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

Item	Scales?	Notes
Main ingredients	Yes	Meat, vegetables, pasta
Liquids	Yes	But may need adjustment
Seasonings	Partially	Start with less, adjust to taste
Leavening	Carefully	Baking soda/powder - use formulas
Cooking time	No	But larger batches may need more
Pan size	No	May need multiple batches

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