Skill: recipe-search

Use when the user wants to find recipes in their collection.

Needs the Cook MCP server (tools like search_recipes and read_recipe). If these tools are missing, the Cook MCP server isn't connected: if you installed the cooklang plugin or extension, check that its cook server is running (e.g. /mcp) or reinstall it; otherwise add it from https://github.com/cook-md/cook-mcp. Do not guess at what the collection holds.

The tools

• search_recipes — query and/or tag. Returns hits (path, name): best match first when there is a query; a tag-only search is sorted by path.
  • Every word in query must match (AND), case-insensitively, as a substring of the file name or the file's text (frontmatter, ingredients, steps, notes). chicken rice finds recipes with both; tomato also matches tomatoes.
  • tag keeps only files whose frontmatter tags list contains that tag (case-insensitive, whole tag). query may be empty when tag is set.
• list_recipes — browse instead of search: dir for one folder (folder names are often the course: Breakfast/, Desserts/), kind "recipe", "menu" or "all".
• read_recipe — a hit's metadata (servings, time, tags) and steps, when you need them.

Workflow

1. Turn the request into the narrowest cheap search:
   • an ingredient or dish → query with one or two distinctive words (chickpea, lemon cake);
   • a tag the collection uses (vegetarian, quick) → tag;
   • a course → list_recipes with dir when the collection has a folder for it;
   • a cuisine or diet → try tag first, then query (it also matches frontmatter like cuisine: Italian).
2. Too many hits: add a word or a tag. None: drop a word, try a shorter stem (aubergin for aubergine/aubergines), or a synonym (courgette/zucchini). For "X or Y", run one search per word and merge the results.
3. Present hits as a short list of names with their paths. Read only the few you need to say more about (servings, time) — not every hit.
4. Offer the obvious next step: open one, scale it (scale-recipe), add it to a plan (meal-planning), or build a shopping list (shopping-list).

Rules

• Only name recipes the tools returned, with their paths exactly as returned. If nothing matches, say so and offer to import one (recipe-import).
• "What can I cook with what I have?" is a pantry question: use pantry_recipes (pantry skill).
• Nutrition criteria ("over 30 g protein") are a screen, not a search: narrow here first, then follow nutrition-reports ("Screening a shortlist").
• If searches keep missing because tags are inconsistent (Italian vs italian vs italian-food), mention it and offer the organize-collection audit.