Cooking with Claude

A template for managing recipes, meal planning, and cooking projects with Claude Code. Start simple with recipes, or go deep with inventory tracking and automated shopping lists.

Real recipes inside! This isn't empty scaffolding. Browse 40+ tested recipes across 9 categories, a complete Thanksgiving meal plan, meal planning workflows, and templates I actually use. Fork it and make it yours.

📝 Read the blog post: "Cooking With Claude - Learning to Practice Life in Small, Delicious Pieces" | Markdown version

What's Inside

Folder	What You'll Find
recipes/	40+ tested recipes organized by category (mains, soups, breads, breakfast, desserts, etc.) with meal planning tools
examples/thanksgiving-2025/	Complete holiday meal plan: 7 dishes, 4-day prep schedule, hour-by-hour cooking timeline
templates/	Workflows for collaborative cooking, meal planning, food rescue, restaurant reviews, and shopping lists
pantry-staples-checklist.md	Essential ingredients to keep stocked, organized by category
meal-planning-preferences.md	Track dietary goals, ingredient priorities, and preferences
inventory/	Track what's in your kitchen (optional - enables "what can I make?" suggestions)

Quick links:

• Browse all recipes
• See the Thanksgiving example
• Explore the templates

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Requirements

This project uses Claude Code, Anthropic's command-line tool for Claude. Claude Code can read and edit files on your computer, which is what makes this cooking system work - it reads your inventory files to suggest meals you can actually make.

You'll need:

• A Claude Pro, Max, or Team subscription ($20+/month)
• macOS or Linux (Windows via WSL)
• Node.js 18+

Optional: MCP Server for Claude Desktop

If you also use Claude Desktop, there's an included MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude direct access to your cooking data. This lets you ask questions like "What can I make with what's in my fridge?" directly in Claude Desktop. See the MCP Setup Guide below.

Setup

1. Install Claude Code

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

2. Clone this repository

git clone https://github.com/dmorrill/cooking-with-claude.git
cd cooking-with-claude

3. Launch Claude Code

claude

That's it! Claude will automatically read the CLAUDE.md file in this directory and understand how to help you with meal planning.

4. Start using it

Once Claude Code is running, try:

"What can I cook in 30 minutes with what I have?"

Claude will read your inventory files and suggest meals based on what's actually in your kitchen.

Quick Start

Tonight's Dinner in 3 Steps:

1. Ask: "What can I cook in 30 minutes with what I have?"
2. Get AI suggestions with exact ingredient locations
3. Cook with confidence - no missing ingredients, no food waste

Core Features

Smart Meal Matching

• AI suggests meals based on your actual inventory
• Filters by prep time, dietary needs, and available ingredients
• Shows exact storage locations for each ingredient

Complete Recipe System

• Time-organized recipe database (15min, 30min, 45min+)
• Standardized templates for consistent formatting
• Family favorites and emergency 5-ingredient meals

Inventory Intelligence

• Multi-location tracking (customize to your home layout)
• Expiration monitoring with usage prioritization
• Auto-generated shopping lists from meal plans

File Structure

cooking-with-claude/
├── recipes/
│   ├── README.md               # Recipe index + how to add recipes
│   ├── mains/                  # Main dishes (pasta, bowls, sandwiches, etc.)
│   ├── soups/                  # Soups and stews
│   ├── sides/                  # Side dishes and salads
│   ├── breads-rolls/           # Breads, rolls, and croutons
│   ├── sauces-condiments/      # Sauces, dips, and condiments
│   ├── desserts/               # Desserts and baking
│   ├── breakfast/              # Breakfast recipes
│   ├── cocktails/              # Drinks
│   ├── meal-matcher.md         # AI-powered meal suggestions
│   └── meal-planning-helper.md # Weekly planning workflows
├── examples/
│   └── thanksgiving-2025/      # Complete meal planning example
├── templates/
│   ├── README.md               # How to use the templates
│   ├── prep-and-assemble-workflow.md  # Collaborative cooking
│   ├── weekly-meal-plan-template.md   # Weekly meal planning
│   ├── going-out-of-town.md          # Food rescue before trips
│   └── restaurant-review-template.md  # Restaurant review drafting
├── inventory/                  # Optional: track what's in your kitchen
│   ├── master-inventory.md
│   └── [location folders]/     # Customize to your home layout
└── CLAUDE.md                   # AI assistant configuration

AI-Powered Workflows

Meal Planning Commands

"What dinner recipes can I make in 30 minutes or less using only ingredients I have?"
"Plan 5 dinners for this week using mostly what I have on hand"
"What meals can I make using items expiring in the next 3 days?"
"What's the quickest meal I can make right now with zero shopping?"

