CRAFT™️ Alpha: The Specialized Cookbook Approach: How CRAFT's CONTENT-AND-PROMO Cookbook Powers Every Blog Post
SPECIAL SERIES :: THE CRAFT™️ ALPHA :: POST 10 :: CRAFT CONTENT AND PROMO COOKBOOK
The most powerful AI interactions don't come from complex, all-encompassing systems. They come from focused, specialized tools that do one thing exceptionally well.
After testing AI frameworks and pushing boundaries with prompt engineering, I discovered something fascinating: the most powerful AI interactions don't come from complex, all-encompassing systems. They come from focused, specialized tools that do one thing exceptionally well.
That's exactly what CRAFT Cookbooks represent—and today, I'm pulling back the curtain on the CONTENT AND PROMO Cookbook that's been powering every blog post in the CRAFT Alpha series.
What are CRAFT Cookbooks?
Think of CRAFT Cookbooks as specialized toolkits for AI interactions. Just like a master chef doesn't carry every kitchen tool to every job, effective AI automation requires the right recipes for the right task.
In the CRAFT Framework, cookbooks are curated collections of recipes that share a common purpose. Each cookbook file (following the pattern CFT-FWK-COOKBK-[NAME]-v*.txt) contains tested, practical recipes that have been refined through real-world usage.
The current cookbook architecture includes:
- CORE Cookbook: Essential recipes every CRAFT session needs (17 recipes covering initialization, error handling, progress tracking)
- CONTENT-AND-PROMO Cookbook: Specialized recipes for content creation and marketing (currently 6 recipes, growing weekly)
- BUSINESS Cookbook: Planned for business documentation and analysis
- CYBERSECURITY Cookbook: Planned for security assessments and documentation
Why Specialized Cookbooks Matter
Here's a hard truth from the AI experimentation trenches: trying to do everything at once leads to doing nothing well. Early CRAFT versions attempted to pack all recipes into a single massive cookbook. The result? Token overload, confused AI responses, and frustrated users.
Consider this real-world impact:
- 15,000+ tokens just to load recipes
- Confused AI responses
- Slow recipe detection
- 3,000-5,000 tokens for CORE + one cookbook
- Clear, focused AI responses
- 70% token reduction
But token efficiency is just the beginning. Specialized cookbooks provide:
- Mental Clarity: When you load CONTENT-AND-PROMO, the AI knows you're creating content. No confusion, no mixed signals.
- Faster Execution: Fewer recipes to parse means quicker recipe detection and execution.
- Easier Maintenance: Update one cookbook without affecting others.
- Natural Growth: Add new specialized cookbooks as needs emerge, without bloating the core system.
The CONTENT-AND-PROMO Cookbook exemplifies this philosophy. Instead of generic "create content" functions, it provides battle-tested recipes specifically for blog posts, documentation, and marketing materials—each refined through creating actual CRAFT Alpha content.
The Content and Promo Cookbook
When I set out to document the CRAFT Framework, I faced a classic chicken-and-egg problem: How do you create polished content about a content creation system that's still being built? The answer became the CONTENT-AND-PROMO Cookbook—a meta-solution that uses CRAFT to document CRAFT.
