Befana Recipes

Measured conclusion: Deep-tested. L2 outcome: tools_ok.

Ad-free recipes with amounts in every step: search, scale, plan meals, build shopping lists.

Add to your agent

Copy this into your MCP client config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Befana Recipes": {
      "url": "https://befana.app/mcp",
      "transport": "streamable-http"
    }
  }
}

Measured tools (25)

• search_recipes read-only

  Find recipes on Befana by keywords, ingredients, time or diet. Use when the cook asks "what's for dinner?", "something vegetarian under 30 minutes", "a good banana bread", "something with the spinach I have", or "show me my chili" (mine: true for their own, private ones included). The cook's allergies, diet and avoid list already apply, and their own recipes come first. Returns short summaries with slugs and urls; get_recipe has the full recipe. When the cook names a recipe search excluded, it comes back in hidden with why: don't stop to ask; go on with that slug, tell them why it was hidden before anything else, and never present it as safe. Works signed out (public recipes).

  Parameters:

  • mine — boolean — Only the cook's own recipes and versions, including private ones
  • tags — array — All must match. In use: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, quick, dinner, breakfast, dessert, baking, soup, side, snack, make-ahead
  • limit — integer
  • query — string — Keywords, e.g. "lemon pasta" or "soup"
  • allergens — array — Explicit per-request allergen screening, separate from exclude_ingredients. Use at most nine entries: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree_nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame. Fixed aliases: dairy → milk, egg → eggs, peanut → peanuts, tree nuts → tree_nuts, soya → soy, sesame seeds → sesame. Nuts and seafood are ambiguous: specify tree_nuts/peanuts or fish/shellfish explicitly. Gluten is not wheat and lactose is not milk; neither is supported here. No spelling guesses are made. Retry with supported categories. Empty adds no restriction and never clears saved rules. Not saved to Befana preferences or plans.
  • from_pantry — boolean — Rank by what the cook has in their saved pantry ("something with pasta from what I have"); each result says what they have and what's missing. For a pure "what can I make?" use suggest_from_pantry
  • max_minutes — integer — Maximum prep + cook time as the author wrote it (total_minutes). The time range shown (time) is the author's estimate plus a quarter, or the crowd's range once enough cooks finished (time.basis says which), so it can run past the limit
  • min_protein — integer — Grams of protein per serving at least ("high protein": 30). Defaults to the cook's saved target
  • max_calories — integer — Calories per serving at most ("under 500 calories"). Defaults to the cook's saved target; recipes whose nutrition can't be fully counted are left out
  • exclude_ingredients — array — Ingredient-name/canonical exclusions only, NOT allergen rules. Use allergens for explicit category screening; saved rules still apply
  • include_ingredients — array — Ingredients the recipe must use, e.g. what is in the fridge
  • unknown_ingredients — string — While allergen screening is active: exclude (default) omits insufficiently classified recipes; flag includes them with uncertainty. Named recipe retrieval always warns and returns the recipe.

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world no

• get_recipe read-only

  One recipe in full, scaled to any servings, US or metric, with every amount written into the step that uses it, so steps can be read aloud as they are. Use when the cook picks a recipe, asks "how much butter is that in tablespoons?" (pass units_for; the list and the steps follow, don't convert yourself), or wants a change ("make it dairy-free": substitute returns swaps that respect their allergies and diet; show the changed ingredients and steps, then save on their yes with fork_recipe, or update_recipe on their own). Returns the recipe, its url, step tips to pass on, and your_versions when the cook already has their own version (offer it). Mention chef_note only if asked. Works signed out.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string — Recipe slug from search_recipes
  • units — string — US cups/oz/°F or metric grams/ml/°C. Defaults to the cook's setting.
  • servings — number — Scale to this many servings (defaults to the cook's household size, then the recipe's own)
  • allergens — array — Explicit per-request allergen screening, separate from exclude_ingredients. Use at most nine entries: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree_nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame. Fixed aliases: dairy → milk, egg → eggs, peanut → peanuts, tree nuts → tree_nuts, soya → soy, sesame seeds → sesame. Nuts and seafood are ambiguous: specify tree_nuts/peanuts or fish/shellfish explicitly. Gluten is not wheat and lactose is not milk; neither is supported here. No spelling guesses are made. Retry with supported categories. Empty adds no restriction and never clears saved rules. Not saved to Befana preferences or plans.
  • units_for — object — The cook's own unit for particular ingredients, by ingredient key or name: { "butter": "tbsp", "flour": "g" }. Units: tsp, tbsp, cup, fl oz, ml, oz, lb, g. When the cook asks for an amount in another unit, pass this rather than converting yourself; the ingredient list and every step follow. Ones that can't convert come back in ignored_units
  • substitute — object — Ask for substitutions: for one ingredient, for a diet, or both
  • unknown_ingredients — string — While allergen screening is active: exclude (default) omits insufficiently classified recipes; flag includes them with uncertainty. Named recipe retrieval always warns and returns the recipe.

