How to Ask AI Anything About a Recipe (Substitutions, Tweaks, and Fixes)
4 min read
Every recipe eventually meets reality: the fridge is missing one ingredient, a guest turns out to be dairy-free, the "cook until done" instruction assumes knowledge you do not have. Normally that sends you to a search engine to reconcile generic advice with your specific dish. Ask AI removes the reconciling — it answers in the context of the exact recipe on your screen.
You will find it on the recipe detail screen (the sparkle button), and it stays available inside cooking mode, which is exactly when the questions get urgent.
Substitutions that fit this dish
"What can I use instead of butter?" gets a different answer in a cake than in a pan sauce, and Ask AI knows which one you are cooking. Ask about any ingredient you are missing and get substitutes that make sense for the technique, with the ratio to use. There is also a dedicated ingredient-alternatives feature on the ingredient list itself for the quick swaps.
Dietary versions you can save
Ask it to "make this vegan" or "remove the gluten" and it does not just hand you tips — it generates a modified version of the recipe, which you can save as its own copy. The original stays untouched; the adapted version joins your library for the next time you cook for that person.
Technique and judgment calls
The "how do I know when it is done?" class of question is where recipes are weakest and experience matters most. Ask for doneness cues, temperatures, resting times, or why a step exists — mid-cook, with wet hands, from across the counter. It reads the recipe you are on, so the answer is about your dish, not a generic one.
Practical odds and ends
It also handles the logistics around a recipe:
- Scaling: "scale this for 12 people" — with sensible handling of the awkward amounts.
- Nutrition: "how much protein per serving?"
- Shopping: "add the ingredients to my shopping list."
- Timing: "what can I prep the night before?"
Frequently asked questions
Is Ask AI available while I am cooking?
Yes — the assistant is available inside cooking mode from the top bar, so you can ask questions without leaving your current step.
Does it work on recipes I imported?
Yes. Any recipe in the app — imported, snapped, or hand-written — gets the same treatment, since the AI reads the recipe itself.
Is it free?
AI features share a monthly allowance on the free plan, with a higher allowance on premium.
Get the app
Cooking Together is free on iPhone, iPad, and Android. Import your first recipe in under a minute.