Purpose and Philosophy
This cookbook exists to solve real problems that every tech entrepreneur faces:
- Transforming technical documentation into engaging blog posts
- Maintaining consistent brand voice across all content
- Converting rough ideas into publication-ready material
- Creating platform-specific formatting without manual tedium
- Building marketing strategies with zero budget
The philosophy behind this cookbook reflects hard-won insights:
- Iterative Refinement: Every blog post improves through structured phases—rough draft, enhancement, formatting
- Brand Consistency: Variables like KETELSEN_BLOG_BRAND_INFO_01 ensure every piece maintains your voice
- Platform Awareness: Recipes account for real-world constraints (like Squarespace's CSS limitations)
- Fact-First Approach: Built-in verification steps prevent AI hallucinations from reaching publication
Current Recipes Overview
Let me show you exactly what's in the CONTENT-AND-PROMO toolkit today:
1. COM-EXT-CAT002 (Recipe Detection Extension)
- Extends CRAFT-OPERATIONS-MANAGER to detect content creation opportunities
- Automatically triggers when you mention blogs, documentation, or marketing
- Currently in development with detection patterns being added
2. ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR (RCP-002-001-002)
- Transforms any input (handoff notes, files, briefs) into structured rough drafts
- Includes mandatory fact-checking prompts
- Outputs organized content ready for enhancement
- Used for every CRAFT Alpha blog post's foundation
3. FINAL-DRAFT-BLOG-POST (RCP-002-001-003)
- Converts rough drafts into engaging blog posts
- Offers format options: how-to, listicle, case study, narrative
- Adds interactive elements based on engagement level preference
- Maintains brand voice throughout
4. FINAL-DRAFT-CFT-FW-BLOG-POST (RCP-002-001-004)
- Specialized for CRAFT Framework milestone documentation
- Features iterative subsection enhancement with feedback loops
- Creates visual recommendations with readability scores
- Handles technical content while maintaining accessibility
5. DOC-TO-HTML-v1.00c (RCP-002-001-005)
- Converts documents to Squarespace-compatible HTML
- Uses inline CSS only (no external stylesheets)
- Handles table-based layouts for platform compatibility
- Preserves formatting while meeting platform constraints
6. CRAFT-MARKETING-LAUNCH (RCP-002-002-001)
- Zero-budget marketing strategy for framework launches
- Provides platform-by-platform guidance
- Includes social media templates and engagement strategies
- Features progress tracking and metric monitoring
Real Examples from CRAFT Alpha
Here's where theory meets reality. Every blog post in the CRAFT Alpha series—including the one you're reading now—was created using these recipes. Let me pull back the curtain:
- Started with handoff notes from a development session
- ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR transformed notes into 18-subsection outline
- FINAL-DRAFT-CFT-FW-BLOG-POST enhanced each subsection iteratively
- Added 6 visual elements with platform-specific HTML
- DOC-TO-HTML converted to Squarespace-ready format
- Result: 9,500 words of polished content maintaining Alpha testing honesty
- Input: Technical documentation file
- ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR built comprehensive outline with fact-checking
- FINAL-DRAFT-CFT-FW-BLOG-POST created 12,000-word enhanced version
- Featured 8 visual elements designed for readability
- Maintained entrepreneurial tone while explaining complex concepts
- Rough draft → Enhancement → HTML conversion
- Fact-checking at each stage
- Visual elements planned during enhancement
- Platform constraints considered throughout
The beauty? This isn't theoretical. You can trace every published CRAFT blog post back through these recipes. The system that documents itself—that's the power of specialized cookbooks in action.
Building on the CRAFT Foundation
After weeks of testing, I discovered that cookbooks aren't just collections of recipes—they're the bridge between CRAFT's theoretical power and practical results. Understanding this relationship transformed how I approach AI automation.
