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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#270: The Perfect Recipe

Writing can often feel like trying to follow the perfect recipe: with the right inciting incident, you can push your character out of their status quo or comfort zone, and if you sprinkle some challenges in there, you get character development. Then, you turn the heat up until you reach a boiling point — maybe you even toss in a third-act crisis — and just before it spills over, you add the finishing touches and plate it up.

But sometimes, no matter how carefully you stick to a recipe, things don’t turn out as planned. That’s when, like any great chef, you realize it’s better to forgo exact steps and simply season to taste.

This week’s prompts take inspiration from the world of food, so grab your aprons and preheat your ovens — let’s get cooking!

This week's prompts

Write a story in the form of a recipe.

Short Story – 82 stories

Start or end your story with two people discussing an important matter over a meal.

Dramatic – 60 stories

Write a story inspired by the saying “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Angst – 59 stories

Set your story in a kitchen, either early in the day or late at night.

Short Story – 82 stories

Write a story about someone searching for a missing ingredient, literally or metaphorically.

Dramatic – 53 stories

Stories

“Biting Into Beach Sand” by Fatima Lalla

Submitted to Contest #270

Summer 1908. The ocean was a dream. Glinting emerald waves with pearlescent seafoam. It quivered under the harsh breeze. The Cassandra was a boon of a ship, born from Parisan hands with its elegant sharpenings and fine stained wood, golden accents glinting under the harsh sun. The boat swayed in the water urging the sailors to hurry atop it, urging them to take to the sea with a desperation. They were set to sail for Greece. To collect a large shipment of olives to aid in overcoming the recent drought. Liam carried two bags over his shoulder...

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“Food for Thought” by David Newcombe

Submitted to Contest #270

The journey was taking hours longer than it should; a massive storm was imminent, and the first raindrops were already smearing themselves across the windscreen. The seemingly endless twists and turns of the unlit road were taking a toll on his concentration. Luckily there were few other vehicles which meant he had escaped what would have been certain head on collisions when he took the last two bends too quickly. A large whiskey and warm bed beckoned, but a rest break was needed if he were to reach home safely.Norman Lassiter was not a happ...

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“50 CARROT CAKES” by Judith Jones-Ambrosini

Submitted to Contest #270

Judith Jones-Ambrosinijonesmagee@optonline.netFrom Truths, Travels & Fiction story collection50 CARROT CAKESIt was rich and fabulously delicious. It was mysterious. It was the dessert my friend brought to a dinner party at my tiny Greenwich Village apartment in 1975. At that time cheese cake was all the rage. But THIS was a carrot cake. These words had not yet whisked their way into a baker’s lexicon. I asked my dear friend what was in this so called ‘carrot cake” She replied … Oh, carr...

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“Deviled Eggs” by Sophie Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #270

1. Boil water. 2. Once the water reaches a boil, gently put in your eggs. 3. Gently.4. Be gentle. 5. Even though you want to throw the eggs against the wall, be gentle. 6. Let the water boil for 10 minutes. 7. Even though they say not to, watch the water boil. 8. It will help. 9. It will help soothe your heart. 10. The bubbles and th...

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“Your Daughter's Favorite Birthday Cake” by Zoe Jazz

Submitted to Contest #270

(CONTENT WARNING: DEATH OF A CHILD) For the cake:1 1/3 cups unbleached flour1 ¼ cups sugar1 ½ teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder½ teaspoon salt½ cup buttermilk½ cup vegetable oil2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 eggs1 cup decaf coffee, hot For the frosting:2 sticks unsalted butter, softened8 ounces cream cheese6 cups confectioners sugar½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder½ cup decaf coffee, coldPinch of salt When your daughter asks for “the best cake ever” again, and even when she doesn’t ask for it—when...

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“Caregivers Pie” by Bobbie Helbig

Submitted to Contest #270

This is a very new recipe for me. I have not put it to the test until now! Let’s look at why I chose to make this pie. Being a caregiver can be a struggle on a daily basis. I needed soothing ingredients to formulate the way I handle what is “dished” out towards me when caring for my loved one. Baking is a stress reliever for me, and I realized that creating this recipe is much like my weekly routine as a caregiver. I have found this to be a delicious dessert and hope you all do as well.Caregivers PieTake a minute and close your eyes. Savor t...

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“Sacred Ritual” by Atan Solp

Submitted to Contest #270

Saturday! My favorite day of the week! And that means that today I can do the Sacred Ritual. Yes, that's right, with capital letters. For this, some of the preparations must be done in the evening. So, let's begin.In the evening, we need to put a jug of purified water in the fridge, because the water must be cold. Also in the evening, we pour cream into a cup - there are no options, we need to take cream. We also put the cup in the fridge. Overnight, a film of foam will settle on the surface, and this is what we need. Slightly yellow, soft, ...

