Recipe Development Lab
Track every version of a recipe with exact measurements, modifications, and lessons learned so you can actually recreate your best results.
You made the best sourdough of your life last Saturday and can't remember if you used 75% or 80% hydration, whether the bulk ferment was 4 or 5 hours, or which flour brand it was. Every great recipe is an experiment — but without a lab notebook, you can't replicate your wins.
Who it's for: home bakers iterating on bread and pastry recipes, food bloggers developing and testing recipes for publication, home cooks perfecting family recipes with systematic improvements, fermentation hobbyists tracking variables in kombucha/beer/sourdough, anyone who experiments in the kitchen and wants to remember what actually worked
Example
"Track my sourdough recipe experiments" → Versioned recipe log: V1 through V5 with exact measurements, timing, temperature, modifications per version, taste/texture ratings, photos, lessons learned, and a comparison view showing what changed between your best and worst results
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# 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 techniquesWhat 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)
Step-by-Step Setup
- Create your recipe lab folder with
recipes/andmenu-plans/subfolders - Save the CLAUDE.md template
- Convert your first recipe into the template format
- After cooking, add a new version with notes
- 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