How Cookbooks Extend Core Components
Picture CRAFT as a layered system, where each layer amplifies the one below:
Layer 1: Data Types - The atoms of CRAFT
- Define structured information formats (URLs, Metrics, UserProfiles)
- Cookbooks use these as building blocks in recipe parameters
- Example: ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR uses "string" and "object" types for inputs
Layer 2: Variables - The memory of CRAFT
- Store reusable values like KETELSEN_BLOG_BRAND_INFO_01
- Cookbooks reference these for consistency
- Example: Every content recipe pulls brand voice from stored variables
Layer 3: Functions - The actions of CRAFT
- Encapsulate operations like transform_data() or analyze_sentiment()
- Cookbooks combine multiple functions into workflows
- Example: DOC-TO-HTML uses parsing and formatting functions together
Layer 4: Objects - The smart containers of CRAFT
- Bundle related data and behaviors
- Cookbooks leverage objects for complex operations
- Example: Recipe objects themselves, containing parameters and templates
Layer 5: Cookbooks - The practical application layer
- Transform all lower layers into ready-to-use solutions
- Each recipe orchestrates Types, Variables, Functions, and Objects
- Result: One command triggers entire workflows
The Mandatory CORE + Optional Specialized Approach
Through painful trial and error, I discovered the optimal cookbook loading strategy:
Always Load: CORE Cookbook
- Contains 17 essential recipes every session needs
- Handles initialization, error management, progress tracking
- Provides CRAFT-OPERATIONS-MANAGER for automatic recipe detection
- Token cost: ~3,000-4,000
Then Add ONE Specialized Cookbook
- CONTENT-AND-PROMO for content creation
- BUSINESS for documentation (coming soon)
- CYBERSECURITY for security tasks (planned)
- Token cost: ~1,000-2,000 additional
- Clear context for the AI
- Fast recipe detection
- Focused capabilities
- 70%+ token savings
Real-world example from this blog post:
- Loaded: CORE + CONTENT-AND-PROMO
- Clear mission: Create blog content
- No confusion with business or security recipes
- Result: Smooth execution, no misdirected efforts
Integration with Data Types, Variables, Functions, and Objects
Let me show you how a single recipe leverages the entire CRAFT stack:
ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR in Action:
# Uses Data Types for parameters
parameters={
"input_type": {
"type": "string", # CRAFT Data Type
"options": ["file", "handoff", "notes", "brief"]
},
"brand_variable_name": {
"type": "string", # CRAFT Data Type
"options": ["KETELSEN_BLOG_BRAND_INFO_01"] # References Variable
}
}
# Executes using Variables
Using brand profile: KETELSEN_BLOG_BRAND_INFO_01 # CRAFT Variable
- Target audience characteristics loaded
- Tone and style preferences applied
# Implements Functions internally
- extract_key_points() # CRAFT Function pattern
- structure_outline() # CRAFT Function pattern
- apply_brand_voice() # CRAFT Function pattern
# Creates Objects
CONTENT_OUTLINE = { # CRAFT Object pattern
"sections": [...],
"key_points": [...],
"brand_alignment": True
}
This integration isn't accidental—it's architectural. Each cookbook recipe becomes more powerful because it can leverage:
- Any defined Variable for consistency
- Any Data Type for structure
- Any Function for processing
- Any Object for organization
Practical Recipe Examples
Let me show you exactly how these recipes work in practice. No theory, no speculation—just the actual recipes that have created every piece of CRAFT documentation you've read.
ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR - The Foundation Builder
This recipe is the workhorse of content creation. It takes any input—messy handoff notes, technical documentation, random thoughts—and transforms them into structured drafts ready for enhancement.
Real Usage Example:
execute_recipe({
"input_type": "handoff",
"input_content": "H003",
"brand_variable_name": "KETELSEN_BLOG_BRAND_INFO_01",
"content_focus": "achievements"
})
1. Brand Variable Selection
- Loads your complete brand profile
- Sets tone: "conversational yet professional"
- Identifies audience: "tech-savvy entrepreneurs aged 25-45"
2. Content Analysis
- Extracts key achievements and milestones
- Identifies technical specifications
- Flags unverified claims for fact-checking
- Avoids temporal references unless verified
3. Fact Verification Prompt Generation
The recipe generates prompts like:
- "Verify: CRAFT reduces tokens by 70-90%"
- "Confirm: 17 recipes in CORE cookbook"
- "Check: Multi-cookbook architecture implementation"
4. Structured Output
- Complete outline with sections and subsections
- Fact-checking placeholders
- Brand-aligned messaging throughout
- Ready for enhancement phase
FINAL-DRAFT Blog Post Recipes - Polishing for Publication
The CONTENT-AND-PROMO Cookbook includes two blog finalization recipes, each optimized for different content types:
FINAL-DRAFT-BLOG-POST (General Purpose)
Perfect for standard blog posts, it offers format flexibility:
- How-to guides
- Listicles
- Case studies
- Thought leadership
- Narratives
- Tutorials
FINAL-DRAFT-CFT-FW-BLOG-POST (CRAFT-Specific)
Specialized for technical CRAFT documentation with:
- Iterative subsection enhancement
- Visual element recommendations with readability scores
- Platform-specific formatting
- Feedback loops at each section
Real Example - Creating This Blog Post:
# Using the CRAFT-specific finalizer
execute_recipe({
"rough_draft_file": "CONTENT-PROMO-rough-draft",
"milestone_type": "framework-feature",
"enhancement_focus": "clarity",
"visual_platform": "squarespace"
})
The Iterative Process:
- "This section needs a visual showing cookbook relationships"
- "Readability Score: 85/100 - Essential for understanding"
- "Add concrete example from ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR"
- "Include actual recipe execution code"
- "Show parameter structure visually"
- After each section: "Which enhancements should I implement?"
