Host your first AI App in seconds with Sevalla

This technical guide walks through deploying an AI-powered Food Recipe Assistant application on Sevalla’s Application Hosting platform. We’ll cover the deployment process, configuration, and best practices for hosting a Python FastAPI application with AI capabilities.

Project Overview

The AI Food Recipe Assistant is a modern web application that leverages:

• FastAPI for the backend API
• OpenAI’s GPT and DALL-E 3 for AI-powered recipe and image generation
• HTML/TailwindCSS/AlpineJS for the frontend
• Environment variables for secure configuration
• Docker for containerization

Application code is available on AI Food Recipe Assistant as a Github Repo.

AI Application Features & Output

Intelligent Recipe Generation

Our deployed AI Food Recipe Assistant will demonstrate the powerful AI capabilities like:

• Natural Language Understanding: Users can request recipes in plain English (e.g., “vegan chocolate lava cake”)
• Dietary Customization: Automatically adapts recipes for various preferences:
• Vegetarian/Vegan options
• Gluten-free alternatives
• Keto-friendly versions
• Other dietary restrictions
• Cuisine Fusion: Supports multiple cuisine types and cultural adaptations

AI-Generated Content

Each recipe request generates the following:

1. Detailed Recipe Information:
   Ingredient lists with precise measurements
   Step-by-step cooking instructions
   Cooking times and temperatures
   Serving suggestions
   Nutritional information
2. Visual Content:
   DALL-E 3 generated photorealistic food images
   Appetizing presentation suggestions
   Visual cooking guides
3. Learning Resources:
   Cooking technique explanations
   Ingredient substitution options
   Tips for perfect execution

Sample Output

Here's an example of what the application generates for a "Vegan Italian Choco Lava Cake":
{
    "recipe": {
        "title": "Vegan Italian Choco Lava Cake",
        "description": "Indulge in the decadence of a vegan Italian-style choco lava cake that will impress even the most discerning dessert lovers!",
        "ingredients": [
            "1 cup all-purpose flour",
            "1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder", 
            "1/2 cup sugar",
            "1/2 cup plant-based milk",
            "// ... other ingredients"
        ],
        "instructions": [
            "1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)",
            "2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl",
            "// ... detailed steps"
        ]
    },
    "image_url": "https://ai-generated-image.example/vegan-lava-cake.jpg",
    "learning_resources": [
        {
            "type": "video",
            "title": "Master the Art of Vegan Lava Cakes",
            "url": "https://youtube.com/cookingtutorials"
        }
    ]
}

Let’s deploy this…

Prerequisites

Before deploying to Sevalla, ensure you have:

1. A Sevalla account
2. The application code in a Git repository
3. OpenAI API key for AI functionality

Local Deployment Steps

1. Application Setup

First, prepare your application for deployment:

Try running our application locally first:

• Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-food-recipe-assistant.git 
cd ai-food-recipe-assistant

• Set up Python environment

python -m venv venv 
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate pip install -r requirements.txt

• Dockerfile Setup: Application includes a Dockerfile for containerized deployment:

    FROM python:3.9-slim
    WORKDIR /app
    COPY requirements.txt .
    RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
    COPY . .
    EXPOSE 8000
    CMD ["uvicorn", "main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8080"]

• Configure environment variables

cp .env.example .env 
# Edit .env and add your OpenAI API key: 
# OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

• Run the application

uvicorn main:app --reload

Feel free to create your own application by referring to these quick start examples available on Sevella Docs.

Deployment Steps

As we successfully ran the application on the local system, now it’s time to deploy it to Sevalla for scaling, sharing, reliability, and making it accessible easily.

2. Deploying to Sevalla

Sevalla is so easy to use and gets deployments up in a few seconds. So, in this step, we will create an application by connecting my GitHub repository, which already includes AI Food Recipe Assistant code.

Adding Applications

1. Log into the Sevalla dashboard
2. Click “Applications” > “Add application”
3. Select “Git repository” and connect to your repository
4. Choose deployment settings:
   Repository: `your-repo-url`
   Branch: `main`
   Region: Choose the nearest to your users
   Resources: Choose CPU/RAM according to your requirements

3. Environment Variables

We will now add “OPENAI_API_KEY” inside “Environment variables” to use the power of AI in our application to suggest AI-generated recipes.

Adding env variables

Configure the required environment variables in Sevalla:

1. Navigate to “Environment variables”
2. Add OPENAI_API_KEY with your API key
3. Select “Available during runtime” and “Available during build process”
4. Save changes

4. Deployment Configuration

• Enable `Dockerfile` from the build section to use it for automatic configuration of the web process.

