What is HowToCook?
HowToCook (程序员做饭指南) is an open-source cookbook project created by programmer Anduin2017. It contains 297 recipes written with the precision and clarity that developers expect from documentation.
The project’s philosophy is simple: cooking recipes should be as clear as code. No ambiguous instructions like “a little salt” or “cook until done.” Every recipe uses precise measurements, exact timings, and step-by-step procedures.
GitHub: https://github.com/Anduin2017/HowToCook
Stars: 70K+
Contributors: 200+
License: Unlicense
Why Programmers Need This
The Problem with Traditional Recipes
| Issue | Example | HowToCook Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Ambiguous quantities | “a little salt” | “3g salt (1/2 teaspoon)” |
| Vague timing | “cook until golden” | “fry for 90 seconds per side” |
| Missing steps | Ingredients appear mid-recipe | Complete ingredient list upfront |
| No difficulty rating | All recipes look equally hard | 1-5 star difficulty system |
| No equipment list | Assume you have everything | Required tools listed first |
Features Designed for Developers
- Structured format: Like functions with parameters
- Difficulty levels: 1-5 stars (from instant noodles to Peking Duck)
- Equipment requirements: Listed before ingredients
- Exact measurements: Grams, milliliters, not “a pinch”
- Time tracking: Prep time, cook time, total time
- Error handling: Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Recipe Categories
By Difficulty
| Stars | Count | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ⭐ | 45 | Tomato scrambled eggs, instant noodles upgrade |
| ⭐⭐ | 78 | Kung Pao chicken, braised pork |
| ⭐⭐⭐ | 89 | Sweet and sour pork ribs, mapo tofu |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 56 | Peking duck, hot pot base |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 29 | Shark fin soup, abalone porridge |
By Type
- Vegetables: 85 recipes (stir-fried, braised, steamed)
- Meat: 92 recipes (pork, beef, chicken, lamb)
- Seafood: 34 recipes (fish, shrimp, crab)
- Soups: 46 recipes (quick soups, slow-cooked broths)
- Breakfast: 23 recipes (congee, pancakes, sandwiches)
- Desserts: 17 recipes (cakes, puddings, sweet soups)
Sample Recipe: Tomato Scrambled Eggs
# Tomato Scrambled Eggs (西红柿炒鸡蛋) ⭐
## Ingredients
- 2 eggs (100g)
- 2 tomatoes (300g)
- 3g salt (1/2 teaspoon)
- 5g sugar (1 teaspoon)
- 10ml cooking oil
- 2g green onion (optional)
## Equipment
- Frying pan
- Spatula
- Bowl
## Time
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 5 minutes
- Total: 10 minutes
## Steps
1. Crack eggs into bowl, add 1g salt, beat until uniform
2. Wash tomatoes, cut into 2cm chunks
3. Heat pan to medium-high (180°C)
4. Add oil, wait 10 seconds
5. Pour eggs, stir constantly for 30 seconds
6. Remove eggs when 80% solid (slightly runny)
7. Add tomatoes to same pan, cook 2 minutes
8. Add remaining salt and sugar
9. Return eggs to pan, mix 20 seconds
10. Serve immediately
## Tips
- Don't overcook eggs - they continue cooking after removal
- If tomatoes are too acidic, add 1g more sugar
- For softer texture, add 10ml milk to eggs
Community & Contributions
How to Contribute
- Fork the repository
- Copy the template recipe
- Write your recipe following the format
- Submit a Pull Request
Contribution Stats
- 200+ contributors worldwide
- 297 recipes and growing
- Multiple languages: Chinese, English, Japanese
- Docker support: Run locally with one command
Web Deployment
# Deploy locally
docker pull ghcr.io/anduin2017/how-to-cook:latest
docker run -d -p 5000:5000 ghcr.io/anduin2017/how-to-cook:latest
# Access at http://localhost:5000
NPM Package
Install as a Node.js package:
npm install how-to-cook
Use programmatically:
const recipes = require('how-to-cook');
// Search recipes
const tomatoRecipes = recipes.search('tomato');
// Get by difficulty
const easyRecipes = recipes.filterByStars(1);
// Get random recipe
const dinner = recipes.random();
Learning Path
Beginner (Week 1-2)
- Kitchen preparation
- Basic knife skills
- 1-star recipes
- Rice cooking
Intermediate (Week 3-4)
- 2-3 star recipes
- Meat preparation
- Stir-fry techniques
- Soup basics
Advanced (Week 5+)
- 4-5 star recipes
- Multi-dish coordination
- Flavor balancing
- Presentation
Why This Matters for SEO
HowToCook is a perfect example of:
- Community-driven content: 200+ contributors create authentic content
- Structured data: Recipes follow schema.org format
- Long-tail keywords: “程序员做饭指南”, “how to cook for developers”
- Evergreen content: Cooking never goes out of style
- Multi-language: Chinese, English, Japanese versions
Related Articles
- Free Claude Code: Open Source AI Coding Agent - Another developer-focused open source tool
- Pixelle-Video: AI Short Video Generator - AI tools for content creation
- OpenClaw 42 Use Cases - AI agents for daily tasks
Disclaimer: This article introduces an open-source project. All recipe content belongs to the HowToCook community. Please follow food safety guidelines when cooking.