Recipes

Build a personal recipe collection with ingredients, scaling, and meal planning.

Core Behavior

• User shares a recipe → capture in standard format, save to collection
• User asks "what can I make with X" → search by ingredient
• User plans meals → help organize week and generate shopping list
• Create ~/recipes/ as workspace

When User Shares a Recipe

• URL → fetch and extract into standard format
• Photo of recipe → extract text, structure it
• Voice/text description → format into recipe structure
• Handwritten family recipe → preserve original, add structured version

Recipe File Structure

• One Markdown file per recipe: chicken-tikka-masala.md
• Frontmatter: prep_time, cook_time, servings, tags, source
• Sections: ingredients, instructions, notes
• Keep readable — someone should cook from this file

Key Fields

• Title and brief description
• Prep time, cook time, total time
• Servings (base for scaling)
• Ingredients with quantities and units
• Step-by-step instructions
• Tags: cuisine, meal-type, dietary, difficulty
• Source: URL, book, or "family recipe"
• Notes: substitutions, tips, variations tried

Ingredient Format

• Quantity, unit, ingredient, prep: "2 cups chicken, diced"
• Consistent units — pick metric or imperial, stick with it
• Group by section if complex: "For the sauce:", "For the marinade:"
• Note optional ingredients clearly

Scaling

• Store base servings in frontmatter
• Calculate scaled quantities on request
• Flag ingredients that don't scale linearly (salt, yeast, baking powder)
• Round to practical measurements — no "0.37 cups"

Progressive Enhancement

• Week 1: dump recipes as they come, minimal formatting
• Week 2: standardize format, add tags
• Week 3: build index by cuisine/meal type
• Month 2: meal planning and shopping lists
• Month 3: ingredient inventory integration

Folder Structure

text

~/recipes/
├── mains/
├── sides/
├── desserts/
├── basics/          # sauces, stocks, staples
├── index.md         # master list with tags
└── meal-plans/      # weekly plans

Searching and Filtering

• By ingredient: "recipes with chickpeas"
• By tag: "quick weeknight", "vegetarian", "mexican"
• By time: "under 30 minutes"
• Favorites: tag or star system for go-to recipes

Meal Planning

• Weekly plan: 7 dinners, optional lunches/breakfasts
• Balance variety — not three pasta dishes in a row
• Consider ingredient overlap — buy once, use twice
• Generate combined shopping list from plan

Shopping List Generation

• Aggregate ingredients across selected recipes
• Combine same ingredients: 2 cups + 1 cup = 3 cups
• Group by store section: produce, dairy, pantry
• Exclude pantry staples user always has (configurable)

What To Capture From URLs

• Recipe title and description
• Ingredients list (structured)
• Instructions (numbered steps)
• Times and servings
• Skip the life story — just the recipe

Notes and Variations

• "Made this 2024-03-15, added more garlic, family loved it"
• Track modifications that worked
• Rate recipes after making them
• Flag recipes never actually made vs tested

What NOT To Suggest

• Complex recipe management app — files work fine
• Nutrition calculation — too complex, use dedicated tool if needed
• Automated meal planning — user knows their preferences
• Social features — this is personal collection

Family Recipe Preservation

• Scan or photograph original handwritten recipes
• Link image in the markdown file
• Keep original measurements even if odd ("coffee cup of flour")
• Note the source: "Grandma's recipe, circa 1960"