Project 1 Recipe Generator

Build a dynamic recipe creator using OpenAI’s GPT-4 model. Enter a list of ingredients, and the application returns a chef-quality recipe tailored to your inputs.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Python 3.7+ installed
• An OpenAI API key (keep this secret!)

Install the OpenAI Python SDK

pip install openai

Configure Your API Key

Export your key as an environment variable:

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-your-api-key-here"

Or set it programmatically:

import os
os.environ["OPENAI_API_KEY"] = "sk-your-api-key-here"

Collecting Ingredients

Prompt users to input ingredients one at a time. Type done to finish:

ingredients = []

while True:
    item = input("Enter an ingredient (or 'done' to finish): ").strip()
    if item.lower() == "done":
        break
    ingredients.append(item)

Defining the Recipe Generator Function

Create recipe_gen() to format messages for GPT-4 and request a chat completion.

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY"))

def recipe_gen(ingredients: list[str]) -> str:
    messages = []

    # Add each ingredient as a user message
    for ing in ingredients:
        messages.append({"role": "user", "content": ing})

    # Instruct the model
    messages.extend([
        {"role": "system", "content": "Provide a concise, structured recipe."},
        {
            "role": "assistant",
            "content": "You are a professional chef. Generate a detailed recipe using the above ingredients."
        }
    ])

    response = client.chat.completions.create(
        model="gpt-4",
        messages=messages,
        max_tokens=400,
        temperature=0.8
    )

    return response.choices[0].message.content

Chat Completion Parameters

Running the Generator

Once ingredients are collected, invoke recipe_gen() and display the result:

if ingredients:
    recipe = recipe_gen(ingredients)
    print("\n=== Generated Recipe ===\n")
    print(recipe)
else:
    print("No ingredients provided. Please try again.")

Example Session

$ python recipe_generator.py
Enter an ingredient (or 'done' to finish): apples
Enter an ingredient (or 'done' to finish): grapes
Enter an ingredient (or 'done' to finish): chicken
Enter an ingredient (or 'done' to finish): chocolate
Enter an ingredient (or 'done' to finish): done

=== Generated Recipe ===

Chocolate-Glazed Chicken with Apple & Grape Compote

Ingredients:
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 2 apples, peeled & diced
- 1 cup grapes, halved
- 100g dark chocolate, melted
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Sear in olive oil over medium-high heat until cooked through.
3. Mix melted chocolate, vinegar, and honey; brush onto chicken.
4. Sauté apples in butter with brown sugar until soft. Add grapes and simmer 3–4 min.
5. Plate chicken and top with fruit compote. Serve warm.

References

• OpenAI Python SDK
• OpenAI Chat Completion API
• Environment Variables Best Practices