Saffron

The Saffron MCP Server lets AI assistants access and manipulate Saffron recipe management features, including recipes, cookbooks, meal plans, and user data. It enables automation and conversational workflows by exposing recipe and meal planning capabilities to MCP clients.

How to use

You connect to the Saffron MCP Server from an MCP client to perform common cooking workflow tasks. Use the server to browse cookbooks, read and update recipes, import new recipes from websites, organize meals, and attach notes to menu items. Each tool corresponds to a specific action, such as retrieving a recipe, creating a new one, or planning meals for a date range.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Node.js version 14 or higher and npm or npx (comes with Node.js). Install Node.js from the official site and verify the versions on your terminal.

# Install Node.js (example commands; use the installer for your OS)
node -v
npm -v

Clone the MCP server repository, install dependencies, and prepare to run the server locally.

git clone https://github.com/tvh/saffron-mcp.git
cd saffron-mcp
npm install

Configuration and running the server

To run the MCP server locally for use with an MCP client, you typically execute the runtime command shown in the integration example. The standard approach uses npx to run the TypeScript entry point and passes your authentication details if needed by the client.

npx tsx /path/to/saffron-mcp/src/index.ts --email <your email> --password <your password>

Connecting from an MCP client (example integration)

If your client requires an MCP server entry, you can configure it to start the local server using the same runtime command shown above. The client will then expose saffron MCP tools for you to invoke from conversations or automation scripts.

Usage notes

• Use the tools to manage recipes, import recipes from websites, organize cookbooks and sections, and plan meals. Each tool is exposed as an actionable function in the MCP client. - Ensure you have network access to any remote endpoints if you choose to run the server in a remote or hosted environment. - Keep authentication credentials secure and rotate passwords periodically if your setup requires login tokens.

Available tools

me

Get your user information from the Saffron MCP Server.

cookbooks

Retrieve your cookbooks to browse and organize your recipe collection.

sections_by_cookbook_id

Get sections within a specific cookbook by its ID to navigate your collection.

recipes_by_cookbook_and_section_id

Fetch recipe summaries for a given cookbook and section to review your options quickly.

get_recipe_by_id

Obtain complete details of a single recipe identified by its ID.

create_recipe

Create a new recipe with full ingredients and instructions.

update_recipe

Update an existing recipe with changes to ingredients, steps, or metadata.

import_recipe_from_website

Import a recipe from a URL using automatic parsing.

menu_planner

Retrieve all menu items and notes for a specified date range.

create_menu_item

Add a new item to your meal plan, linking a recipe to a date.

update_menu_item

Modify an existing menu item, including date, serving size, or section.

delete_menu_item

Remove a menu item from your meal plan.

create_menu_note

Create notes associated with a menu item or meal plan for informal recipes or planning details.

update_menu_note

Update an existing menu note with new information.

delete_menu_note

Delete a menu note from your meal planning records.