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world no

• get_cook_steps read-only

  A recipe as hands-free steps for cooking along: a gather list, then one step at a time with its amounts, the ingredients it uses, its tip and any timer. Use when the cook says "walk me through it", "I'm cooking it now", "what's next?" (pass step for just that one, or from_step to pick up where they left off). Give one step per reply and offer the step's timer. The recipe url shows the same steps as a checklist on their phone. Works signed out.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string
  • step — integer — Just this step (1-based), for "what's next?" in a voice flow; the gather list comes only with step 1 or no step
  • units — string — US cups/oz/°F or metric grams/ml/°C. Defaults to the cook's setting.
  • servings — number
  • allergens — array — Explicit per-request allergen screening, separate from exclude_ingredients. Use at most nine entries: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree_nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame. Fixed aliases: dairy → milk, egg → eggs, peanut → peanuts, tree nuts → tree_nuts, soya → soy, sesame seeds → sesame. Nuts and seafood are ambiguous: specify tree_nuts/peanuts or fish/shellfish explicitly. Gluten is not wheat and lactose is not milk; neither is supported here. No spelling guesses are made. Retry with supported categories. Empty adds no restriction and never clears saved rules. Not saved to Befana preferences or plans.
  • from_step — integer — This step and the rest, e.g. after a pause
  • units_for — object — The cook's own unit for particular ingredients, by ingredient key or name: { "butter": "tbsp", "flour": "g" }. Units: tsp, tbsp, cup, fl oz, ml, oz, lb, g. When the cook asks for an amount in another unit, pass this rather than converting yourself; the ingredient list and every step follow. Ones that can't convert come back in ignored_units
  • unknown_ingredients — string — While allergen screening is active: exclude (default) omits insufficiently classified recipes; flag includes them with uncertainty. Named recipe retrieval always warns and returns the recipe.

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world no

• build_shopping_list

  Merge recipes (each at its own servings) and anything else into one shopping list by aisle, in what a store sells (10 cloves garlic → 1 head). Use for "make me a list", "what do I need to buy?" or "add paper towels and 2 lb bananas" (extra_items keep the cook's amounts). What the cook has stays off (left_off); staples and small amounts of bulk items (3 tbsp flour) come back as likely_have, not bought: ask which they have or are out of, then update_shopping_list. Items that hit their allergies are flagged privately for this cook; warnings are not saved in the shareable list. Signed in, the list is saved and returns a shareable url and an id for order_groceries; signed out it comes back unsaved (keep: true asks them to sign in).

  Parameters:

  • recipes (required) — array
  • keep — boolean — Older spelling of save: true = save, false = preview. Still works; prefer save
  • save — string — "preview": show the list and keep nothing (no id, no url, nothing in My Kitchen), signed in or out; use it when the cook says "just show me", "don't save it yet", "an option". "save": keep it in the cook's kitchen (signed out: the sign-in error). Left out: a signed-in call saves, a signed-out call previews. The receipt in the result says which happened
  • units — string — US cups/oz/°F or metric grams/ml/°C. Defaults to the cook's setting.
  • pantry — array — Ingredients the cook already has, e.g. ["flour", "eggs"]
  • extra_items — array — Anything else for the same trip, as the cook said it, amount included: ["paper towels", "2 lb bananas"]. A matching recipe ingredient gets that quantity added when the units agree, or both amounts when they don't.
  • request_key — string — Your own id or receipt.request_key. First save wins for this cook and tool: within 10 minutes the same key returns the saved list, even if arguments changed. New arguments need a new key; edits use update_*. Without a key Befana fingerprints arguments and applied preferences/pantry
  • include_staples — boolean — Put salt, oil, sugar, etc. on the list instead of the pantry check