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“Bake It Till You Make it” by Lalitha Ramanathan

Submitted to Contest #270

“Step 1. Today, we’re baking the perfect sponge cake! Line your tray with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 180 degrees,” your cooking class instructor announces.You find her chirpiness unsettling. She, a snow-haired woman, resembles the fairy godmother from the Cinderella storybook. Did she introduce herself? Perhaps she did, and you didn’t catch it because the thoughts in your head are noisy, bordering on cacophonic. You do not know what to call the instructor, and so, you name her Nani, meaning grandmother in your native tongue. 'N...

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“The perfect woman” by Laura Camacho Frias

Submitted to Contest #270

Perfect is not easy. Everyone wants perfection, but very few are ready to achieve it. Based on the number of requests received, sent to the universe, and accepted by this greater power, let us show you—in a few steps—how it is done.Note to those who dare to attempt this recipe: do not rush. This is a complicated technique; any attempt to shorten the process might lead to undesired results.Don't do this just because others did. There is no point. This decision is too important to be based on fashion, trends, or anyone else's expectations. You...

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“The Poets” by Gloria Parker

Submitted to Contest #270

My mother used to tell me there were steps for falling in love. It was her favourite story to tell me – probably because she wanted me to be able to believe that love truly existed, even after the man I was supposed to call dad up and left in the middle of the night. She wanted me to believe that out in the world, somewhere, someone would be the one for me. That magic truly existed. Every Friday night, after she got home from her part-time job at the pub downtown, her second job, she would come into my room after the babysitter left, and sh...

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“Right Where You Left Me” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #270

The cold breeze blowing through the cobbled laneway suddenly picks up, and I clutch at my scarlet coat’s closure with one hand whilst I fight my flapping fringe with the other. I briskly step under the awning of the restaurant and take shelter from the wind behind the elaborate shrubbery bracketing the doorway. Scrutinising my reflection in the window, I make sure my fringe is tamed and twist from side to side to ensure that my French twist is still impeccably intact. It took me far too long to wrestle my chocolate brown hair into this Frenc...

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“Giving Up” by Jessica Chandler

Submitted to Contest #270

*Trigger warning: suicide, death, suicidal ideation My fork clatters to the plate as I sit in shock, staring at my mother’s passive expression, unable to believe her demeanor after uttering the words she just dropped on me like my life didn’t suddenly implode. She continues eating her pasta, sets down her fork, and delicately wipes the corner of her mouth before finally looking for my reaction to her casual bombardment. “Are you joking me, mom?” I ask, exasperated. “You just told me you have three months to live and you’re just going t...

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“Just Salad” by Kirk Nelson

Submitted to Contest #270

“Where is that cilantro,” he mumbled to himself, rifling through the spices like an old man searching for his nitro pills, pains in his chest rising. “I know I have cilantro!” More small jars tumbled free of the cabinet to land on the counter to spin, roll, or drop to the floor. Time was skimming by much quicker as the evening approached; his guests would be arriving in a few hours and there was much to do. He did not want to disappoint. Finally, gleaming from the back shadows, a glass jar with a hastily scribed label of masking tape and mar...

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“A Sweet, Cold Finish” by Diamond Ross

Submitted to Contest #270

It was over dessert—smoked brown butter ice cream accompanied by a delicious cornmeal pie—that I had decided to go through with my plan. It began, much as I presume this dish once had, as a concept I couldn’t quite wrap my head around. The idea formed as haphazardly as a child’s drawing. A stick-figure and delusional concept arrived in my brain, unwarranted, but curiosity kept the mind experimenting. The plan developed as thoughtfully as the flavors of this ice cream. I took a bite. There was a warmth to it. The spoon dipped into a glass jar...

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“Fluffy’s Remorse” by Richard Morris

Submitted to Contest #270

My name is Dirk. I don’t remember when I fell in love with Maribeth, but it was sometime during my senior year in high school. I was 17. We spent endless days together, driving aimlessly with the windows down in the old Buick, ballroom dancing, laughing at private jokes, going to the drive-in movies they still had back then, and sharing dreams as vast as the horizon. Maribeth had a way of making the world brighter. Her laughter was infectious. She was a dancer, and her energy was boundless. The girl was beautiful in an effortless way, ...

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$250

Prize money

336

Contest entries

133

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 04, 2024 EST

Won by Jay Wayne 🏆

Title: Add Vodka to Taste

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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