validate-recipes

name	validate-recipes
description	Check Cooklang recipes for syntax errors, warnings, and best practice issues

Validate Recipes

Overview

Check .cook files for problems using CookCLI's doctor command. Reports:

• Syntax errors (invalid Cooklang)
• Warnings (deprecated syntax, missing recommended fields)
• Best practice issues (missing servings, inconsistent formatting)

Use this skill when:

• You've written new recipes and want to check them
• Something isn't working as expected
• Setting up CI/CD for a recipe collection
• Auditing an existing recipe library

Process

Step 1: Determine Scope

Ask: "What should I validate?"

• Single recipe - Specify file path
• Directory - Check all .cook files in a folder
• Entire collection - Check everything from current directory

Step 2: Run Validation

For syntax validation:

cook doctor validate

For strict mode (CI/CD):

cook doctor validate --strict

For specific directory:

cook doctor validate -b /path/to/recipes

Step 3: Report Results

Present findings organized by severity:

1. Errors - Must fix (invalid syntax, broken references)
2. Warnings - Should fix (deprecated syntax)
3. Suggestions - Nice to fix (missing metadata)

Step 4: Offer Fixes

For common issues, offer to fix automatically:

Issue	Fix
Deprecated >> metadata	Convert to YAML frontmatter
Missing servings	Add with sensible default
Multi-word ingredient without {}	Add braces
Missing blank lines between steps	Add them

Ask: "Would you like me to fix these issues?"

Step 5: Additional Checks

Check aisle configuration completeness:

cook doctor aisle

This reports ingredients not categorized in aisle.conf.

Examples

User: "Validate my recipes"

Run:

cook doctor validate

Output interpretation:

Checking recipes...

ERROR in dinner/Pasta.cook:15
  Invalid ingredient syntax: @ground black pepper
  Fix: Use @ground black pepper{} for multi-word ingredients

WARNING in breakfast/Pancakes.cook:1
  Deprecated metadata syntax: >> title: Pancakes
  Fix: Use YAML frontmatter instead

INFO in desserts/Cake.cook
  Missing 'servings' in metadata
  Suggestion: Add servings for proper scaling

Checked 24 recipes: 1 error, 1 warning, 1 suggestion

Offering fix: "I found 1 error and 1 warning. Would you like me to fix them?

• Convert @ground black pepper to @ground black pepper{}
• Convert deprecated >> metadata to YAML frontmatter"

Reference

Common Validation Errors

Error	Cause	Solution
Invalid ingredient	Multi-word without {}	Add braces: @olive oil{}
Invalid quantity	Missing % for unit	Add: {500%g} not {500g}
Deprecated metadata	Using >> syntax	Convert to YAML frontmatter
Broken reference	Recipe file not found	Check path in @./path/Recipe{}
Invalid timer	Bad format	Use ~{15%minutes}

Strict Mode

Strict mode (--strict) treats warnings as errors. Use for:

• CI/CD pipelines
• Pre-commit hooks
• Enforcing standards in shared collections

CookCLI Doctor Commands

cook doctor              # Run all checks
cook doctor validate     # Syntax validation only
cook doctor validate --strict  # Strict mode
cook doctor aisle        # Check aisle.conf coverage
cook doctor -b ~/recipes # Specify recipe directory