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world no

• update_shopping_list

  Change a saved list after the cook answers what build_shopping_list or plan_meals set aside as likely_have, or says how the trip went. remove: things they have (they come off, and count as left off); need: set-aside things they're out of (they move to the buy aisles); add: anything else for the trip, as they said it; outcomes: what happened at the store per item (bought, skipped, bought_elsewhere with the store they name). Use when the cook says "I have the flour and oil", "I'm out of chili flakes" or "skipped the salmon, got the bread at the bakery". Changes only this list, never the pantry: ask "Want me to remember these for next time?" first, then call pantry. Returns the pared list, its estimate and the order offer.

  Parameters:

  • list_id (required) — string — Id of the saved list from build_shopping_list or plan_meals
  • add — array — Anything else for the same trip, amount included: ["paper towels", "2 lb bananas"]
  • need — array — Set-aside (likely_have) things the cook is out of: they go back to the buy list at full size
  • remove — array — Things the cook has, as they said them: ["flour", "olive oil"]
  • outcomes — array — How the trip went, per line (#63): what they bought, skipped, or got somewhere else

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent no · open-world no

• plan_meals

  Plan dinners and return the finished week in one call: picks by day (varied, perishables first, one new to the cook), merged shopping list (list), prep_order, substitutions and one true line (say). Use when the cook says "what should we eat this week?", "plan dinners", "groceries for the week", "four dinners under $80" (max_budget), or has people over (occasion, guest_notes). Preferences and pantry apply. Show the plan with say and at most one next-step question; then stop and wait for the cook's next message. No second offer; nothing is ordered. A swap goes to update_meal_plan with plan_id. Signed out it comes back unsaved (keep: true asks to sign in).

  Parameters:

  • keep — boolean — Older spelling of save: true = save, false = preview. Still works; prefer save
  • save — string — "preview": show the plan and keep nothing (no id, no url, nothing in My Kitchen), signed in or out; use it when the cook says "just show me", "don't save it yet", "an option". "save": keep it in the cook's kitchen (signed out: the sign-in error). Left out: a signed-in call saves, a signed-out call previews. The receipt in the result says which happened
  • tags — array — Required tags, e.g. ["vegetarian"]
  • meals — integer — How many meals to plan; leave out to use the cook's usual number (workflow.plan_meals in preferences), else 5
  • units — string — US cups/oz/°F or metric grams/ml/°C. Defaults to the cook's setting.
  • pantry — array
  • occasion — string — weeknight: quick, everyday. guests or party: the plan comes with share links and an offer to adapt a recipe for a guest's needs before the list
  • servings — number — Servings per meal (defaults to each recipe's own)
  • meal_type — string
  • max_budget — number — US dollars the plan's list should stay under ("plan the week under $80"): an estimate from national average prices, so say "about"
  • guest_notes — string — Who's coming and what they need, in the cook's words: "one vegetarian, Sam hates cilantro". Used to offer a version of a recipe; never stored as a preference
  • max_minutes — integer
  • min_protein — integer — Grams of protein per serving at least; defaults to the cook's saved target
  • request_key — string — Your own id or receipt.request_key. First save wins for this cook and tool: within 10 minutes the same key returns the saved plan, even if arguments changed. New arguments need a new key; edits use update_*. Without a key Befana fingerprints arguments and applied preferences/pantry
  • max_calories — integer — Calories per serving at most for every meal; defaults to the cook's saved target
  • with_shopping_list — boolean
  • exclude_ingredients — array

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world no

• update_meal_plan

  Change the cook's saved meal plan in place: swap a day for another pick (constraints: faster, max_minutes, tags, query, or a slug the cook chose), drop a day, or add one, keeping their other days. Use when the cook says "swap Tuesday for something faster", "not the salmon", "we're out Thursday", "add one more dinner". Pass plan_id from plan_meals. Returns the whole plan by day, what changed, and the same list (same id and link), prep order, swaps, nutrition, cost and say, all recomputed. A dinner swapped out counts against it in later plans. Say what changed and the list line, then ask the one question in next_steps.

