Cooking with a list

Recipe as a shopping list – tick off the ingredients, keep the method in the infos

A recipe is really two things: a shopping list and a method. In MerkIchMir they live in one place. The ingredients sit on the list as tickable items – in the shop you tap them away. The method goes into the list infos, right next to it, ready at the hob.

How to turn it into a recipe

1. Create a new list and name it after the recipe – say "Pumpkin soup".
2. Type every ingredient as an item: 1 squash, 1 onion, 400 ml coconut milk, ginger …
3. Tap the 🛠 at the top right and choose "📝 List infos".
4. Write the method in there – headings for the steps, bold for the parts that matter.
5. In the shop you tick the ingredients off. At home you open the infos and cook step by step.

Why this beats a recipe app plus a note

• One place, not three: no jumping between a notes app, a screenshot and a shopping list – ingredients and method are on the same list.
• In the shop only the list matters: tick off what's in the trolley. The method doesn't get in the way; it sits one level down in the infos.
• At the hob only the method matters: open the infos, read the steps, hands free.
• Both get shared: whoever cooks or shops along sees the ingredients and the method – without you typing anything out and sending it over.
• Ready for next time: next time you cook it, bring the ticked-off ingredients back – the recipe is set up again straight away.

More cases for a list plus infos

• Meal prep: the week's shop on the list, the plan for Sunday afternoon in the infos.
• Baking: tick off the ingredients, keep the quantities and oven times in the infos – where dough sticks to your fingers.
• Barbecue night: the shop for everyone on a shared list, the running order and marinades in the infos.
• Cocktails: bottles and mixers on the list, the recipes in the infos.

Frequently asked