Adding & Editing Recipes

Adding a recipe

From your recipes list, click Add Recipe. Mirabel opens and asks where the recipe’s coming from; choose I’ll type it myself to open a blank recipe on its own full-page editor. (Mirabel’s guided interview is there whether or not the deployment has an Anthropic API key — typing a recipe yourself never needs AI.)

Fill in the fields, then click Save. You’ll be taken directly to the new recipe page.

The editor is one full-page document — the same one that opens when you edit an existing recipe. Fill it in top to bottom: a title and description, the Serves, Makes, Time, Active, and Category fields, a Tags row, a Source row, then a step for each part of the recipe. Each step holds its own ingredient lines and instructions.

Write each ingredient as one line — its name, then the quantity, then any prep note, like Flour, 190 g: sifted. The editor colors the three parts as you type.

Source records where the recipe came from. Write a link like [NYT Cooking](https://cooking.nytimes.com/…), a plain web address, or just a name — Mirepoix shows it at the bottom of the recipe page, and links out when you gave it an address. Import from a link and it’s filled in for you. See Recipe format for what the field accepts.

The recipe editor is one full-page document. From the top: a title and description, a row of Serves, Makes, Time, Active, and Category fields, a Tags row, then a Source row holding a link or a name, then a step for each part of the recipe — each step carrying its own ingredient lines and an instructions box. Write each ingredient as one line: its name, then the quantity, then an optional prep note, like “Flour, 190 g: sifted.” A bar across the bottom holds Delete, Copy as text, a “What changed?” note, Cancel, and Save.

AI import

If an Anthropic API key is configured on the deployment (via the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable), the Add Recipe button opens Mirabel, who can build a recipe from a website, a photo, or pasted text. She turns it into the recipe format and hands you a draft to review and save. (Her From a file choice imports backup and Markdown files directly, no draft and no AI — see Markdown import.)

Always review the result before saving. AI import is a fast starting point, not a finished import. See Import a recipe with AI for the walkthrough.

Editing an existing recipe

Open the recipe, then click Edit in the action row below the recipe header. The same full-page editor opens with the recipe’s current content — there’s no pop-up dialog, and no separate modes to switch between.

Changes take effect when you click Save. You’ll be taken back to the recipe page.

If you change the title, the recipe’s web address updates to match the new name. A link you’d already shared keeps working — it opens the recipe at its new address. See Sharing a recipe.

Leaving without saving

The editor guards unsaved edits on the way out. Click Cancel, or follow a link off the page, and you’re asked to confirm first: “You have unsaved changes. Discard them?” Dismiss the prompt to stay and keep editing.

The browser’s Back button doesn’t go through that prompt — depending on how you opened the editor, your browser may show a warning of its own, or nothing may ask at all. Either way, the editor holds on to what you typed. Open that recipe’s editor again and a banner offers it back: “You left this page with unsaved edits. Restore them?” Click Restore edits to put your work back, or Discard to let it go. The offer lasts as long as the browser tab stays open.

Restoring is safe if someone else saved the recipe while you were away — your save stops with a notice that there’s a newer version, rather than overwriting their work.

Adding a note about your change

The bar at the bottom of the editor has a What changed? (optional) box. Type a short note — “halved the salt,” “added a serving suggestion” — and it’s saved alongside this version. The note shows up in the recipe’s history so you can find the right version later. Leave it blank if you don’t need one.

Every save is recorded automatically, with or without a note. See Recipe history to browse past versions and restore one.

Deleting a recipe

Open the recipe for editing, then click Delete in the bar at the bottom of the page. You’ll be asked to confirm.

Deleting a recipe removes it from the recipe list, from the menu, and from the grocery list. Any recipes that cross-reference the deleted recipe will show a broken reference notice.

A deleted recipe isn’t gone for good. It moves to Recently deleted at the bottom of the recipe list, where you can restore it. See Recipe history.

Last updated July 13, 2026