CookMei: Your Swipe-to-Cook Companion

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  app logo for cookmei

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  home page

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  recipe link adding page

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  my kitchen ---where recipes are added

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  recipe 1 --to be cooked

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  recipe 2 --to be cooked

Inspiration

We’ve all been there: It’s 6 PM, we’re hungry, and we have hundreds of delicious recipes saved on TikTok and Instagram. We scroll through them—"Spicy Vodka Pasta," "Green Goddess Salad," "15-Minute Noodles"—but the sheer volume of choices leads to decision paralysis. Instead of cooking, we get overwhelmed and order takeout.

We were inspired by Eitan Bernath’s challenge: "From saved recipe to dinner made." We realized the problem isn't a lack of recipes; it's a lack of decision-making momentum. We wanted to build a tool that stops the doom-scrolling and turns the chore of choosing dinner into a game.

What it does

CookMei is a gamified recipe organizer that acts as a "Tinder for your Dinner." It bridges the gap between passive inspiration and active cooking through three key features:

• The Vibe Check: Upon opening the app, users aren't bombarded with a list. They are asked one simple question: "What's the vibe?" (Fast & Lazy, Healthy-ish, or Treat Yourself). This immediately filters the noise.
• The Stack: Recipes are presented as a deck of cards. Users can’t skip ahead; they must make a micro-decision on the current recipe. Swipe Right to cook it tonight, Swipe Left to save it for later.
• The Companion: The app is hosted by Mei, a cozy cat mascot who reacts to your choices. She celebrates when you pick a meal and nudges you when your stack is empty, adding an emotional connection to the process.

How we built it

We built CookMei using Rork, an AI-powered mobile app builder.

• Prompt Engineering: We used natural language prompts to design the "Cozy Kitchen" aesthetic, defining the specific color palette (Cream #FFF8E7 and Soft Pink #FFB7B2) and rounded UI components.
• Logic & State Management: We created a database structure that moves recipes through different states () based on swipe gestures.
• Custom Assets: We integrated custom mascot imagery to give the app a unique brand identity that separates it from standard utility apps.

Challenges we ran into

• Balancing Simplicity vs. Features: We initially wanted to add grocery lists and nutrition facts, but we realized that added friction. We had to ruthlessly cut features to focus entirely on the core problem: The Decision.
• Logic limitations: Configuring the "Swipe" logic in a low-code environment required creative workarounds to ensure the "Vibe Check" filtered the stack correctly without breaking the user flow.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• The "Vibe Check" Flow: We are really proud of the onboarding experience. It feels human and intuitive, instantly setting the mood before the user sees a single food photo.
• The Design Language: We managed to create an app that doesn't look like a spreadsheet. The "Cozy" aesthetic with the mascot feels inviting and warm, which is exactly how home cooking should feel.

What we learned

• The Psychology of Choice: We learned that constraining options actually helps users act faster. By showing only one card at a time, we removed the anxiety of the "infinite scroll."
• AI Development: Building with Rork taught us that the future of coding is about clearly articulating logic and intent. We spent less time debugging syntax and more time refining the user experience.

What's next for CookMei: Your Swipe-to-Cook Companion

• Smart Parsing: We want to integrate an AI scraper that allows users to paste a TikTok link and automatically extract the ingredients and steps.
• Social Swiping: A "Partner Mode" where two people can swipe on the same stack, and it only alerts you when there is a match (perfect for couples who can't decide on dinner!).
• Mei's Evolution: Adding more animations and "moods" for Mei based on the time of day or the user's cooking streak.

Built With

• ai
• figma
• gemini
• openai
• revenuecat
• rork
• unsplash