What to cook: how to get a practical recipe from available products
"What to cook" is a web tool that suggests recipes based on your ingredients, dietary restrictions, number of portions and available time. Unlike universal chat-bots, it is focused specifically on the culinary task: you describe what is at hand, and you get a text recipe in return. In this guide we will go through how to fill in the fields correctly, how to evaluate the result and what limitations are important to consider. The tool does not replace a cookbook or a dietitian consultation, but can become a convenient assistant for everyday menu planning.
Open tool: Recipe generator ↗How the tool is designed and what it can do
"What to cook" is a web form with four text fields: ingredients and quantities, preferences and restrictions, people or portions, available time. You fill in the fields, select the output language and press the "Generate" button. The result appears in a separate panel as plain text. You can copy it or download it in TXT format. There are no style presets, sliders or levels of detail in the interface -- just text and a button.
The tool does not create photorealistic images of dishes, does not generate audio or video and does not perform batch processing. If you need narration, speech synthesis eSpeak in WAV is available, and for subtitles -- SRT format. Vector images (SVG and PNG) can be obtained separately, but these are not photographs, but vector compositions. Export to DOCX or PDF is not provided, automatic saving and email sending are also absent.
It is important to understand that the model may make mistakes: for example, suggesting incompatible products or incorrect proportions. The tool does not check the freshness of products and does not give medical recommendations. Its task is to suggest ideas and recipe structure, and the final decision is always yours.
Example of filling in: ingredients -- potato 4 pcs., carrot 2 pcs., onion 1 pc., lentil 200 g, tomatoes 3 pcs.; restrictions -- gluten-free, dairy-free; portions -- 2; time -- 30 minutes.
Preparing the input: ingredients and quantities
The first field -- "Ingredients and quantities". List everything you have, with an approximate quantity: pieces, grams, milliliters, tablespoons. The more accurately you describe the composition, the more realistic the recipe will be. If the quantity is unknown, indicate at least units of measurement or a note "to taste". It is not necessary to list absolutely everything: spices, salt and pepper are usually implied, but if you have special seasonings, it is better to indicate them.
Avoid general phrases like "a little vegetables" -- the model may misinterpret them. Better to write "zucchini 1 medium, bell pepper 2 pcs., carrot 1 pc.". If you use canned or frozen products, indicate this: "canned lentil 400 g", "frozen cauliflower 300 g". Such input helps the tool suggest adequate cooking methods.
The maximum length of the first field is 8000 characters, but for a typical home set of products 200-500 characters is enough. Do not insert whole shopping lists -- focus on what is really at hand. If there are many products, group them by categories: vegetables, cereals, proteins, sauces.
Good input: "Chicken breast 500 g, rice 200 g, carrot 1 pc., onion 1 pc., soy sauce 3 tbsp., garlic 2 cloves". Bad input: "Something from chicken and rice".
Restrictions, portions and time: how not to get confused
The second field -- "Preferences and restrictions". Here indicate dietary restrictions (gluten-free, lactose-free, vegetarian, vegan, keto, low-carb), allergies (nuts, seafood, eggs) and taste preferences (not spicy, no mushrooms, no cilantro). If there are no restrictions, write "no restrictions" or leave the field empty. This will help the tool not suggest unsuitable ingredients.
The third field -- "People or portions". Specify the number of portions or number of people. For example, "2 portions" or "for 4 people". If you are cooking for one, say so. This affects the proportions in the recipe. Remember that the model may make mistakes in calculations, so check the quantities before cooking.
The fourth field -- "Available time". Specify how many minutes you are willing to spend: "30 minutes", "1 hour", "no limits". If time is very limited, it is better to choose 20-30 minutes. The tool will suggest a recipe fitting this interval, but the actual time may differ due to your technique and skills. Always leave a small margin.
Example of filling in: restrictions -- "gluten-free, dairy-free, not spicy"; portions -- "2"; time -- "30 minutes".
Step-by-step example: from input to result
Suppose you have potato (4 pcs.), carrot (2 pcs.), onion (1 pc.), lentil (200 g), tomatoes (3 pcs.). You want to cook dinner for two in 30 minutes without gluten and dairy. Fill in the fields: ingredients -- "potato 4 pcs., carrot 2 pcs., onion 1 pc., lentil 200 g, tomatoes 3 pcs."; restrictions -- "gluten-free, dairy-free"; portions -- "2"; time -- "30 minutes". Select the output language and press "Generate".
