cooking/data

Data Directory

This directory contains all content and reference data for the cooking website.

Directory Structure

data/
├── README.md           # This file
├── authors.json        # Author profiles and information
├── taxonomy.json       # Categories, tags, and classification system
└── recipes/           # Recipe content
    ├── README.md
    ├── examples/
    ├── appetizers/
    ├── mains/
    ├── desserts/
    ├── sides/
    ├── beverages/
    └── breads/

Reference Files

authors.json

Contains author profiles with biographical information, social links, and specialties.

Structure:

{
  "authors": [
    {
      "id": "pws",
      "name": "PWS",
      "fullName": "Paul Wilson Smith",
      "bio": "Short biography",
      "email": "email@example.com",
      "website": "https://...",
      "avatar": "/images/authors/pws.jpg",
      "social": {
        "github": "username"
      },
      "joinDate": "2026-01-01",
      "specialties": ["Italian cuisine", "Baking"],
      "favoriteIngredient": "Garlic"
    }
  ]
}

Usage in recipes:

• Reference the author by their id in the recipe frontmatter
• Example: author: "pws"
• The site will look up full author details from this file

taxonomy.json

Defines the complete taxonomy system for organizing recipes.

Contains:

1. Categories - Main recipe classifications (appetizers, mains, desserts, etc.)
2. Tags - Organized by type:
   • cuisine - Italian, Mexican, Asian, etc.
   • protein - Chicken, beef, vegetarian, etc.
   • dietary - Gluten-free, vegan, keto, etc.
   • meal-type - Breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.
   • occasion - Weeknight, holiday, party, etc.
   • cooking-method - Baking, grilling, slow-cooker, etc.
   • speed - Quick-meals, one-pot, make-ahead, etc.
   • flavor-profile - Spicy, sweet, savory, etc.
   • special - Chocolate, pasta, soup, etc.
3. Difficulty - Easy, medium, hard with descriptions

Usage in recipes:

• Use tag IDs from this file in recipe frontmatter
• Example: tags: ["italian", "chicken", "comfort-food"]
• Example: category: "mains"
• Example: difficulty: "medium"
• The site can validate tags against this taxonomy

Benefits of Reference Files

Consistency

• Ensures uniform spelling and naming across all recipes
• Prevents duplicate tags with slight variations
• Maintains standardized author information

Validation

• Can validate recipe frontmatter against these schemas
• Catch typos and invalid values during build
• Provide helpful error messages

UI Generation

• Generate filter dropdowns from taxonomy
• Display tag descriptions and icons
• Show author bios and links automatically

Scalability

• Easy to add new authors, tags, or categories
• Central place to update descriptions and metadata
• Supports multiple authors and contributors

SEO & Discovery

• Structured data for search engines
• Consistent taxonomy improves findability
• Tag descriptions enhance metadata

Adding New Entries

Adding an Author

1. Open data/authors.json
2. Add a new author object to the authors array
3. Ensure the id is unique and lowercase-hyphenated
4. Add avatar image to /public/images/authors/
5. Reference the author ID in recipe frontmatter

Adding a Tag

1. Open data/taxonomy.json
2. Find the appropriate tag category (cuisine, protein, etc.)
3. Add a new tag object with id, name, and description
4. Use the tag ID in recipe frontmatter

Adding a Category

1. Open data/taxonomy.json
2. Add a new category to the categories array
3. Create the corresponding folder in data/recipes/
4. Use the category ID in recipe frontmatter

Best Practices

• Always reference tags/categories/authors by their id
• Keep IDs lowercase with hyphens (kebab-case)
• Write clear, helpful descriptions
• Add emojis to categories for visual interest
• Update both reference files and recipes together
• Validate changes before committing