  Parameters:

  • plan_id (required) — string — plan_id from plan_meals
  • add — array — Meals to add: [{}] for one more dinner
  • drop — array — Days to take out of the plan: ["Thu"]
  • swap — array — Days to change: [{ day: "Tue", constraints: { faster: true } }]
  • units — string — US cups/oz/°F or metric grams/ml/°C. Defaults to the cook's setting.
  • pantry — array
  • with_shopping_list — boolean — Rebuild the plan's list in place (the default)

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent no · open-world no

• order_groceries

  Send a shopping list to a grocer near the cook: into their cart where the store allows it (King Soopers and other Kroger stores, once connected), else one list link, else a search link per item. Use when the cook says "order these", "get it delivered", "send it to my store". No saved store: it asks their ZIP, then lists nearby grocers (choose_store); call again with store and zip, which saves it. A cart grocer first returns cart_preview: tell the cook its say (flagged items and total only), apply their changes as edits, then call with preview_id and confirm: true. Share share_url with the cook (the order is theirs: Befana's order page uses their saved store and sign-in); list_url is the link for the household. Befana never picks a brand. Keep commission_disclosure in parentheses right after the link, once.

  Parameters:

  • zip — string — The cook's ZIP code, when they gave it; saved with their store. Never guess it
  • edits — array — The cook's changes to a preview ("skip the hoisin", "2 salmon"), with preview_id
  • store — string — The store the cook picked or named ("Sprouts", "King Soopers"), ideally one from choose_store. Saved as their store unless remember_store is false
  • units — string — US cups/oz/°F or metric grams/ml/°C. Defaults to the cook's setting.
  • pantry — array — Ingredients the cook already has; they are not ordered
  • confirm — boolean — true, with preview_id, once the cook said yes to the preview
  • list_id — string — Id of a saved list from build_shopping_list or plan_meals
  • preview — boolean — A cart grocer previews before adding anything (the default). false adds straight away, only when the cook said they don't need to check
  • recipes — array
  • provider — string — Grocer to hand the list to: instacart, walmart, kroger, amazon or search. Omit for the cook's saved store, or Instacart when that store isn't available. An unknown or unavailable grocer returns an error listing the available ones.
  • preview_id — string — A cart_preview's id: with edits it updates the preview, with confirm: true it adds exactly those items to the cart
  • remember_store — boolean — false for a one-off order elsewhere; the saved store stays as it was

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent no · open-world yes

• draft_recipe

  Turn a recipe the cook pasted, typed or linked into a draft to check: ingredients matched, steps in plain words with the amounts as tags, servings, times and timers filled in. Nothing is published. Use when the cook says "save my grandma's meatballs", "add this one" with a link, or shows you a recipe card (read it yourself and pass the text). Show the draft, point out the guessed fields, then publish with create_recipe({ draft_id }) once they confirm. existing means it's already on Befana: send them there (save_recipe, fork_recipe), and add_anyway only if they say it's a different recipe. blocked means the site only opens for its readers: pass the page's text with source_url if you can see it.

  Parameters:

  • url — string — A public recipe page (http or https), or a Pinterest Pin or pin.it link (Befana follows the Pin to the recipe it saved). Pass text or url, not both
  • text — string — The recipe as the cook gave it, in any format
  • add_anyway — boolean — Draft it even though it matched a recipe already on Befana (only when the cook says it's a different recipe)
  • source_url — string — With text: the web page the recipe text came from, to credit it and to find it if it's already on Befana

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent no · open-world yes

• create_recipe

  Publish a recipe to Befana. Use with draft_id from draft_recipe once the cook has seen and confirmed the draft, passing only the fields they changed; never publish pasted text straight from fields. Pass fields without a draft only for a recipe you worked out with the cook in this conversation, after showing it to them. Steps use ingredient tags, never typed amounts: "Whisk {flour} with {salt}". Recipes are public and appear under My recipes unless visibility is "private" (just for the cook); an exact copy of one the cook already has is refused (use update_recipe). tested marks it cooked and timed only when the cook says they made it; ask, never assume. Returns the url and any warnings.

