scale-recipe

name: scale-recipe description: Adjust recipe servings and display scaled ingredient quantities

Scale Recipe

Overview

Display a recipe with adjusted serving sizes. Shows original vs scaled quantities for easy comparison.

Use this skill when:

• Cooking for more or fewer people
• Halving or doubling a recipe
• Converting between serving sizes

Process

Step 1: Identify Recipe

Ask: "Which recipe do you want to scale?"

Step 2: Determine Scale Factor

Ask: "How many servings do you need?"

• Or: "What scale factor?" (2 = double, 0.5 = half)

Calculate factor: new_servings / original_servings

Step 3: Display Scaled Recipe

Using CookCLI:

cook recipe "Recipe.cook" --scale 2

Or with colon notation:

cook recipe "Recipe.cook:2"

Step 4: Highlight Important Notes

Warn about:

• Fixed quantities (marked with =) - These don't scale
• Timing - Cooking times may need adjustment for larger batches
• Equipment - May need larger pots/pans

Examples

User: "Scale the pasta recipe for 8 people"

Original recipe (serves 4):

---
title: Spaghetti Carbonara
servings: 4
---

Cook @spaghetti{400%g} in boiling water.
Fry @pancetta{150%g} until crispy.
Mix @eggs{4} with @parmesan{100%g}.
Season with @black pepper{} and @salt{=1%pinch}.

Run:

cook recipe "Spaghetti Carbonara.cook" --scale 2

Scaled output (serves 8):

Spaghetti Carbonara (scaled to 8 servings)

Ingredients:
- spaghetti: 800g (was 400g)
- pancetta: 300g (was 150g)
- eggs: 8 (was 4)
- parmesan: 200g (was 100g)
- black pepper: to taste
- salt: 1 pinch (FIXED - doesn't scale)

Steps:
[Recipe steps with scaled quantities inline]

User: "Halve the cake recipe"

Run:

cook recipe "Chocolate Cake.cook" --scale 0.5

Reference

Scaling Commands

# Double
cook recipe "Recipe.cook" --scale 2
cook recipe "Recipe.cook:2"

# Half
cook recipe "Recipe.cook" --scale 0.5
cook recipe "Recipe.cook:0.5"

# Specific servings (if original is 4, this makes 6)
cook recipe "Recipe.cook" --scale 1.5

# In shopping list
cook shopping-list "Recipe.cook:2"

Fixed Quantities

Some ingredients shouldn't scale. Mark with =:

@salt{=1%tsp}        -- stays 1 tsp regardless of scale
@baking soda{=1%tsp} -- leavening is chemistry, be careful
@vanilla{=1%tsp}     -- flavor extracts often don't scale linearly

Scaling Considerations

Tips

• Doubling is usually safe
• Halving works well for most recipes
• Beyond 2x, consider cooking in batches
• Baking is more sensitive to scaling than cooking
• Always taste and adjust seasonings