Key learnings
Advanced Next.js patterns including API routes, middleware, and server-side rendering optimization
Large-scale application architecture with proper Git workflows and collaborative development practices
Backend development with tRPC for type-safe APIs, Prisma for database management, and Auth.js for authentication, including troubleshooting its experimental features
Description
GooseChef is a full-stack recipe platform that combines social features with recipe management, letting users build a personal digital cookbook and browse recipes created by others.
It supports rich media content, structured ingredient management, and personalized recipe collections, with real-time interactions like likes and comments between users.
Reflection
Working on GooseChef was my first experience building a production application in a team using structured Git workflows.
While I had used Next.js before, GooseChef required diving into full-stack architecture with tRPC and Prisma to handle type-safe API queries and database migrations.
I contributed across the entire stack, building core UI components, wiring up API endpoints, and configuring database schemas. Working in a small team helped me get comfortable with task coordination, code reviews, and iterative development.
The trickiest part was adopting an experimental Auth.js beta release for authentication. With sparse documentation and breaking API changes along the way, we had to debug edge cases and write custom helpers, which strengthened my debugging skills and adaptability when working with cutting-edge technologies.