  Parameters:

  • tags — array
  • steps — array
  • title — string
  • author — string — Name to credit (the cook)
  • tested — Mark the recipe tested: the cook says they cooked it themselves and timed it. Ask the cook ("Have you cooked this? About how long did it take, start to finish?") and pass only what they say; never assume it, never estimate the minutes, and never mark a recipe tested because you drafted, imported or adapted it. null clears the mark. Shown as "Tested by the cook · 45 min" and counted as one timed cook.
  • summary — string — One or two sentences on what makes it good
  • draft_id — string — A draft_id from draft_recipe, to publish that draft
  • servings — number
  • chef_note — string — The chef's note, up to 500 characters: a sentence or two in the cook's words on what makes the recipe theirs. Only what the cook said; never write one for them.
  • visibility — string — private = just for the cook, from the first save (#171); public (the default) lists it under My recipes and in search
  • ingredients — array
  • yield_label — string — servings, cookies, loaves, jars…
  • cook_minutes — integer
  • prep_minutes — integer

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent no · open-world yes

• generate_placeholder_cover

  Draw a labeled illustration of the dish for a recipe the cook owns that has no photo, so it looks finished until they add a real one. Use when the cook says "it needs a picture" or accepts the offer after create_recipe. Ask first; it takes up to a minute. It's drawn from the recipe's own text, labeled "Illustration, not a photo of this dish" everywhere, never counted as a photo, and never replaces a cook's photo (that's a refusal, not an error). When image generation is off, say so and point to the photo upload on the website.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string — The cook's own recipe

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world yes

• fork_recipe

  Save the cook's own version of someone else's recipe, linked to the original, which never changes. Use when the cook says "make it dairy-free and keep that", "halve the sugar", "save it for 8". Pass only what changes; ingredients or steps, if passed, are the complete new list (get_recipe first and edit it). Before calling, show the cook the changed ingredients and steps and get a yes; never save silently. It's named after the change unless you pass title. Public by default; visibility "private" keeps it just for the cook. The same change again returns their existing version (already_existed). On the cook's own recipe use update_recipe; this refuses.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string — The original recipe's slug
  • tags — array
  • steps — array
  • title — string
  • author — string — Name to credit (the cook)
  • summary — string — One or two sentences on what makes it good
  • servings — number
  • chef_note — string — The chef's note, up to 500 characters: a sentence or two in the cook's words on what makes the recipe theirs. Only what the cook said; never write one for them.
  • visibility — string — private = just for the cook; public (the default) lists it under the original
  • ingredients — array
  • yield_label — string — servings, cookies, loaves, jars…
  • cook_minutes — integer
  • prep_minutes — integer

