diff --git a/SConscript b/SConscript
index 1ca7063..2193455 100644
--- a/SConscript
+++ b/SConscript
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ env = Environment(tools = tools, variables = vars, ENV = os.environ)
 env['RECIPES_FOLDERS'] = [Dir('recipes')]
 env['SYSTEM_CACHE_DIR'] = os.path.join(_find_system_cache_dir(), 'spp_cache')
 env['CLONE_DIR'] = os.path.join(env['SYSTEM_CACHE_DIR'], 'cloned')
+env['DOWNLOAD_DIR'] = os.path.join(env['SYSTEM_CACHE_DIR'], 'downloaded')
 env['UPDATE_REPOSITORIES'] = update_repositories
 
 print(f'Detected system cache directory: {env["SYSTEM_CACHE_DIR"]}')
@@ -312,6 +313,7 @@ if env['UPDATE_REPOSITORIES']:
         f.write(str(time.time()))
 # create the clone and system cache dirs
 os.makedirs(env['CLONE_DIR'], exist_ok=True)
+os.makedirs(env['DOWNLOAD_DIR'], exist_ok=True)
 
 # try to detect what compiler we are using
 compiler_exe = os.path.basename(env.subst(env['CC']))
diff --git a/recipes/DownloadAndExtract/recipe.py b/recipes/DownloadAndExtract/recipe.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1977b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes/DownloadAndExtract/recipe.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+
+from enum import Enum
+import hashlib
+import pathlib
+import tarfile
+import zipfile
+import urllib.request
+from SCons.Script import *
+
+class ArchiveType(Enum):
+    TAR_GZ = 0
+    ZIP = 1
+
+def _detect_archive_type(url: str) -> ArchiveType:
+    if url.lower().endswith('.tar.gz'):
+        return ArchiveType.TAR_GZ
+    elif url.lower().endswith('.zip'):
+        return ArchiveType.ZIP
+    raise Exception('could not detect archive type from URL')
+
+def _archive_type_ext(archive_type: ArchiveType) -> str:
+    if archive_type == ArchiveType.TAR_GZ:
+        return 'tar.gz'
+    elif archive_type == ArchiveType.ZIP:
+        return 'zip'
+    raise Exception('invalid archive type')
+
+def _download_file(url: str, path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+    if path.exists():
+        return
+    dl_path = path.with_suffix(f'{path.suffix}.tmp')
+    if dl_path.exists():
+        dl_path.unlink()
+    print(f'Downloading {url} to {dl_path}...')
+    urllib.request.urlretrieve(url, dl_path)
+    dl_path.rename(path)
+
+def _extract_file(path: pathlib.Path, output_dir: str, archive_type: ArchiveType, skip_folders: int) -> None:
+    if archive_type == ArchiveType.TAR_GZ:
+        file = tarfile.open(str(path))
+        if skip_folders != 0:
+            def skip_filer(member: tarfile.TarInfo, path: str) -> tarfile.TarInfo:
+                name_parts = member.name.split('/')
+                if len(name_parts) <= skip_folders:
+                    return None
+                return member.replace(name = '/'.join(name_parts[skip_folders:]))
+            file.extraction_filter = skip_filer
+        file.extractall(output_dir)
+        file.close()
+    elif archive_type == ArchiveType.ZIP:
+        file = zipfile.open(str(path))
+        file.extractall(output_dir)
+        file.close()
+    else:
+        raise Exception('invalid archive type')
+
+def cook(env: Environment, repo_name: str, url: str, skip_folders: int = 0) -> dict:
+    archive_type = _detect_archive_type(url)
+    ext = _archive_type_ext(archive_type)
+    path = pathlib.Path(env['DOWNLOAD_DIR'], f'{hashlib.shake_128(url.encode("utf-8")).hexdigest(6)}.{ext}')
+    output_dir = pathlib.Path(env['CLONE_DIR'], 'download', repo_name)
+    stamp_file = pathlib.Path(output_dir, '.spp_extracted')
+
+    if not stamp_file.exists():
+        _download_file(url, path)
+        _extract_file(path, output_dir, archive_type, skip_folders)
+        stamp_file.touch()
+
+    return {
+        'extracted_root': str(output_dir)
+    }
+
diff --git a/recipes/boost/recipe.py b/recipes/boost/recipe.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9595f0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes/boost/recipe.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+
+import os
+from SCons.Script import *
+
+def cook(env: Environment, version: str = "1.85.0") -> dict:
+    # TODO: build binaries?
+    url = f'https://archives.boost.io/release/{version}/source/boost_{version.replace(".", "_")}.tar.gz'
+    repo = env.Cook('DownloadAndExtract', f'boost_{version}', url = url, skip_folders = 1)
+    checkout_root = repo['extracted_root']
+    return {
+        'CPPPATH': [checkout_root]
+    }