Import

The import command fetches recipes from websites and automatically converts them to Cooklang format. It supports hundreds of popular recipe websites and extracts ingredients, instructions, and metadata intelligently.

Requires OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable set to perform the conversion to Cooklang. Without the key you still can downlad recipe original content, but it won't be converted to Cooklang.

Note that you can use cook.md converter if you don't have OpenAI key.

Basic Usage

cook import https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chicken-bacon-pasta

This downloads the recipe and outputs it in Cooklang format into stdout.

Supported Websites

The importer works with most recipe websites that use standard recipe markup, including:

  • AllRecipes
  • BBC Good Food
  • Bon Appétit
  • Serious Eats
  • Food Network
  • NYT Cooking
  • Simply Recipes
  • And hundreds more...

Any site using Recipe Schema.org markup should work automatically.

Importing Recipes

Basic Import

cook import https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/23600/worlds-best-lasagna/

Output (Cooklang format):

---
author: John Chandler
cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes
course: Dinner
cuisine: Italian Inspired, Italian
prep time: 30 minutes
servings: 12
source: "https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/23600/worlds-best-lasagna/"
time required: 3 hours 15 minutes
---

Cook @sweet Italian sausage{1%lb}, @lean ground beef{0.75%lb}, @minced onion{0.5%cup}, and @garlic{2 cloves}, crushed in a #Dutch oven{} over medium heat until well browned...

Save to File

Redirect output to save:

cook import https://example.com/recipe > lasagna.cook

# Or with shell redirect
cook import [URL] > "Pasta Carbonara.cook"

Import Without Conversion

Get the raw extracted data without converting to Cooklang:

cook import https://example.com/recipe --skip-conversion

Output:

---
author: John Doe
cuisine: Italian
prep_time: 30 minutes
cook_time: 45 minutes
servings: 4
---

World's Best Lasagna

This is a delicious lasagna recipe...

[Ingredients]
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
...

[Instructions]
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
3. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic...

[Images]
https://example.com/recipe-image.jpg

Metadata Options

Control how metadata is included in the output:

# Default: Include as YAML frontmatter
cook import https://example.com/recipe --skip-conversion

# Output metadata as JSON
cook import https://example.com/recipe --skip-conversion --metadata json

# Output metadata as YAML section
cook import https://example.com/recipe --skip-conversion --metadata yaml

# Exclude metadata
cook import https://example.com/recipe --skip-conversion --metadata none

# Extract only metadata (no recipe content)
cook import https://example.com/recipe --metadata-only

# Extract metadata as JSON
cook import https://example.com/recipe --metadata-only --metadata json

Metadata Extraction

Automatically extracts:

  • Title
  • Description
  • Images
  • Servings/Yield
  • Prep/Cook/Total time
  • Source URL
  • Author
  • Tags/Categories
  • Cuisine
  • Course
  • Difficulty
  • Ratings
  • Nutrition information
  • And more depending on the source

Working with Different Sites

Paywalled Sites (TODO)

Some sites require authentication:

# NYT Cooking and similar sites may require login
# Copy the recipe text manually, then:
pbpaste | cook recipe - > recipe.cook

Sites with Anti-Scraping (TODO)

For sites that block automated access:

  1. Save the webpage locally
  2. Extract manually or use browser tools
  3. Convert saved HTML
# Save page as HTML in browser
# Then extract recipe data
cook import file:///path/to/saved-page.html

Non-Standard Sites

For sites without proper markup:

# Get raw content and convert manually
cook import https://example.com/recipe --skip-conversion > raw.txt

# Manually format
vim recipe.cook

Troubleshooting

Import Fails

Common issues and solutions:

  • 403 Forbidden: Site blocks bots. Try saving page locally first.
  • No recipe found: Site might not use standard markup. Use --skip-conversion.
  • Partial import: Some sites split recipes across pages. May need manual combination.

Formatting Issues

After import, you might need to:

  • Adjust quantities for metric/imperial
  • Fix ingredient names for your region
  • Correct timing formats
  • Add missing metadata

Best Practices

Verify Imports

Always review imported recipes:

  1. Check ingredient quantities make sense
  2. Verify cooking times
  3. Ensure steps are complete
  4. Add any missing equipment or techniques

Maintain Attribution

Keep source information:

---
source: https://original-website.com/recipe
author: Original Author
imported: 2024-01-20
---