iHost Thanksgiving is a must-have iPhone app for Thanksgiving hosts.

Remember when using technology to cook Thanksgiving dinner meant a little help from the microwave? We've come a long way. Not only do we have the power of the Internet within arm's reach, but several cooking-related iPhone apps put information even closer: in our pockets.

These 5 iPhone apps will help make Thanksgiving planning and cooking a cinch.

iHost: Thanksgiving .99

Holiday hosting can be so difficult to plan and organize, it took an architect to build the perfect app for it. iHost: Thanksgiving (which really was created by an architect) makes sense out of every detail and keeps it all at your fingertips. Menus, grocery lists, recipes, budget: it's all in one spot, and handy "Need it" and "Got it" options let you see where you stand. iHost Thanksgiving is only .99 at the iPhone apps store --an extra bargain considering you can use the app for party planning year-round.

Whole Foods Market Recipes  Free

A daughter who won't eat anything with a face? An uncle with a bad heart? A sister who's currently gluten-free? This free iPhone app from Whole Foods Market helps you cater to special diets with ease, and also filters recipes based on difficulty, budget and kid-friendliness. The helpful "On-Hand" feature lets you find recipes using ingredients you already have, which is perfect for last-minute menu additions.

Food Substitutes  2.99

Nothing makes you want to pull your hair out more than mixing up something like cake batter to discover midway that you have no baking powder. On the morning of Thanksgiving, the last thing you want to do is try to find an opened store. Keep your iPhone stashed in your apron and use Food Substitutes to instantly save the day with an alternate recommendation. Eight categories of suggestions will keep you well covered.

Epicurious  Free

Your favorite gourmet recipe website now fits in the palm of your hand. It's true: all 25,000 of the Epicurious site's professionally-created recipes are available on this app for the price of zero dollars, zero cents. In addition to the free recipes, you can also easily create shopping lists from specific recipes and create a list of favorites with the deft touch of a button.

Locavore  2.99

As more and more people are discovering the bliss of eating locally-produced food, the Locavore iPhone app is here to help them source the best ingredients in their area. The app automatically detects which state you're in, tells you what's in season now, and where to find it. Among other features, you can also browse the comprehensive list of 234 fruits and vegetables to see where they're being grown near you.

Want an iPhone app to help with your cooking that's not only free, but already on your phone? It's your iPhone's timer. Set it to the appropriate amount of time, and you'll know exactly when the turkey's done, no matter where you are.

No matter how prepared you are in your holiday planning, if you skipped the "download" step, you're not as together as you could be.

Another way to make holiday planning a cinch? Subscribe to the Gourmet Food Examiner updates (above), and get free tips and recipes in your email box to prepare you for the season.

ekellywrites@gmail.com