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent no · open-world yes

• update_recipe

  Change the cook's own recipe or version. Use when the cook says "add more garlic to my version", "make mine private", "take it down" (unpublished: true; off Befana for everyone but them, reversible; a recipe others have cooked or saved can only come down this way), "use my photo for the cover", "undo that last change", or "I made it tonight, took about 50 minutes" (tested; ask for the time if they didn't say, never assume). Pass only what changes; ingredients or steps, if passed, are the complete new list. photo: only one the cook took, never generated, stock or found; even when asked, name the recipe and get a yes first. Before calling, show the cook the changed ingredients and steps and get a yes; never save silently. Every edit keeps a revision (restore_revision: n undoes edit n). Not the cook's? Use fork_recipe. recover_photo is recovery-only: discover with get_my_kitchen section pending_photos, show the selected photo, target and current-cover replacement consequence, then wait for explicit selection and confirmation. cook_confirmed is the model's assertion, not independent proof of consent; never auto-confirm. Copy the full observed version unchanged and combine recovery with no other edits.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string — The cook's recipe or version to change
  • tags — array
  • photo — object — A photo the cook took of this dish: the cover, or a step with step. Pass image_url or image_base64. Never a generated, stock or found-online picture. Asking for it isn't the yes: first tell the cook which recipe and where ("I'll set this photo as the cover of <title>. OK?") and call only after they say yes. It goes through Befana's photo check (a cover needs daylight and at least 1200 px on the long side); a refusal says what to fix and nothing changes. It replaces the current cover, a placeholder illustration included. If you can't pass the file, the cook can use "Add a photo" on the recipe page. Change publication status (unpublished) in a separate call, never together with a photo.
  • steps — array
  • title — string
  • author — string — Name to credit (the cook)
  • tested — Mark the recipe tested: the cook says they cooked it themselves and timed it. Ask the cook ("Have you cooked this? About how long did it take, start to finish?") and pass only what they say; never assume it, never estimate the minutes, and never mark a recipe tested because you drafted, imported or adapted it. null clears the mark. Shown as "Tested by the cook · 45 min" and counted as one timed cook.
  • summary — string — One or two sentences on what makes it good
  • servings — number
  • chef_note — string — The chef's note, up to 500 characters: a sentence or two in the cook's words on what makes the recipe theirs. Only what the cook said; never write one for them.
  • visibility — string
  • ingredients — array
  • show_counts — boolean — Whether the page shows "cooked N times · shared N times" once there are enough cooks (#46); default on. false hides them
  • unpublished — boolean — true takes the recipe off Befana for everyone but the cook (the link stays theirs, nothing is lost, their lists and plans still open it); false puts it back. Not an edit: no revision. Confirm first, like any change
  • yield_label — string — servings, cookies, loaves, jars…
  • cook_minutes — integer
  • prep_minutes — integer
  • recover_photo — object — Recover an uploaded cover without another intake. Use only with slug; no other edits, uploads, restoration or publication. First discover with get_my_kitchen section pending_photos, show the selected preview, target and replacement consequence, and wait for the cook's explicit confirmation.
  • attached_photo — object — A JPG, PNG or WebP photo the cook attached in the chat, for the cover (or a step with photo.step). Convert HEIC/HEIF to one of those formats first. Change publication status (unpublished) in a separate call, never together with a photo. ChatGPT fills in this file object when the cook attaches a picture; don't type a link here (a link goes in photo.image_url). The same rules as photo: only a photo the cook took of this dish; name the recipe and where it goes and get the cook's yes first; it goes through the photo check and replaces the current cover.
  • restore_revision — integer — Undo: put the recipe back to how it was before edit n (see get_recipe's revisions). Other fields you pass apply on top.

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent no · open-world yes

• delete_recipe destructive

  Delete a recipe the cook owns, for good, when nobody else has touched it (no versions, reviews or saves by other cooks). Use when the cook says "delete that test recipe", "get rid of it". Without confirm it only reports what would go and whether it can; name the recipe, get a yes, then call with confirm: true. A recipe others have cooked or saved can't be deleted: the answer points at update_recipe({ unpublished: true }), which takes it off Befana for everyone but the cook and can be undone.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string — The cook's own recipe
  • confirm — boolean — true only after the cook said yes to deleting this recipe by name

  Hints: read-only no · destructive yes · idempotent yes · open-world no

• get_my_recipe_feedback read-only

  Read only the signed-in cook's saved private feedback and the recipe-as-written context (US units, original servings). Before new step feedback, show the referenced step and amounts, ask the cook to review them, and use this content_token with rate_recipe. Never infer stars, made-it, repeat choice or substitutions from a note. No author access to other cooks' private feedback.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world no

• rate_recipe

  Post the cook's star rating (1 to 5) and comment, and mark that they made it. Use when the cook says "that was great, five stars" or "I made the chili, a bit too salty". One rating per cook per recipe: calling again updates it, and a comment left out is kept. Refuses the cook's own recipe. Post only what the cook said; ask for the stars if they didn't give any. Private notes and substitutions have a 2,000-character combined limit. Optional private step feedback requires the content_token from get_my_recipe_feedback and a reviewed step context. Omitted optional answers are preserved; null or empty arrays clear only that answer. Keep stars explicit; never infer completion or preferences from notes. With made_it it finishes their cook and may offer to take what the recipe used off the pantry.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string
  • stars (required) — integer
  • name — string — Display name the cook wants shown (defaults to their account name)
  • comment — string
  • made_it — boolean — Set true only when the cook explicitly says they made it; omission preserves the review and does not finish a cook.
  • content_token — string
  • step_feedback
  • cook_session_id — string — Session returned by get_cook_steps; identifies the cook being completed, validated against the signed-in cook and recipe.
  • would_make_again
  • substitutions_made