- Maintains human control while leveraging AI capabilities
Visual Creation Example:
<!-- Actual HTML from the recipe -->
<div style="display: table; width: 100%; margin: 20px 0;">
<div style="display: table-cell; width: 48%; padding: 15px;
background-color: #f8f9fa; border: 2px solid #0d6efd;">
<h4 style="color: #0d6efd;">CORE Cookbook</h4>
<p>Always loaded, 17 essential recipes</p>
</div>
</div>
DOC-TO-HTML - Platform-Ready Formatting
This recipe solves a real pain point: converting polished content into platform-specific HTML without losing formatting or spending hours on manual conversion.
❌ The Challenge:
Squarespace doesn't support:
- External CSS files
- CSS Grid or Flexbox
- SVG with inline styles
- CSS animations
✓ The Solution:
DOC-TO-HTML automatically:
- Converts to table-based layouts
- Applies all styles inline
- Uses percentage widths for responsiveness
- Maintains visual hierarchy
Actual Conversion Example:
execute_recipe({
"input_file": "CRAFT-Recipes-Blog-Final.docx",
"color_scheme": "bootstrap",
"content_padding": "0" # Squarespace handles page padding
})
- Clean HTML ready for copy/paste
- No dependencies on external resources
- Proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
- Code blocks with syntax highlighting
- Responsive without media queries
- CRAFT Objects post: 85KB HTML, 6 visuals, zero manual formatting
- CRAFT Recipes post: 85KB HTML, 8 visuals, perfect first time
- This post: Currently being formatted with the same recipe
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
After months of weekly recipe usage, I've learned what works, what doesn't, and what will waste your time. These aren't theoretical guidelines—they're battle-tested insights from creating real content under real constraints.
The 1-2 Cookbook Limit
❌ The Failed Experiment:
Early in CRAFT development, I tried loading everything:
- CORE cookbook
- CONTENT-AND-PROMO cookbook
- TEST cookbook
- EXPERIMENTAL cookbook
- UTILITY cookbook
The Result: Complete chaos.
- AI responses became unfocused
- Recipe detection slowed to a crawl
- Token usage exploded past 20,000
- Simple tasks took multiple attempts
- Error rates tripled
✓ The Breakthrough:
Limiting to CORE + 1 specialized cookbook changed everything:
- Crystal clear context
- Near-instant recipe detection
- 70% token reduction
- First-attempt success rate over 90%
- Predictable, reliable results
Practical Implementation:
# WRONG - Don't do this
load_cookbooks([
"CORE", "CONTENT", "BUSINESS", "SECURITY", "UTILITY"
])
# RIGHT - Do this instead
load_cookbooks([
"CORE", # Always
"CONTENT-AND-PROMO" # For today's content work
])
When to Use Specialized vs. CORE Recipes
Through trial and error, I've discovered clear patterns for recipe selection:
Use CORE Recipes When:
- Starting any new session (CHAT-INIT)
- Ending sessions (HANDOFF_SNAPSHOT)
- Unclear requests need clarification (AMBIGUITY-DETECT)
- Making estimates or predictions (CONFIDENCE-CALIB)
- Hitting token limits (TOKEN-MONITOR)
- Encountering AI limitations (LIMITATION-ACK)
- Tracking multi-step processes (PROGRESS-TRACK)
Use SPECIALIZED Recipes When:
- Creating specific content types
- Following established workflows
- Needing domain expertise
- Optimizing for particular platforms
Real Decision Examples:
Scenario 1: "I need to write about our progress"
- First: HANDOFF_SNAPSHOT (CORE) to capture current state
- Then: ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR (CONTENT) to structure the content
- Finally: FINAL-DRAFT recipes (CONTENT) to polish
Scenario 2: "This request seems unclear"
- Only: AMBIGUITY-DETECT (CORE) to clarify
- Don't: Jump to content creation before understanding
Scenario 3: "Convert this to HTML"
- Directly: DOC-TO-HTML (CONTENT) for the conversion
- Skip: CORE recipes unless issues arise
- Can CORE handle this alone? → Use CORE
- Is this a specialized task? → Add appropriate cookbook
- Uncertain? → Start with CORE, add specialized if needed
Maintaining Focus in AI Interactions
The biggest productivity killer in AI work isn't bad prompts—it's scope creep. Here's how the cookbook system maintains laser focus:
Focus Techniques:
Technique 1: Cookbook Context Setting
When you load CONTENT-AND-PROMO, every recipe knows you're creating content. The AI doesn't wonder if you want security analysis or business documentation—the context is crystal clear.
