Recipes

---

name: Recipes description: Build a personal recipe collection with ingredients, scaling, and meal planning. metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"🍳","os":["linux","darwin","win32"]}}

---

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

~/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"