• This shows the deployment process and features of the Sevalla Dashboard

Sample Deployment logs:

Sevalla automatically:

• Detects Python requirements from requirements.txt
• Sets up the web process using the Dockerfile
• Configures the PORT environment variable
• Enables HTTPS and provides a domain
• Dedicated Analytics for Memory, CPU, Storage, Request, etc.

Final Output:

Application view

Application Architecture on Sevalla

The deployed application architecture includes the following:

• Web Process: Runs the FastAPI application
• Environment Variables: Securely stores configuration
• Cloudflare Integration: Provides CDN and DDoS protection
• Auto-scaling: Handles traffic spikes efficiently

Monitoring and Management

As I shown above, Sevalla provides several tools for application management:

1. Logs: Access application logs in real-time
2. Analytics: Monitor application performance
3. Web Terminal: Debug and run commands directly
4. Process Management: Control application processes

Security Features

The deployment includes several security measures:

• SSL/TLS encryption
• DDoS protection through Cloudflare
• Secure environment variable storage
• Isolated application environment

Performance Optimizations

Sevalla automatically implements several performance features:

1. CDN Integration: Global content delivery
2. Edge Caching: Improved response times
3. Auto-scaling: Dynamic resource allocation
4. Load Balancing: Distributed traffic handling

Deployment Verification

After deployment, verify the application:

1. Access the provided domain (e.g., https://ai-sevalla-article-m3qvp.kinsta.app/)
2. Test the recipe generation endpoint
3. Monitor application logs for any issues
4. Verify environment variables are properly set

Troubleshooting Tips

Common issues and solutions:

1. Port Configuration: Ensure the application uses the PORT environment variable
2. Build Failures: Check requirements.txt for compatibility
3. Runtime Errors: Monitor logs for application errors
4. Environment Variables: Verify all required variables are set

Why Sevalla for AI Application Deployment?

Building and deploying AI applications can be challenging. Whether you’re a developer working on a side project or part of a team building the next big AI product, you need a reliable and easy way to get your app into production. That’s where Sevalla comes in — let me show you why it’s the perfect choice for deploying AI applications:

Cost Optimization

• Pay-as-you-grow model: Only pay for resources you actually use, with no upfront infrastructure costs
• Reduced DevOps overhead: Eliminate the need for dedicated infrastructure teams
• Automated resource scaling: Optimize costs during low-traffic periods
• Resource optimization: Automatic scaling prevents over-provisioning
• No vendor lock-in: Standard container architecture ensures portability

Enterprise-Ready Infrastructure

• 25+ global data centers: Deploy close to your users for optimal performance
• Google Cloud Platform backbone: Enterprise-grade infrastructure and reliability
• Cloudflare Enterprise: Advanced DDoS protection and WAF included
• Compliant infrastructure: Meets industry security standards
• Private networking: Secure internal connections between applications and databases

Developer Experience

• 5-minute deployment: From code to production in minutes
• Multi-framework support: Deploy any framework or language
• Built-in CI/CD: Automated deployments from Git
• Development tools: Web terminal, real-time logs, and metrics
• Database integration: Managed databases with automatic backups

Operational Excellence

• 99.9% SLA-backed uptime: Enterprise-grade reliability
• Zero-downtime deployments: Continuous availability during updates
• Auto-scaling: Handle traffic spikes automatically
• Global CDN: Optimized content delivery across regions
• 24/7 expert support: Technical assistance when you need it

AI-Optimized Features

• Container-native platform: Ideal for AI/ML workloads
• Edge computing capabilities: Reduced latency for AI operations
• High-performance compute: CPU and memory-optimized instances
• Automatic failover: Built-in high availability
• Horizontal scaling: Handle viral growth seamlessly

Business Acceleration

• Faster time-to-market: Launch products without infrastructure delays
• Resource efficiency: Focus on product development, not DevOps
• Enterprise security: Built-in compliance and protection
• Global reach: Deploy worldwide in minutes
• Scalability on demand: Grow without infrastructure constraints

Conclusion

Sevalla provides an affordable hosting platform for deploying AI applications with minimal configuration. The platform handles infrastructure management, allowing developers to focus on application development with easy deployments and required integrations. The AI Food Recipe Assistant demos how quickly you can deploy a modern AI-powered application with features like:

• Automated deployment from Git
• Container orchestration
• Environment variable management
• SSL/TLS security
• CDN integration
• Performance optimization

Use this link: https://ai-sevalla-article-m3qvp.kinsta.app/ to try this App.

For more information about hosting applications on Sevalla, refer to their official documentation.