibooks must be judged without reference to its potential--not only is it already helpful to some, for various reasons all along the long tail, but perhaps it's just a few tweaks away from even greater functionality. Critiques too often impart the idea that the current experience is lacking _and therefore_ needs complete replacement by e.g. "a website that..." when the existing efforts at least show potential in terms of humans being willing to work together productively toward building a generous resource. That's really something.
In this particular case, the resource has been around since 2004, and is part of the wikimedia network. So I highly doubt any of the wants I mentioned will get implemented if it hasn't already.
A new website/app doesn't have to deal with old stuff so it's free to innovate its UX, ideas, etc. I also don't like the idea of not using existing work, but sometimes that's better than trying to adapt a system to do something completely opposite to its original goals.
I don't intend to be quite critical, but as an amateur cook I just don't see the need for this. Traditional cookbooks + reading a book like Ratio by Michael Ruhlman will serve your time far better in my opinion.
Also we can be pretty critical here on HN but I see no reason why Wikibooks must be judged without reference to its potential--not only is it already helpful to some, for various reasons all along the long tail, but perhaps it's just a few tweaks away from even greater functionality. Critiques too often impart the idea that the current experience is lacking _and therefore_ needs complete replacement by e.g. "a website that..." when the existing efforts at least show potential in terms of humans being willing to work together productively toward building a generous resource. That's really something.