Computational Kitchen Companion

Chefini is an intelligent culinary companion that turns your leftovers into gourmet meals, plans your weekly batch cooking, and scientifically rescues dishes gone wrong. Built with Next.js 16 and powered by Llama 3 (Groq), it features a bold brutalist aesthetic and practical AI tools for the modern home cook.

➥ Live Demo

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Prerequisites
• Technologies Utilized
• Features
• Run Locally
• Deployment
• Configuration
• Project Structure
• Privacy & Safety
• License
• Contact

Overview

Cooking shouldn't be stressful or wasteful. Chefini solves common kitchen chaos with three core pillars:

• Resourcefulness: Instantly generate recipes from whatever ingredients you have on hand.
• Planning: Create structured 3-5 day meal prep plans to save time and money.
• Rescue: A scientific "Flavor Rescue Lab" to fix salty, spicy, or bland dishes in real-time.

All wrapped in a high-contrast, partially accessible, and mobile-responsive Brutalist UI.

Prerequisites:

Before setting up Chefini, ensure you have:

• Node.js (v18.x or later)
• npm or pnpm
• MongoDB (Local or AtlasURI)
• Groq Cloud Account (for Llama 3 API)

Technologies Utilized:

• Framework: Next.js 16 (App Router)
• Language: TypeScript
• Database: MongoDB (Mongoose)
• Styling: Tailwind CSS
• AI Engine: Groq SDK (Llama-3.3-70b-versatile)
• Auth: NextAuth.js (v5 Beta)
• Emails: Nodemailer / Resend
• Icons: Lucide React
• PDF/Image Gen: jsPDF & html2canvas

Features:

• 🪄 Leftover Magic: Input your ingredients and get a tailored recipe instantly.
• 🥗 Intelligent Diet Filtering: Toggle between Veg and Non-Veg recipes with instant visual feedback (🟢/🔴).
• 🔒 Edge Authentication: Secure, lightning-fast route protection using Next.js Middleware and Auth.js.
• 🍱 Smart Meal Prep: "Batch Compiler" creates a Sunday prep guide + daily runtime instructions for the week.
• 🎨 Premium Brutalist UI: Custom dark-themed scrollbars and interactive elements designing for a unique experience.
• 🚑 Flavor Rescue Lab: Too salty? Too spicy? The AI analyzes the problem and provides a chemical/culinary fix.
• 🛡️ AI Content Moderation: Inputs are validated to prevent gibberish or offensive content.
• 📚 Digital Cookbook: Save, categorize, and manage your favorite AI-generated recipes.
• 🛒 Smart Shopping List: Auto-generated grocery lists from your meal plans.
• 📤 Export Options: Download recipes and lists as high-quality PDFs or images.
• 📱 Fully Responsive: Optimized for use on your phone while cooking.

Run Locally:

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/RanitDERIA/chefini.git
   cd chefini

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

3. Environment Setup: Create a .env file in the root directory:

   # Database
   MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   
   # AI Provider
   GROQ_API_KEY=your_groq_api_key
   
   # Authentication
   AUTH_SECRET=your_nextauth_secret_key
   
   # Email (Optional)
   EMAIL_SERVER_USER=your_email
   EMAIL_SERVER_PASSWORD=your_password
   EMAIL_SERVER_HOST=smtp.example.com
   EMAIL_SERVER_PORT=587
   EMAIL_FROM=[email protected]

4. Start Development Server:

   npm run dev

5. Open Browser: Navigate to http://localhost:3000.

Deployment:

Chefini is optimized for Vercel.

1. Push to GitHub.
2. Import project in Vercel.
3. Add Environment Variables in Vercel Dashboard.
4. Deploy.

Configuration:

• Groq Model: Defaults to llama-3.3-70b-versatile for balance of speed and creativity. Configurable in app/api/... routes.
• Theme: The "Brutalist" theme uses standard Tailwind colors extended in tailwind.config.js (chefini-yellow, chefini-black).

Project Structure:

Chefini/
├── app/
│   ├── (auth)/                 # Authentication Routes
│   │   ├── login/
│   │   ├── signup/
│   │   └── verify-otp/
│   ├── (dashboard)/            # Protected User Interface
│   │   ├── batch/              # "Batch Cooking" Feature
│   │   ├── cookbook/           # Saved Recipes
│   │   ├── dashboard/          # Main UI + AI Generation Trigger
│   │   ├── debug/              # "Scientific Rescue" (Flavor Debugger)
│   │   └── shopping-list/      # Smart Grocery List
│   ├── api/                    # Backend API Routes
│   │   ├── generate/           # Llama 3 AI Logic Endpoint
│   │   ├── debug-dish/         # Flavor correction logic
│   │   └── recipes/            # CRUD for user recipes
│   └── landing/                # Public Landing Page
├── components/
│   ├── ui/
│   │   ├── BatchCompiler.tsx   # Logic for weekly meal planning
│   │   ├── CookMode.tsx        # Step-by-step cooking interface
│   │   ├── FlavorDebugger.tsx  # Scientific dish rescue UI
│   │   └── RecipeModal.tsx     # Recipe visualization
├── lib/
│   ├── auth.ts                 # NextAuth Configuration (Node.js)
│   ├── mongodb.ts              # Database Connection
│   └── ready-recipes.ts        # Fallback/Static recipe data
├── models/                     # Mongoose Schemas
│   ├── BatchPlan.ts
│   ├── Recipe.ts
│   ├── ShoppingList.ts
│   └── User.ts
├── auth.config.ts              # Edge-compatible Auth Config
├── middleware.ts               # Edge Middleware for Route Protection
├── public/                     # Static Assets
├── next.config.mjs             # Next.js Configuration
├── tailwind.config.js          # Styling Configuration
└── package.json                # Project Dependencies

Privacy & Safety:

• Content Safety: Integrated AI moderation ensures inputs are safe and relevant to cooking.
• Data: User data (recipes/plans) is stored securely in MongoDB. Passwords are hashed.

License:

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

📬 Let's Connect

---

⭐ Star this repository if you love cooking with AI!

Made with ❤️ and 🧂 by Ranit Deria