A text recipe will appear in a separate panel. It may include the dish name, a list of ingredients with quantities, step-by-step instructions and approximate cooking time. For example, this could be a lentil ragout with vegetables or a casserole. The recipe will be adapted to the specified restrictions: gluten-free and dairy-free.
After receiving the result check it for realism: do you have all the ingredients, do the proportions correspond to the number of portions, do the steps fit into 30 minutes. If something seems strange, change the input and generate again. The tool does not save history, so copy successful variants manually.
Possible result: "Lentil ragout with potato and tomatoes. Ingredients: potato 4 pcs., carrot 2 pcs., onion 1 pc., lentil 200 g, tomatoes 3 pcs., vegetable oil 2 tbsp., salt, pepper. Preparation: cut the vegetables, fry the onion and carrot, add potato and tomatoes, simmer 20 minutes, add lentil and simmer another 5 minutes".
How to check the result against specific criteria
The first criterion -- compliance with restrictions. Review the ingredient list in the recipe: are there any gluten, milk, nuts or other forbidden products. If the restriction is "gluten-free", make sure wheat flour, pasta, soy sauce (if not gluten-free) are not offered. If "dairy-free" -- no butter, cream, cheese.
The second criterion -- realism of proportions. Compare quantities with the number of portions. For example, for 2 portions 4 potatoes and 200 g lentil is normal. If the model suggests 1 kg of meat for two, it is clearly exaggerated. Also check the time: if 30 minutes is indicated, but the steps say "simmer 1 hour", this is a mismatch.
The third criterion -- executability of steps. Evaluate whether you have the necessary cookware and technique. If the recipe requires a blender or oven and you do not have them, the result does not fit. The fourth criterion -- taste compatibility. Trust your experience: if the combination seems strange, it may be worth changing the input. The tool does not guarantee perfect taste, it only offers an option.
Check: the recipe lists "soy sauce", but you have a restriction "gluten-free" -- soy sauce usually contains wheat, so the recipe does not fit. Replace soy sauce with tamari or remove it from the input.
Tool limitations and typical errors
The tool is not a professional culinary reference book. It does not take into account seasonality, product cost, availability in stores and your skills. The model may suggest exotic ingredients not in your list, or ignore specified restrictions. Always verify the result. Do not rely on the tool for serious allergies: if you have a severe form of allergy, it is better to cook from proven recipes.
The interface does not support export to DOCX or PDF, there is no batch processing, automatic saving and email sending. You can only copy text or download TXT. Also there is no registration and premium plan. This means that all settings are reset after closing the page. Queue and model availability may change, so sometimes generation takes more time or is temporarily unavailable.
Another limitation -- absence of photorealistic images. Vector SVG and PNG are schematic pictures, not photos of dishes. Speech synthesis eSpeak WAV sounds robotic. Do not expect miracles from the tool: it is an assistant for ideas, not a replacement for a cookbook or dietitian.
Typical error: a user indicates "dairy-free", but receives a recipe with cheese. This means the model did not take the restriction into account. You need to re-formulate the input or check the result manually.
Practical tips for beginners
Start with simple sets of products. Do not try to immediately load 20 ingredients -- this complicates checking. Better do several generations with different combinations. For example, first use only vegetables and cereals, then add protein. So you faster understand how the tool reacts to the input.
Always indicate restrictions, even if they seem obvious. If you do not eat pork, write it. If you have an allergy to nuts, indicate it. This will reduce the risk of unsuitable suggestions. It is also useful to indicate taste preferences: "not spicy", "no cilantro", "with minimum spices".
Save successful recipes manually: copy the text to notes or download TXT. The tool does not store history. If the recipe requires adjustment, change only one parameter at a time, to understand what affects the result. And remember: this is just an example, not a guaranteed success. Cook with pleasure and trust your taste.
Tip: if the recipe seems too complicated, simplify the input -- remove secondary ingredients and reduce the time. For example, instead of 10 ingredients leave 5 main ones.
The "What to cook" recipe generator is a convenient tool for quickly finding ideas from available products. It takes ingredients, restrictions, number of portions and time, and outputs a text recipe. To get a useful result, fill in the fields accurately, check compliance with restrictions, proportions and time, and also consider the tool's limitations: absence of photorealistic images, DOCX/PDF export and automatic saving. Remember that the model may make mistakes, and examples in the guide are fictional. Use the tool as an assistant, but make the final decision yourself.
Open tool: Recipe generator ↗Interface translations are machine-assisted and may need refinement.