So, go ahead and use the recovery menu for making Nandroid backups, for installing custom ROMs firmware or for making other complex and powerful operations. (android.gs)
Instead of bothering with recovery, you can create NANDroid backups from within Android, which saves you time and makes it easier to always have a fallback plan. (android.gadgethacks.com)
It is recommended for you to create full nandroid backup of your current ROM. (android.gs)