2024-03-02 - JSON-LD to MealMaster

Someone sent me a link to a blog post about MOAR [1], a gopher accessible recipe search that i worked on. Part of this post caught my attention:

While I was reading I discovered that a lot of modern recipe websites include some structured data in the document head in the form of JSON-LD (which is JSON with Linked Data). And consequently, a lot of modern recipe software can import recipes directly from the web if you provide it with a URL for a document that has that kind of data.

Challenge accepted! I resolved to create a semi-automated process to import recipes from the web into Meal-Master.

First, the toolset is described below [13].

I unzipped all of the tools and made sure they were in my path.

Select a recipe to import: Tofu Peanut Stir-Fry [2]

Download the document:

    C:\>lynx -source https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/
    tofu_peanut_stir-fry_62729 >stirfry.htm

Convert to stirfry.txt:

    C:\>gawk -f jsontomm.awk stirfry.htm stirfry

This process is SEMI-automated. Correct stirfry.txt as desired.

Convert to stirfry.mmf

    C:\>mm_bustr
    MealMaster Buster Version 2.0n
    Press <CONTROL-BREAK> to abort this program!
     Volume in drive C is FREEDOS2022
     Volume Serial Number is 6969-6969
    File not found.
    
    
    Enter filename to convert: stirfry.txt
    
    
    Enter any line you want to appear in each recipe below.
      (such as where the recipes were found, etc.)
    
    (Hit <RETURN> to leave blank and include no posting info)
    Recipe FROM: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/
    tofu_peanut_stir-fry_62729
    Converted Recipe: Tofu Peanut Vegan Stir-Fry
    
    Unformatted Recipes Converted
    
    Total of 1 MealMaster Recipes in file STIRFRY.MMF
    
    Press <RETURN> to continue (or <CONTROL-X> to end program)

At this point, press Ctrl-X or else Meal-Master Buster will delete stirfry.mmf, yanking the tablecloth out from under you.

    MealMaster Recipe Buster [Version 2.0n] (c) 1996-99, Glen G. Hosey
    Report any problems/suggestions to hosey@erols.com

Load the resulting MMF file into Meal-Master:

mm

Press any key to dismiss the splash screen [3] and enter the Main Menu [4].

Press U to enter Utilities Menu [5].

Press I to open Import Recipe Screen [6].

    Enter filename and press return, or filepath and F1 for list
    
    Last File Imported: RECIPE6.MMF
    
    Import From File:

Type STIRFRY.MMF and press Enter to open Recipe Import Menu.

Press S to begin importing recipe.

The Import Recipe Screen [7] reports that 1 recipe was found and imported.

Press any key to dismiss Import Recipe Screen and return to the Utilities Menu.

Press X to return to the Main Menu Press S to open the Search Menu [8] Press T to search by Title Type: Tofu Peanut Vegan Press Enter

Press S to search with the specified critera.

Because there is only one result [9], it is selected by default. Otherwise, one can use the arrow keys to select the desired recipe.

Press E to export the selected recipe [10] Press Enter 3 times to accept the defaults Press Enter for the 4th time to export TRANSFER.TXT Press X to return to the Search Menu Press X to return to the Main Menu Press Q to quit Meal-Master Press Y to confirm that you wish to quit Meal-Master

The file TRANSFER.TXT [11] will be in Meal-Master v8.06 format. This can be shared anywhere that accepts plain text messages, and imported into any Meal-Master compatible recipe manager.

See also my post about how to pretty-print Meal-Master recipes to PDF in DOS [12].