Food researchers first approached Merlin Media to create a series of CD-ROMs featuring their library of foods, recipes, and culinary research. When it became obvious that it was going to be too large and too cumbersome to update, Food Researchers then asked us to create a website for them.

The result is a site that is under constant construction, and will continue to be "in development' for years to come. Ultimately, it will feature more than 70,000 recipes and 30,000+ terms and definitions along with extensive nutritional and medicinal references as well as a library of other information.

The site is designed to offer subscription access to one of two available areas, that access depending on the level of information the individual or institution needs. Professional chefs, culinary schools and reference institutions typicall subscribe to the Culinary Master area with its additional access to wines, beers and spirits along with professional hints and techniques. The non-professional chef -- or anyone wanting access to one of the most complete libraries of food-based information and recipes,-- can subscribe to the smaller Casual Chef area.

Merlin Media installed a sophisticated Content Management System at the start to allow the creation of a series of reusable templates that can be filled in by the staff of F. R. I. and that automatically builts the site out for them as new information is added. This also allows the F. R. I. staff to create information a single time and in a single place even if it must appear in both of the subscription areas (and be separated by a security system that prevents "cheating' by subscribers). The addition of a self-updating search system means that the 100 or more pages that get added each day are scanned, indexed and available to subscribers to this massive reference site the following day.

Most recipe, definition and food item pages are cross-referenced with direct links and auto-fill search parameters.

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