phase0-flow - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: phase0-flow description: A markdown-driven conversational meal planning workflow that results in verified shopping lists and PDF recipes.

Phase 0 Conversational Meal Planning Workflow

This skill guides you through the "Phase 0" markdown-driven conversational meal planning flow. The goal is to produce a complete meal plan, a verified shopping list, and PDF recipes without a UI.

Lingo & Shortcuts 🗣️

STK (Shop the Kitchen): A request where NO shopping is allowed. Every ingredient MUST be verified against phase0_flow/stock_lists/. If a user says "STK," ensure the final shopping list is empty.
Low-GI: Focus on fiber, protein, and non-starchy vegetables. Minimize refined carbs (white rice, white pasta, flour) and sugar. Check recent plans for this established pattern.
Kid Pull: Explicitly marking a step in the recipe to remove a portion for picky eaters before spicing/saucing.
Shortcut: "1 night phase0 STK plan": When triggered, bypass the typical 3-5 meal variety and focus on a single, high-quality, zero-shopping meal for tonight.

Overview

Tone: Use plenty of emojis to make the process fun and engaging! 🥳
Agent's Role: You are responsible for creating, editing, and deleting markdown files in phase0_flow/plans/. You must commit changes after each step.
Tools: Use standard file operations. For PDF generation, use the just command.

Workflow Steps

Step 1: The Request

Context: The user has either created a 01-request.md in a new plan directory (e.g., phase0_flow/plans/YYYY-MM-DD_my-plan/) OR provided a request via chat.
Action:
- If the request was via chat, create the plan directory and 01-request.md with the request details.
- Read 01-request.md (or the chat history).
- Read phase0_flow/stock_lists/ and phase0_flow/general_preferences/.
- Read recent plans: Check phase0_flow/plans/ (last 1-2 plans) to understand:
  - Naming conventions (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD_title).
  - Dietary/Health goals: Look for repeating themes like "Low-GI" or "Heart Healthy."
  - Formatting style for recipes and plans.
Goal: Understand the user's needs, constraints, and current inventory.

Step 2: The Options

Action: Generate 4-5 high-level meal plan summaries based on the request.
- Check Dislikes: explicitly check general_preferences/process.md (or similar) for dislikes (e.g., mushrooms, olives) and ensure options respect them.
Output: Create 02-options.md in the plan directory.
- Each option should have a theme.
- List key new ingredients to buy for each option.
Commit: Commit the changes.
Interaction: STOP EXECUTION. Present the options to the user in chat and ask them to choose one. Do not proceed to Step 3 until the user has made a choice.

Step 3: Ingredient Verification & Provisional Recipes

Trigger: User selects an option.
Action: Create a comprehensive ingredient checklist AND provisional recipes for the selected plan.
Output 1: Create 03-verification.md.
- List all ingredients required for the plan.
- Categorize them (Produce, Dairy, Pantry, etc.).
- Pre-check ([x]) items you believe are in stock based on stock_lists.
- Leave unknown/out-of-stock items unchecked ([ ]).
Output 2: Create individual recipe files in a recipes/ subdirectory.
- Format Decision:
  - Markdown (.md): Good for simple plans. Use standard headers.
  - JSON (.json): REQUIRED for high-quality "templated" PDF generation (Time/Ingredients columns). Use this if the user asks for "templated" or "nice" PDFs.
- These are "provisional" drafts to ensure all spices, garnishes, and techniques are documented.
Commit: Commit the changes.
Interaction: STOP EXECUTION. Ask the user to review the provisional recipes and 03-verification.md. Do not proceed to Step 4 until the user confirms the ingredients and recipes.

Step 4: Shopping List Verification

Crucial Step: Ensure nothing is missed!

Trigger: User confirms inventory.
Action:
- Read the updated 03-verification.md.
- Cross-Reference: Explicitly check every single ingredient in the planned recipes against the user's verified inventory.
- Identify any discrepancies or missing items.
Interaction: STOP EXECUTION. If you find missing items or ambiguities, ask the user for clarification before proceeding. If everything is perfect, you may ask for final confirmation to proceed to generation.