Technique 2: Recipe Chaining
Instead of one massive prompt, chain focused recipes:
- ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR → Creates structure
- FACT-CHECK generation → Verifies claims
- FINAL-DRAFT enhancement → Polishes content
- DOC-TO-HTML → Formats for platform
Each step has one clear purpose. No confusion, no drift.
Technique 3: Parameter Constraints
Recipes enforce focus through parameters:
"content_focus": {
"options": ["achievements", "process", "technical", "impact"]
}
You can't ask for "everything"—you must choose a focus.
Technique 4: Progress Tracking
PROGRESS-TRACK (CORE) maintains focus across sessions:
- "You're on Step 3 of 7"
- "Next: Section enhancement"
- "Blockers: Need fact verification"
No wondering where you left off or what comes next.
Before cookbook focus:
- Average session: 2-3 hours, 50% productive
- Common issue: "Wait, what were we doing?"
- Result: Frustration and wasted tokens
After cookbook focus:
- Average session: 1-2 hours, 90% productive
- Common experience: "Exactly what I needed"
- Result: Consistent, predictable output
The Cookbook Ecosystem
The real power of CRAFT isn't in any single cookbook—it's in how they work together as an ecosystem. After months of development, clear patterns have emerged that point toward an exciting future.
How Cookbooks Relate to Each Other
The cookbook architecture follows a hub-and-spoke model that's proven remarkably effective:
Hub
Spoke
Spoke
Spoke
Spoke
The Hub: CORE Cookbook
- Always present in every session
- Provides fundamental services all other cookbooks need
- Contains CRAFT-OPERATIONS-MANAGER for automatic recipe detection
- Handles errors, progress, tokens—the infrastructure layer
The Spokes: Specialized Cookbooks
- Each serves a specific domain
- Can reference CORE recipes but not each other
- Maintain independence for clarity
- Share common patterns and structures
Real Interaction Examples:
CONTENT-AND-PROMO using CORE:
# ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR detects ambiguity
if unclear_request:
# Calls AMBIGUITY-DETECT from CORE
execute_recipe("AMBIGUITY-DETECT")
# Later, tracks progress
execute_recipe("PROGRESS-TRACK", {
"task_name": "Blog Creation",
"steps": ["Rough Draft", "Enhancement", "HTML"]
})
CORE enabling CONTENT-AND-PROMO:
# CRAFT-OPERATIONS-MANAGER detects content need
if blog_request_detected:
# Suggests CONTENT-AND-PROMO recipe
suggest_recipe("ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR")
- CORE provides 17 infrastructure recipes
- Each specialized cookbook adds 5-10 domain recipes
- But the combinations create hundreds of workflows
- Example: AMBIGUITY-DETECT + ROUGH-DRAFT-CREATOR = Clear content from vague requests
- No Cross-Dependencies: BUSINESS cookbook won't require CONTENT-AND-PROMO
- Shared Interfaces: All recipes follow same parameter patterns
- Consistent Naming: RCP-XXX-YYY-ZZZ format across all cookbooks
- Universal Integration: Any cookbook can use CORE services
Future Cookbook Plans
Based on real needs encountered during CRAFT Alpha, here's what's coming:
BUSINESS Cookbook (CAT-003) - In Design
Planned recipes:
- BUSINESS-PLAN-CREATOR
- FINANCIAL-PROJECTION-BUILDER
- PITCH-DECK-GENERATOR
- MARKET-ANALYSIS-TOOL
- COMPETITOR-RESEARCH-ORGANIZER
Why it's needed: Every CRAFT session reveals business documentation needs. Currently using general-purpose tools when specialized recipes would be 10x more effective.
