Prototype Status

This is not production ready. It's a rapid prototype built with Claude Code that I'll continue developing and blogging about. Read about how Cookie was built in 3 days using AI-assisted development.

Cookie is a self-hosted recipe manager that lets you search, import, organise, and cook through recipes from popular cooking websites. I built it as a personal challenge: how much of a full-featured application could I create in just 3 days?

The Challenge

I wanted to see what I could build in 3 days using AI-assisted development. I also have a couple of old iPads running iOS 9 and 10 - perfectly functional hardware let down by an outdated Safari that can't handle modern web apps. Cookie was designed to give these devices a second life as dedicated kitchen companions, with a legacy-compatible ES5 JavaScript frontend that works beautifully on old Safari alongside the modern React version.

Features

  • Search across 15+ recipe sites simultaneously (AllRecipes, BBC Good Food, Serious Eats, and more)
  • URL-based recipe importing with automatic extraction of ingredients, steps, and timings
  • Dual frontend: modern React/TypeScript and legacy ES5 for iOS 9/10 compatibility
  • Multi-profile system for different family members
  • Step-by-step cooking mode with built-in timers and audio alerts
  • Screen wake-lock to keep your device on while cooking
  • AI-powered recipe remixing, serving adjustments, and substitution suggestions

Tech Stack

Django 5 django-ninja React 18 TypeScript ES5 (legacy) Tailwind CSS SQLite (WAL) Docker nginx

Screenshots

A selection of screenshots showing Cookie across different platforms and themes.

Desktop

Home screen with recently viewed recipes
Home - Recently Viewed
Recipe detail showing instructions
Recipe - Instructions
Cooking mode with active timer
Cooking Mode
AI-powered recipe recommendations
AI Recommendations

Mobile

Mobile home screen
Home
Mobile recipe ingredients
Recipe - Ingredients
Mobile cooking mode
Cooking Mode

Legacy iPad (iOS 9)

Legacy iPad home screen
Home
Legacy iPad recipe with AI tips
Recipe - AI Tips

View all screenshots →

Outcome

The 3-day constraint forced focused decision-making and proved that with AI-assisted development, it's possible to ship a genuinely useful, full-featured application in a remarkably short time. The old iPads now live permanently in the kitchen, finally useful again.