Doc Summary
Learn what CRAFT cookbooks are, how they organize recipes, and how to work with different cookbook types.
Reading time: About 4 minutes Skill level: Beginner
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
After reading this article, you will understand what a CRAFT cookbook is, how cookbooks organize recipes by domain, and how to identify which cookbook contains the recipes you need.
WHAT IS A COOKBOOK
A cookbook is a collection of related recipes organized by theme or purpose.
Think of how cookbooks work in your kitchen. A baking cookbook collects recipes for cakes, cookies, and breads. An Italian cookbook gathers pasta dishes, risottos, and sauces. Each cookbook focuses on a specific domain and provides everything you need for that type of cooking.
CRAFT cookbooks work the same way. A Brand Identity Cookbook contains recipes for developing your brand. A Content Cookbook holds recipes for writing and creation. Each cookbook focuses on a specific domain and provides the recipes you need for that type of work.
WHY COOKBOOKS MATTER
Cookbooks provide organization. Without them, you would have a flat list of recipes with no logical grouping. Finding the right recipe would mean scrolling through everything. Cookbooks let you navigate directly to the domain you care about.
Cookbooks provide context. Recipes within a cookbook are designed to work together. They share consistent assumptions, output formats, and integration points. A recipe from the Brand Identity Cookbook produces output that feeds naturally into other branding recipes.
Cookbooks provide quality control. Each cookbook maintains its own standards and testing. When you use a recipe from an official cookbook, you know it has been validated for that domain.
COOKBOOK STRUCTURE
Every cookbook is a text file that follows CRAFT conventions.
The filename identifies the cookbook type. The Core Cookbook is named CFT-FWK-COOKBK-CORE followed by a version number. The Brand Identity Cookbook is named CFT-FWK-COOKBK-BRAND-ID. The pattern makes cookbooks easy to identify.
Each cookbook has a category number. The Core Cookbook uses CAT-001. The Content and Promo Cookbook uses CAT-002. The Brand Identity Cookbook uses CAT-004. These category numbers appear in recipe IDs, telling you which cookbook a recipe belongs to.
Cookbooks contain multiple recipes. Each recipe follows the standard recipe format with ID, title, description, parameters, and prompt template. Recipes are organized within the cookbook by subcategory and sequence number.
TYPES OF COOKBOOKS
CRAFT includes several cookbook types, each serving a different purpose.
The Core Cookbook contains foundational recipes that apply across all domains. Session initialization, handoff creation, recipe discovery, and general-purpose utilities live here. Every CRAFT user needs the Core Cookbook regardless of their specific work.
Specialized cookbooks focus on specific domains. The Brand Identity Cookbook contains recipes for brand development, from initial context gathering through competitive analysis to brand profile synthesis. The Content and Promo Cookbook contains recipes for writing, content creation, and promotional materials.
Official cookbooks are maintained and tested by the CRAFT community. They follow quality standards and integrate properly with the framework. When you use recipes from official cookbooks, you can trust they work as documented.
Custom cookbooks can be created for your own needs. If you develop recipes specific to your industry, workflow, or organization, you can organize them into a personal cookbook. Custom cookbooks follow the same structure as official ones.
THE CORE COOKBOOK
The Core Cookbook deserves special attention because every CRAFT user needs it.
This cookbook contains the essential recipes that make CRAFT work. Session initialization recipes help you start new sessions properly. Handoff recipes create continuity snapshots for session-to-session transitions. Discovery recipes help you find recipes across all loaded cookbooks.
The Core Cookbook uses category CAT-001. All recipes in this cookbook have IDs starting with RCP-001. When you see that prefix, you know the recipe is a foundational utility rather than a domain-specific tool.
You should always include the Core Cookbook when setting up a CRAFT session. Other cookbooks are optional based on your work, but the Core Cookbook provides essential infrastructure.
SPECIALIZED COOKBOOKS
Beyond the Core Cookbook, specialized cookbooks address specific domains.
The Brand Identity Cookbook (CAT-004) contains recipes for brand development work. It includes recipes for gathering business context, analyzing target audiences, identifying pain points, crafting value propositions, defining competitive edges, building elevator pitches, and synthesizing complete brand profiles. These recipes form a workflow that produces comprehensive brand documentation.
The Content and Promo Cookbook (CAT-002) contains recipes for content creation. It includes recipes for writing, editing, formatting, and promotional materials. When your work involves producing written content, this cookbook provides the tools.
Additional specialized cookbooks may be available or under development. Check the CRAFT documentation for the current list of official cookbooks.
WORKING WITH MULTIPLE COOKBOOKS
Most CRAFT sessions involve multiple cookbooks working together.
You always need the Core Cookbook for foundational functionality. You add specialized cookbooks based on the work you plan to do. If you are developing brand identity, you add the Brand Identity Cookbook. If you are creating content, you add the Content Cookbook.
Recipes from different cookbooks can work together. A recipe from the Brand Identity Cookbook might produce output that informs a recipe from the Content Cookbook. The consistent structure across cookbooks makes this integration natural.
Loading multiple cookbooks increases the context your AI needs to process. Include the cookbooks you need, but avoid loading cookbooks irrelevant to your current work.
FINDING RECIPES IN COOKBOOKS
Each cookbook organizes recipes by subcategory and purpose.
Browse the cookbook file to see all available recipes. Recipe titles and descriptions tell you what each recipe does. The difficulty rating tells you how complex the recipe is.
The Recipe Cheatsheet recipe (RCP-001-001-023) in the Core Cookbook can generate a catalog of all recipes across all loaded cookbooks. This helps you discover what is available without manually browsing each file.
Recipe IDs encode location information. RCP-004-001-002 tells you the recipe is in category 004 (Brand Identity), subcategory 001, sequence 002. This addressing system helps you understand where recipes fit in the overall structure.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Q: Do I need all cookbooks to use CRAFT? A: No. You need the Core Cookbook plus any specialized cookbooks relevant to your work. Most users only load two or three cookbooks at a time.
Q: Can I create my own cookbook? A: Yes. Follow the cookbook file structure, assign a unique category number, and organize your recipes following CRAFT conventions.
Q: How do cookbooks get updated? A: Cookbook files include version numbers. When a cookbook is updated with new recipes or improvements, the version number changes. Download the new version to access updates.
Q: What if a recipe I need is not in any cookbook? A: You can create custom recipes for your specific needs. If the recipe would benefit others, consider contributing it to an official cookbook.