add processing notes

Chicken Burrito Bowl.md

@@ -54,5 +54,4 @@ Divide the cilantro-lime rice between bowls. Add a bed of shredded lettuce, then
 ## Notes
 - **Nice-to-haves:** pickled jalapeños
 - Always keep chicken in a single layer when searing — crowding the pan causes steaming instead of browning
-- Cubed chicken cooks fast; don
-'t walk away!
+- Cubed chicken cooks fast; don't walk away!

hello-fresh-import-notes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+# HelloFresh → Mealie import notes
+
+Lessons from processing the chowder recipe. Use as a checklist when adding another HelloFresh recipe.
+
+## 1. Shipped quantities ≠ recipe quantities
+
+HelloFresh ships fixed packets, and the recipe usually uses only part of them.
+
+- Keep ingredient amounts as the **shipped amount**. Do not "correct" them to match the steps.
+- Leftovers are expected, not a data-entry error.
+- Examples from this session:
+  - `1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning` — step uses "half" + `¼ tsp`; remainder is left over.
+  - `1 tsp sugar` — step uses `¼ tsp`; remainder is left over.
+- Stock concentrate ships as packets ("2 unit Veggie Stock Concentrate"). If packets are unavailable, recording it as `2 tablespoons` is intentional and fine.
+
+**Rule:** before touching a quantity, ask/confirm whether it is the shipped amount.
+
+## 2. Servings
+
+- Mealie stores **one base serving count** (`recipeServings`). There is no native "2 or 4" option.
+- Set the base (HelloFresh recipes here are usually **2**). Use Mealie's built-in servings selector to scale to 4.
+- Mealie scales **structured ingredient quantities only**, not instruction text.
+- Also set the yield text (`recipeYield`, e.g. `"2 servings"`). `recipeYieldQuantity` may stay `0`; the MCP tool does not expose it.
+
+## 3. Strip hardcoded multi-serving notes from instructions
+
+HelloFresh instructions embed scaling clauses. Remove them so the built-in scaler doesn't conflict:
+
+- `(... 4 TBSP for 4 servings)`
+- `(... 2½ cups for 4 servings)`
+- `(For 4 servings, use ½ tsp Old Bay and ½ tsp sugar.)`
+
+Keep the tips and the rest of the step text. The 2-serving amounts are the base and can stay.
+
+## 4. Times
+
+- HelloFresh gives **Total** and **Prep**; derive `cook = total − prep`.
+- In this Mealie instance the UI showed **`performTime` as "Cook time"**, not `cookTime`. That is why setting only `cookTime` still displayed 10m.
+- Set **all four**: `totalTime`, `prepTime`, `cookTime`, and `performTime` (perform = cook duration) so every view agrees.
+- Sanity check: `prep + cook = total`.
+
+## 5. Link ingredients to steps
+
+- Structured ingredients already carry a `referenceId` (UUID v4).
+- Add `ingredientReferences: [{ referenceId }]` to each instruction step, reusing the **exact** existing referenceId.
+- This is what "organize ingredients under steps" means in Mealie: cook-mode highlighting and per-step ingredient lists.
+- Do not regenerate referenceIds; that breaks the link.
+
+## 6. Watch parser/unit artifacts
+
+The NLP parser can map `unit` inconsistently (`item`, `can`, `tablespoon`).
+
+- Verify units against the source text (`originalText`).
+- Confirm intentional choices (e.g. tbsp for stock concentrate) before "fixing" them.
+- Clean food names: remove trailing spaces (e.g. `green/poblano pepper `), normalize odd capitalization.
+
+## 7. Sanity checks before finishing
+
+- [ ] Every listed ingredient is used by at least one step.
+- [ ] Step quantities are consistent with the list **or** explainable as shipped leftovers.
+- [ ] Times add up (prep + cook = total) and `performTime` is set.
+- [ ] Servings set; yield text set.
+- [ ] No hardcoded "for 4 servings" clauses left.
+- [ ] Every step has the right `ingredientReferences`.
+- [ ] Don't "fix" source-recipe quirks (e.g. description says "cheddar" while the ingredient is Monterey Jack) — that's HelloFresh copy, not a data-entry error.
+
+## 8. Tool behavior (Mealie MCP)
+
+- `update_recipe` **replaces** ingredient/instruction lists when provided; content changes use read-merge-write to preserve other fields.
+- Omitted or `null` fields are unchanged.
+- `recipeYieldQuantity` is not exposed by the tool.
+- Unicode fractions and curly quotes round-trip fine.
+
+## 9. Suggested workflow
+
+1. `get_recipes(search=...)` → `get_recipe(slug)`.
+2. Confirm name, source URL, and base servings.
+3. Cross-check each ingredient against the steps (used / unused / shipped leftover).
+4. Fix genuine errors: units, food names, times, yield — confirming shipped amounts first.
+5. Remove `for 4 servings` clauses.
+6. Add `ingredientReferences` to every step.
+7. Re-fetch and verify times, servings, ref counts, and display strings.