Creating Cookbooks

CookCLI can export recipes as LaTeX, which you compile into professional PDF cookbooks. Ingredients, cookware, and timers are color-coded automatically.

For a ready-made solution, see the cookbook-creator script (sample PDF).

Prerequisites

  1. CookCLI installed (Installation guide)
  2. LaTeX distribution installed:
    # macOS
brew install --cask mactex

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install texlive-full

# Windows - download MiKTeX from https://miktex.org/
  3. Your recipes organized in folders (folders become chapters):
    recipes/
├── breakfast/
│   ├── pancakes.cook
│   └── french-toast.cook
├── dinner/
│   ├── roast-chicken.cook
│   └── pasta-carbonara.cook
└── desserts/
    └── chocolate-cake.cook

Exporting a Single Recipe

# Generate LaTeX output
cook recipe "Neapolitan Pizza" -f latex > pizza.tex

# Compile to PDF
pdflatex pizza.tex
open pizza.pdf

# Or pipe directly
cook recipe "Neapolitan Pizza" -f latex | pdflatex -jobname="pizza-recipe"

Building a Full Cookbook

Generate LaTeX for all recipes and combine them into a single document:

# Export each recipe
for recipe in recipes/**/*.cook; do
  cook recipe -f latex "$recipe" >> cookbook-body.tex
done

Wrap the output in a LaTeX document with a title page and table of contents:

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{book}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{makeidx}

% Color-coded recipe elements
\definecolor{ingredientcolor}{RGB}{219, 112, 147}  % Pink
\definecolor{cookwarecolor}{RGB}{100, 149, 237}     % Blue
\definecolor{timercolor}{RGB}{255, 140, 0}          % Orange

\title{Family Recipes}
\author{Your Name}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\tableofcontents

% Include your exported recipes here
\input{cookbook-body.tex}

\end{document}

Compile:

pdflatex cookbook.tex
makeindex cookbook.idx    # Generate index
pdflatex cookbook.tex     # Update references
pdflatex cookbook.tex     # Final compilation

Customization

Chapter Organization

Organize recipes into chapters by exporting each directory separately:

echo '\chapter{Breakfast}' >> cookbook-body.tex
for recipe in recipes/breakfast/*.cook; do
  cook recipe -f latex "$recipe" >> cookbook-body.tex
done

echo '\chapter{Dinner}' >> cookbook-body.tex
for recipe in recipes/dinner/*.cook; do
  cook recipe -f latex "$recipe" >> cookbook-body.tex
done

Including Images

Place images alongside your recipes with matching names:

recipes/
├── pasta-carbonara.cook
├── pasta-carbonara.jpg    # Included automatically
├── chocolate-cake.cook
└── chocolate-cake.png     # Included automatically

Supported formats: PNG, JPG, JPEG.

Recipe Metadata

Add metadata to your .cook files for richer output:

---
description: A classic Italian pasta dish
tags: italian, pasta, quick
servings: 4
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
---

Scaling for Events

Export scaled versions for different occasions:

# Party-size lasagna (12 servings)
cook recipe -f latex "dinner/lasagna.cook:12" > lasagna-party.tex

Different Versions

# Full family cookbook
for recipe in recipes/**/*.cook; do
  cook recipe -f latex "$recipe" >> family-cookbook.tex
done

# Gift version with selected favorites
for recipe in recipes/favorites/*.cook; do
  cook recipe -f latex "$recipe" >> gift-cookbook.tex
done

Other Output Formats

CookCLI also exports to Markdown, YAML, JSON, Schema.org, and Typst. For web-based cookbooks, Markdown or HTML via the report system may be simpler than LaTeX.

Troubleshooting

ProblemSolution
"LaTeX command not found"Install a TeX distribution for your OS
"Package not found" errorRun tlmgr install xcolor geometry hyperref makeidx
Missing colors in PDFEnsure xcolor package is included
Index not generatedRun makeindex between compilations
Images not showingEnsure image files match recipe names

See Also