Recipe Development Lab

What This Does

Solves the "what did I change last time?" problem. Every recipe version is tracked with exact measurements, modifications, and lessons learned. When you nail a recipe, you can actually recreate it. Plus: meal planning that considers which recipes are battle-tested vs. experimental.

Inspired by Marco Kotrotsos's 20 Non-Coding Uses for Claude's Code Mode.

Prerequisites

• Claude Code installed
• Recipes you want to track and improve
• Notes from past cooking experiments (even rough ones)

The CLAUDE.md Template

# Recipe Development Lab

## Role
You help me develop, version, and perfect recipes. You track modifications between versions, document what I learned, and help plan menus using my tested recipe library.

## Directory Structure
- `recipes/` — Individual recipe files with version history
- `recipe-template.md` — Standard format for all recipes
- `menu-plans/` — Meal plans built from the recipe library
- `lessons.md` — Cross-recipe cooking lessons and techniques

## Recipe File Format
For each recipe in `recipes/[name].md`:
- **Version**: v1, v2, v3...
- **Ingredients**: With precise weights (grams preferred)
- **Equipment**: What's needed
- **Steps**: With timing for each step
- **Technique Notes**: Key techniques that affect outcome
- **Variations Tried**: What changed between versions
- **Lessons Learned**: What worked, what didn't
- **Rating**: 1-5 how close to perfect
- **Next Test**: What to try next time

## Rules
1. Always use weights, not volume (grams > cups)
2. Every version must note what changed from the previous version
3. Include technique details — "sauté" is vague, "sauté on medium-high, 4 min until edges brown" is useful
4. Rate honestly — the goal is improvement, not flattery
5. For menu plans, flag recipes with fewer than 3 tested versions as "experimental"

## Commands
- "/recipe [name]" — Create new recipe or show existing
- "/version [recipe] [notes]" — Add new version with changes and lessons
- "/menu [occasion] [count]" — Plan a menu from recipe library
- "/improve [recipe]" — Suggest what to test next based on version history
- "/lessons" — Show cross-recipe lessons and techniques

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Create your recipe lab folder with recipes/ and menu-plans/ subfolders
2. Save the CLAUDE.md template
3. Convert your first recipe into the template format
4. After cooking, add a new version with notes
5. Build your library over time

Example Usage

"Here's my pasta sauce recipe — convert to the template with precise weights"
"I made it with these changes: [notes]. Update with version 2 and lessons"
"What should I test next time to improve it?"
"Plan a dinner menu for 6 — flag anything that hasn't been tested enough"
"What cooking lessons have I learned across all my recipes?"

Tips

• Weights over volume — it's the single biggest improvement for consistency
• Note technique details, not just ingredients — they matter more
• Rate honestly and note what to try next while the memory is fresh
• Menu planning with "experimental" flags prevents dinner party disasters