What to cook: how to get a recipe from available products
The "What to cook" tool turns a list of products into specific cooking steps. You specify ingredients and their quantities, dietary restrictions, number of portions and available time. Output - a text recipe that can be copied or downloaded as TXT. This is not a culinary encyclopedia and not an image generator: the tool works with text and does not replace a dietitian's consultation. In this article we will explain how to fill in the fields correctly, provide examples and explain how to check the result and what limitations to consider.
Open tool: Recipe generator ↗How the tool is designed and what it accepts
"What to cook" is a web form with text fields. You enter ingredients and quantities, preferences or restrictions, number of people or portions and available time. After pressing the Generate button the tool forms one text result in a separate panel. It can be copied or downloaded as a regular TXT file. There are no sliders, style presets or levels of detail in the interface.
It is important to understand that the tool does not search for recipes on the Internet and does not check them against databases. It builds the answer based on the entered data. Therefore the more precisely you describe products and restrictions, the more useful the result will be. If you say "a few vegetables" the answer may be general. If you write "2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g of lentils, 2 tomatoes" the tool will be able to suggest specific steps.
Fields have length limits: the first field - up to 8000 characters, details field - up to 1000 characters. This is enough for most home tasks. The tool does not automatically save entered data, does not send them by email and does not publish. If you need to return to the recipe later, save the TXT file manually.
Example of filling in: ingredients - "2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g of lentils, 2 tomatoes"; restrictions - "no meat, moderately spicy"; people - "2"; time - "30 minutes".
Practical scenario: lunch from what is available
Imagine that after work you have potatoes, carrots, onions, a jar of lentils and a couple of tomatoes. You need to quickly cook lunch for two in 30 minutes. You open the tool and fill in the fields. In the "Ingredients and quantities" field you list everything you have, with approximate weight or pieces. In the "Preferences and restrictions" field you indicate that meat is not used and spiciness is moderate. In the "People or portions" field you set 2. In the "Available time" field - 30 minutes.
The tool will suggest one recipe option. For example, lentil-stewed vegetables: fry the onion, add carrot and potato, then tomatoes and lentils, simmer until ready. The steps will be described in text, without images. You can cook immediately or copy the text and save as TXT. If the result seems too general, clarify quantities and cutting method - this will help get more specific instructions.
Such a scenario is useful when there is no time to search for a recipe on the Internet and compare dozens of pages. The tool gives one practical option that can be adapted to your habits. But remember: this is an example, not a guarantee that the dish will please you specifically. Tastes and cooking techniques are all different.
Request: "2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g of lentils, 2 tomatoes. No meat, moderately spicy. For 2 people, 30 minutes". Possible response: step-by-step recipe for lentil-stewed vegetables.
How to formulate a request to get a useful result
The more specific the ingredients, the better. Instead of "vegetables" write "zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper". Instead of "grain" - "buckwheat" or "rice". Specify quantities: "1 cup of rice", "300 g of chicken", "2 tablespoons of oil". If you have kitchen equipment, for example a multicooker or blender, mention it in the restrictions - the tool may take the cooking method into account.
Restrictions should be stated explicitly: "gluten-free", "lactose-free", "vegetarian", "no spicy", "do not use oven". If there are no restrictions, write "no restrictions" - this removes ambiguity. The number of portions and time are also important: they affect the amount of products and the order of steps. For example, for 4 portions the tool may suggest increasing the simmering time.
Do not be afraid to refine the request repeatedly. If the first result did not suit you, change the formulation: add a product, remove a restriction or shorten the time. The tool does not remember previous requests, so each appeal starts from scratch. Save successful variants in TXT so you do not have to enter data again.
Instead of "something from chicken" write: "500 g chicken fillet, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 200 g champignons, 150 ml cream. Gluten-free. For 3 portions, 40 minutes".
Result check: what to look for
After generation read the recipe in full. Check if all your ingredients were used. If the tool added a product you do not have and the dish is impossible without it, adjust the request or replace the product yourself. Make sure the steps are logical: first chopping, then frying, then simmering. If the order seems strange, it may be worth reformulating the request.
Pay attention to time. The tool may suggest 30 minutes, but the actual time depends on your stove, the size of the chopping and the amount of products. Consider the indicated time as a guideline, not as an exact chronograph. Also check if the recipe complies with your restrictions: if you asked "gluten-free" make sure there is no wheat flour or soy sauce in the steps.
The tool may make mistakes: for example, suggest incompatible products or skip an important step. Responsibility for the safety and taste of the dish remains with you. If you have allergies or medical restrictions, consult a doctor or dietitian. The tool does not give medical recommendations and does not check product composition for allergens.
Check: the recipe says "simmer for 20 minutes". If you have coarsely chopped potato, increase the time to 30 minutes and check readiness with a fork.
Tool limitations and typical errors
The tool does not generate images of dishes. In the interface only vector SVG and PNG are available, but they are not photorealistic. Do not expect to see a photo of the ready dish. There is also no export to DOCX or PDF, no batch processing, automatic saving, integrations, OCR and publishing. Everything you get is a text recipe that can be copied or downloaded as TXT.
Speech functions are limited: you can voice the text through eSpeak in WAV, but this is not audio generation from scratch and not voice cloning. Subtitles SRT are also available, but they are not automatically synchronized with video. If you need an audio file with the recipe, check if it is supported in your interface version. Not all functions may be available simultaneously.
A typical error - too general request. "Make something tasty" will not give a specific result. Another error - ignoring time limits: if you ask "quickly" but specify complex products, the tool may suggest a long process. Also do not enter more than 8000 characters in the first field - excess text may be truncated.
Error: "Cook dinner". Better: "2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g of lentils, 2 tomatoes. No meat. For 2 portions, 30 minutes".
How to integrate the tool into everyday cooking
Use the tool as a draft. When you do not know what to cook from leftovers, enter the list of products and get a basic plan. Then adapt it to your skills: if you do not like simmering, replace simmering with baking, if you have an oven. The tool does not prohibit changing the steps - it gives a starting point.
Save successful recipes in TXT files and create your own culinary folder. Since the tool does not save history, manual saving is the only way to return to a recipe. You can add the date and main ingredients to the file name to quickly find the needed one. This is especially convenient if you often cook from the same set of products.
Do not rely on the tool for calorie calculations or BJU. It is not intended for precise dietary calculations. If you need to control your diet, use specialized applications or consultation with a specialist. "What to cook" solves the task "what to make from what is available", not the task "compile a balanced diet".
Save file "2025-04-05_stewed_vegetables_with_lentils.txt" and add a note at the end: "turned out well, next time add more tomatoes".
The "What to cook" tool is a practical assistant for everyday cooking. It accepts a list of ingredients, restrictions, number of portions and time, and returns a text recipe. To get a useful result, formulate your request specifically, check the steps and consider the limitations. Remember that the tool does not replace culinary experience, does not give medical advice and does not generate photorealistic images. Use it as a draft, adapt it to yourself and save successful variants in TXT.
Open tool: Recipe generator ↗Interface translations are machine-assisted and may need refinement.