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world yes

• save_recipe

  Keep a recipe in the cook's Saved list (My Kitchen on the website), or take it off with saved: false. Use when the cook says "save this", "keep that one", "add it to my favorites", or "take the chili off my saved". Saving twice is harmless. Returns the recipe link and where Saved lives.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string — Recipe slug from search_recipes
  • saved — boolean — false takes it off Saved (only when the cook asks)

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world no

• get_my_kitchen read-only

  What the cook keeps on Befana: saved recipes, recipes they published, their own versions, shopping lists and meal plans, their ratings, a pantry count. Use when the cook asks "what did I save?", "pull up last week's list", "show my recipes", or (section: photos) "which of my recipes need a better photo?". For an explicitly requested interrupted photo save, section pending_photos with target_recipe returns up to 30 private choices and an observed version; it neither claims recipes nor acknowledges notices. Show the chosen photo, target and replacement consequence and obtain explicit confirmation before update_recipe recover_photo. Never auto-attach or auto-confirm. Same as My Kitchen on the website. If newly_assigned is present, say its line first, once (Befana added those recipes; hand_back_recipe returns one that isn't theirs). If fixes_asked is present, pass the fixes on once and offer to make them with update_recipe after showing the changes.

  Parameters:

  • limit — integer — Items per ordinary kitchen section; pending_photos always returns at most 30
  • section — string — photos: recipes needing a better cover. pending_photos: explicitly requested private recovery choices for target_recipe, at most 30 per page; neither photo section is part of all
  • target_recipe — string — Required only with pending_photos: the exact recipe slug whose cover the cook wants to recover
  • expected_actor — string — For later pending_photos pages, copy expected_actor from discovery; an account consistency check, never authorization
  • pending_cursor — string — Only with pending_photos: next_cursor from the preceding page

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world no

• hand_back_recipe destructive

  Hand back a recipe the Befana team added to the cook's kitchen (get_my_kitchen newly_assigned) when the cook says "that one isn't mine". Keeping it is the default and needs nothing. Confirm with the cook first; it works once per recipe.

  Parameters:

  • slug (required) — string

  Hints: read-only no · destructive yes · idempotent yes · open-world no

• get_my_stats read-only

  How the cook's own recipes are doing: views, shares, prints, cooks, saves, versions and ratings, in total and by day, per recipe and by region. Use when a cook who publishes asks "how's my recipe doing?", "how many people cooked my dal?", "what's my most popular recipe?". Counts only, never who: the cook's own activity is left out, and a cook is someone who finished the last step, said they made it, or printed it. Lead with line, then the top recipe with its url; quote definitions.cook if asked what counts. Same numbers as /me/stats on the website.

  Parameters:

  • range — string — The window; all is all-time totals with a year of daily rows
  • recipe — string — One of the cook's recipes, by slug, for just that recipe

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world no

• pantry

  Read or change the cook's pantry: food on hand and staples, which Befana leaves off shopping lists and uses for what-can-I-make. Use when the cook says what they have or ran out of ("I've got chicken thighs and half an onion", "we're out of eggs"), corrects it, or asks what's in it. Pass their words verbatim as text; or add/remove names; a fridge photo goes in photo (an upload name). No arguments reads it. Saying what they have is the cook's yes: save it and read the change back in one line. Never add what the cook didn't say. Returns the change (unsure lists what didn't read as food) or the whole pantry.

  Parameters:

  • add — array — Ingredient names to add
  • text — string — What the cook said, verbatim
  • photo — string — An upload name (or its /media/ URL) from POST /api/upload with purpose "parse": a photo of the fridge or shelf to read
  • remove — array — Ingredient names to take out
  • replace — boolean — Take out every fresh item not in this update (staples stay)
  • staples — array — Set the always-on-hand list to exactly these

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world no

• suggest_from_pantry read-only

  Recipes ranked by how much the cook already has, each with what's missing ("You have 7 of 9. Missing: lemon, parmesan."). Use when the cook asks "what can I make?", "what can I do with chicken and rice?", or "the chicken has to get used tonight" (must_use). Uses their saved pantry; signed out, or for "what if I had…", pass pantry. Staples are assumed; allergies, diet and avoid list apply; keywords, tags and max_minutes narrow it. Read the top few with the have/missing line and the url; a list of just the missing items is the natural next step.