CYBERSECURITY Cookbook (CAT-004) - Conceptual
Envisioned recipes:
- SECURITY-ASSESSMENT-RUNNER
- VULNERABILITY-REPORT-CREATOR
- COMPLIANCE-CHECKLIST-BUILDER
- INCIDENT-RESPONSE-PLANNER
- SECURITY-POLICY-WRITER
Why it matters: As CRAFT grows, security documentation becomes critical. Specialized recipes ensure consistency and completeness.
Potential Future Cookbooks:
- EDUCATION: Course creation, tutorial building, learning paths
- AUTOMATION: Workflow design, integration planning, API documentation
- ANALYTICS: Data visualization, report generation, insight extraction
- CREATIVE: Story development, script writing, creative briefs
Building Your Own Specialized Cookbooks
Here's something powerful: you don't need to wait for official cookbooks. The framework is designed for extension.
- You have 5+ related tasks you do repeatedly
- Existing recipes don't quite fit your workflow
- Your domain has specific requirements
- You want consistent execution
The Creation Process:
Step 1: Identify Common Patterns
Look at your last 10 similar tasks. What steps repeat? What decisions recur? What outputs stay consistent?
Step 2: Design Your Recipes
MY_CUSTOM_RECIPE = Recipe(
recipe_id="RCP-005-001-001-[YOUR-RECIPE]-v1.00a",
title="Clear, Descriptive Title",
description="What problem this solves",
parameters={
# Your specific needs
},
prompt_template="""
# Your optimized workflow
"""
)
Step 3: Test and Refine
Start with one recipe. Use it five times. Refine. Then add the next recipe.
Step 4: Package as Cookbook
Follow the naming pattern: CFT-FWK-COOKBK-[YOUR-DOMAIN]-v1.00a.txt
Real Example - Legal Tech Cookbook (Hypothetical):
A legal tech entrepreneur might create:
- CONTRACT-ANALYZER
- TERM-SHEET-GENERATOR
- NDA-BUILDER
- LEGAL-RESEARCH-SUMMARIZER
- COMPLIANCE-CHECKER
Each recipe encodes their specific needs, preferred language, common clauses—turning hours of work into minutes.
- Best practices emerge
- Recipes get battle-tested
- Communities form around domains
- The ecosystem becomes richer
Conclusion - Practical Power in Specialization
After months of pushing AI to its limits at Ketelsen.ai, after creating over 1,000 prompts and testing every framework I could find, I can tell you this with certainty: the future of AI automation isn't in doing everything—it's in doing the right things exceptionally well.
The CONTENT-AND-PROMO Cookbook embodies this philosophy. It doesn't try to solve every problem. It doesn't promise to revolutionize your entire business overnight. Instead, it does something far more valuable: it takes the specific, repetitive, time-consuming task of content creation and makes it systematic, efficient, and reliable.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. The real transformation is in the workflow itself. What used to be a daunting creative challenge—"I need to write about complex technical concepts"—is now a systematic process: Rough draft → Enhancement → HTML conversion. Done.
The Compound Effect
This isn't theoretical. The blog post you're reading right now was created 40% faster than the first one, with better structure and clearer examples. By blog post ten, I expect to cut the time in half again while improving quality.
You're not joining a finished system—you're helping build the future of AI automation. Every recipe you create, every workflow you optimize, every hour you save contributes to a larger vision: AI that amplifies human expertise rather than replacing it.