diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2d9c840..f7ee239 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,16 +4,41 @@ This repository hosts the recipe to build the Python interface for Cantera into
 
 # Cheatsheet
 
-- To build packages locally for a development branch of Cantera, the following
-  commands can be used:
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Create and activate a `conda` environment with `conda-build` installed
+
+## Default build
+
+The following instructions will build:
+- The latest version of the `main` branch from https://github.com/Cantera/cantera
+- For the version of Python installed in the ``base`` environment
+- For some unspecified default version of NumPy
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/Cantera/conda-recipes
+cd conda-recipes
+conda build cantera
+```
+
+## Building for a different version of Python and NumPy
+
+```bash
+conda build --python=X.Y --numpy=U.V
 ```
+
+## Building for a local development branch of Cantera
+
+```bash
 export CANTERA_GIT=/path/to/cantera/repo
 export INCOMING_REF=branch-name-or-commit-hash
 conda build ./cantera
 conda build ./cantera-matlab
 ```
 
-- To build the MATLAB toolbox, you should set something like:
-```
+## Building the MATLAB toolbox
+
+```bash
 export MW_HEADERS_DIR=/Applications/MATLAB_R2023a.app
+conda build ./cantera-matlab
 ```