Inventory Management

"Check all my inventory and suggest 3 dinner options under 30 minutes"
"Generate a shopping list for next week's meal plan"
"What ingredients are expiring soon that I should use first?"
"Update my downstairs pantry inventory"

Weekly Workflow

1. Sunday Planning: Review inventory, plan week's meals
2. Shopping: Auto-generated lists from meal plans
3. Daily Cooking: AI suggests meals based on time available
4. Inventory Updates: Track usage and expiration dates

Cooking Modes

Prep-and-Assemble Mode

Best for: Teaching new recipes, collaborative cooking, reducing cooking anxiety

How it works:

• Person A's role: All prep work (chopping, measuring, making sauces, setting up station)
• Person B's role: Cooking and assembly (following clear step-by-step instructions)

What Claude Code does:

1. Creates detailed task list with recipe and ingredient locations
2. Divides tasks into prep work and cooking steps
3. Guides prep with exact measurements and cutting techniques
4. Organizes ingredients into numbered containers
5. Creates calendar invitations with comprehensive cooking instructions

Perfect recipes for this mode:

• Cold noodle salads
• Stir-fries
• Buddha bowls
• Tacos and burrito bowls
• Grain salads

Command: "Let's get organized to prep ingredients for [meal] tonight"

See templates/prep-and-assemble-workflow.md for full workflow details.

Why This System Works

• No Food Waste: Use what you have before it expires
• Save Time: Stop wondering "what's for dinner?"
• Save Money: Shop with purpose, avoid duplicate purchases
• Less Stress: Always know you can make something good

Getting Started (After Setup)

Path 1: Just Use the Recipes (Simple)

1. Browse recipes: Check out recipes/README.md for the full index
2. Cook something: Ask Claude "Walk me through making the cacio e pepe step by step"
3. Add your own: Paste a recipe PDF or describe a dish you want to add
4. Plan a meal: See the Thanksgiving example for complex meal planning

Path 2: Full System with Inventory (Advanced)

1. Populate your inventory: Tell Claude "Help me fill out my kitchen pantry inventory"
2. Customize locations: Adjust inventory folders to match your home layout
3. Get AI suggestions: "What can I cook in 30 minutes with what I have?"
4. Keep it updated: Tell Claude when you buy groceries or use things up

Customization

This template is designed to be customized to your home:

• Rename inventory folders: Change upstairs/downstairs to match your layout
• Add/remove storage locations: Not everyone has a basement or chest freezer
• Adjust recipe categories: Organize by cuisine, dietary restrictions, or whatever works for you

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MCP Server (Optional)

If you use Claude Desktop, you can enable the included MCP server for direct access to your cooking data. This lets you:

• Search recipes by ingredients or prep time
• Check your inventory across all locations
• Get meal suggestions based on what you have
• Update inventory directly from Claude Desktop
• Find items expiring soon

MCP Setup

1. Install dependencies:

cd cooking-mcp
npm install

2. Configure Claude Desktop:

Find your Claude Desktop configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add the cooking MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cooking-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/cooking-with-claude/cooking-mcp/src/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/cooking-with-claude with your actual path.

3. Restart Claude Desktop

4. Try it out! Ask Claude Desktop:

   • "What recipes can I make in 30 minutes?"
   • "Check my pantry inventory"
   • "Add milk to upstairs refrigerator"
   • "What's expiring soon?"

For full MCP documentation, see cooking-mcp/README.md.

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Built for use with Claude Code - see CLAUDE.md for AI assistant configuration