  Parameters:

  • tags — array
  • limit — integer
  • query — string — Keywords, e.g. "soup"
  • pantry — array — Ingredient names to use instead of the saved pantry (signed out, or a what-if)
  • must_use — array — Ingredients the recipe has to use
  • max_minutes — integer

  Hints: read-only yes · destructive not declared · idempotent not declared · open-world no

• preferences

  Read or change the cook's Befana preferences: allergies, diet, avoid list, household size, units, weeknight time, skill, equipment, cuisines, store, privacy, and how they want you to work, all applied to every tool. No arguments reads them. For a change the cook asks for in their own words ("switch me to metric", "set us to 4 people"), save with cook_confirmed. Allergies, diets, the avoid list, privacy, a change you suggest or a passing mention ("usually it's 4 of us") need a yes first: pass the change without cook_confirmed (nothing is saved), ask the cook confirm.say, then call again with cook_confirmed. Never infer an allergy or diet. Lists replace the saved list.

  Parameters:

  • avoid — array — Ingredients the cook dislikes
  • diets — array
  • skill
  • store — object
  • units — string
  • pantry — array — Always-on-hand staples
  • servings — Household size; null to use each recipe's own
  • workflow — object — How the cook wants you to work with them. Pass only the keys that change
  • allergies — array — Major allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree_nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame
  • equipment — array
  • avoid_mode — string — exclude hides those recipes; rank_lower shows them lower
  • do_not_sell — boolean — True keeps the cook out of every aggregated data product Befana sells or licenses
  • share_region — boolean — False stops usage counts from recording the cook's state or country
  • cuisines_love — array
  • cuisines_skip — array
  • servings_mode — string — offer (default): recipes open at their own servings and the household size is offered; always: recipes open scaled to it. Lists and meal plans use the household size either way
  • cook_confirmed — boolean — Required to change anything: true only when the cook asked for this exact change in their own words (non-health settings) or said yes after you restated it (always for allergies, diets, avoid list, privacy)
  • custom_allergies — array — Other allergy ingredients, e.g. ["kiwi"]
  • nutrition_targets — object — Targets for one serving that plan_meals and search_recipes use by default ("keep dinners under 600 calories"). Not health data
  • weeknight_minutes

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world no

• cook_profile

  Read a cook's public Befana page, or change the signed-in cook's own. Use when the cook asks "who shared this?", "show me more from this cook", "what's on my profile?", or wants their name, about me, links or handle changed. Pass handle (any recipe's shared_by.handle) to read that page; nothing to read their own (signed in). To change their own, pass update with only the fields to change, after telling them exactly what will change and getting a yes (cook_confirmed). Never write about-me text for them. Returns name, about, links and public recipes with urls; ai_chef true means an AI chef persona. Nothing private is ever on a profile.

  Parameters:

  • handle — string — Whose page to read, e.g. "andrew_rexroad" (with or without @). Omit for the signed-in cook's own
  • update — object — Changes to the signed-in cook's own profile; interests and links replace the saved lists. A changed handle redirects for 90 days. photo: "google" copies the account photo, null removes it
  • cook_confirmed — boolean — Required with update: true only after the cook said yes to this exact change

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world yes

• report_content

  Flag a recipe, review, photo or a cook's profile for Befana's moderators: spam, offensive, unsafe as written, copied without permission, not a recipe, or something else. Use only when the cook asks ("report this review", "this recipe is dangerous"), in their words. Moderators review every report; nothing is hidden automatically.

  Parameters:

  • kind (required) — string
  • id (required) — string — The recipe slug, the review id, the photo URL, or the cook's handle for a profile
  • reason (required) — string — spam: Spam or advertising; offensive: Offensive or hateful; unsafe: Unsafe to cook or eat as written; copyright: Copied without permission; not_recipe: Not a real recipe; other: Something else
  • note — string — What's wrong, in the cook's words

  Hints: read-only no · destructive no · idempotent yes · open-world no

Publisher website

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