Step 5: Final Plan & PDFs

Action: Generate the final assets. This step is MANDATORY and must be performed automatically once the user gives the final "go-ahead."
Output 1: Markdown Plan: Create 04-final-plan.md.
- Include the final menu.
- Include the Consolidated Shopping List (only items strictly needed).
- Include full recipes with instructions.
Output 2: Recipe Files: Finalize individual recipe files in the recipes/ subdirectory.
- ALWAYS create a JSON version of the recipe to enable high-quality PDF generation.
- Ensure they match the required JSON structure (Prep, Steps, Meanwhile).
Output 3: PDFs: Run the PDF generation command.
- Command: just render-all (Targets .json files -> templated PDFs).
- Verification: Confirm the PDF files exist in the recipes/ directory after the command runs.
Commit: Commit all new files (markdown plan, recipe files, and generated PDFs).
Completion: Inform the user that the plan and PDFs are ready! 📄✨

Recipe Standards

JSON Format (For Templated PDFs)

If using JSON, follow this structure:

{
  "title": "Recipe Name",
  "emoji": "🥘",
  "prep": {
    "ready_to_use": [ {"amount": "1 tsp", "name": "Salt"} ],
    "knife_work": [ {"amount": "1", "name": "Onion", "prep": "diced"} ]
  },
  "steps": [
    {
      "minutes_before_done": 30,
      "duration_minutes": 5,
      "ingredients": [ {"amount": "1 tbsp", "name": "Oil"} ],
      "action_name": "Sauté",
      "action_description": "Cook onions until translucent.",
      "meanwhile": { "ingredients": "Parsley", "action": "chop" }
    }
  ]
}

General Rules

Prep Completeness: Every single ingredient listed in the steps (grey boxes) MUST be listed in the top prep section (either ready_to_use or knife_work). This includes spices, oils, water splashes, and garnishes.
Strict Time Management:
- Total Time: Include all prep (slicing, dicing, measuring) in the total time estimate.
- Step-by-Step Prep: The first step in the execution table MUST be "Mise en Place" and account for all chopping, slicing, and measuring.
- JSON Requirement:
```
{
  "minutes_before_done": 45,
  "duration_minutes": 10,
  "ingredients": [ {"amount": "1", "name": "Onion"}, {"amount": "2", "name": "Carrots"} ],
  "action_name": "Mise en Place",
  "action_description": "Dice onion. Slice carrots into coins."
}
```
- Meal Caps: Standard meals must be 30-45 minutes total. One "complex" meal per plan can be up to 60 minutes.
- Layered Flavors: Achieving deep flavor in short times requires techniques like fond-building, blooming spices, and high-heat roasting.
Specifics & Guidance:
- Cans: MUST include sizes (e.g., "13.5 oz can Coconut Milk", "28 oz can Tomatoes").

General Rules

Prep Completeness: Every single ingredient listed in the steps (grey boxes) MUST be listed in the top prep section (either ready_to_use or knife_work). This includes spices, oils, water splashes, and garnishes.
- Beef/Protein Prep: Ensure any special prep (e.g., "slice thin against the grain") is explicitly listed in the knife_work or ready_to_use section AND emphasized in the "Mise en Place" step.
Workflow Optimization & "Destinations":
- Group by Destination: In the knife_work section and the "Mise en Place" step, group ingredients by when they enter the pan.
- Explicit Instructions: Tell the user where to put prepped items to minimize dishes (e.g., "Dice onions and peppers; place in the same bowl as they will be added to the pan together," or "Chop cauliflower and keep on the cutting board to add directly to the pot later").
- Dish Minimization: Actively look for ways to reduce the number of bowls/tools used. If items can go directly from the board to the pan, say so.
Strict Time Management:

01-request.md 02-options.md 03-verification.md 04-final-plan.md recipes/ recipe-1.md pdfs/ recipe-1.pdf