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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 – 60 stories

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

Short Story – 83 stories

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

Dramatic – 53 stories

Stories

“Sacrifices Unspoken” by Alexandra Noir

Submitted to Contest #270

Ingredients:A girl:She can be anyone, but the recipe works best if her hair is thick and strong yet soft as it falls over her shoulders. Her hair speaks of patience and hope, dreams that float but haven’t yet landed in reality. Her eyes must be a warm hazel, like an autumn afternoon, full of unspoken dreams, a combination of gentleness and unrealized desires. They carry the impression of a future she longs for, always near but never fully realized. Her skin, soft and untouched by the passage of time, holds the fragility of youth. Each touch ...

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“Knight's Choice” by Kathleen Zoll

Submitted to Contest #270

Soup splattered across the kitchen floor as Iliya’s wooden spoon clattered into the heavy iron cauldron. Just a pine cord popping in the hearth, where she’d been preparing a late supper for the royal family. “Aught well?” Laelan asked from where he sat near the ingle. The armor he’d been oiling lay in a forgotten heap before him. Just the two of them in the large kitchens this evening; she’d dismissed her staff immediately after dinner, given the misadventures of the day. She turned toward him, the shimmer of flame off her pewter ewers match...

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“The Egg Substitution” by Kristy Schnabel

Submitted to Contest #270

Fiona Wesley dreaded having the conversation she needed to have. Driving to Goldie's apartment, she devised ways to break the shocking news. She trod carefully up the unlit stairs. By the time Fiona knocked on the door, she had no idea how she'd broach the difficult subject, but time was of the essence."Hi, Fiona." They embraced. "Come on in," said Goldie. "I hope you don't mind. I'm baking." Goldie led the way to the small kitchen. Goldie stood in the kitchen near the mixing bowl and measuring cup on the counter. Fiona took a seat on the ba...

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“El Meson – A recipe for disaster” by John Rutherford

Submitted to Contest #270

“Why are we here?” Mary asked It was a question that punched the awkward silence, as they were ushered to a romantic table at El Meson, a delightful restaurant in Rice Village, one of those trendy restaurant and bar districts where a cosmopolitan combination of food and drink origins are designed for a giddy and memorable culinary experience, add interesting cocktails, and the phrase; heaven on earth, has a more profound and vivid sensory meaning. Tonight, at the El Meson the taste buds were going to be exposed to a European cuisine – Espano...

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“The Bargain” by Sharon Cabana

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #270

THE BARGAIN The old mahogany grandfather clock chimed exactly 4:30 pm on a slow creeping spring afternoon in the soul of the southland. “Well,” Betilda Swanson, known to her book club and church group as Tilly, said as she gazed into the eyes of the figure perched on the old pink Victorian sofa in her drawing room. “Will you do it?” The visitor looked back at her over the coffee table, his large form reclining awkwardly, as if the smooth fabric grated against his skin. On the yellow oak table, their cup of tea sat untouched on its saucer, th...

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“The Spaghetti Chronicles” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #270

The Spaghetti Chronicles is based on a true story… While the taxi arrived at the airport, an apparently ordinary businessman became caught up in a sequence of extraordinary and life-altering occurrences, each one more incredible than the previous. You ever feel like those TSA folks should at least buy you a drink or give you a little smooch after they've spent all that time feeling' you up and down? I mean, it's not like I'm some secret agent or anything. It's just a regular old trip to the airport. Flying as much as I have, I have seen the ...

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“A Recipe for Those Considering Chain Smoking!” by Melissa Taylor

Submitted to Contest #270

Hello friends! Today I'd like to share with you a recipe that's very personal and close to my heart. It's a recipe which I imagine has been passed down through generations of my family - and now, I hope you and yours can enjoy! This recipe is a perfect combination of what you get when you mix together different personalities, each conflicting, and each strong-willed ; and then you put them all into a car for 13+ hours over two days. The road goes on and on in an endless desert landscape until finally reaching a heavily wooded destination in ...

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“If the Universe Were a Kitchen” by Suzanne Jennifer

Submitted to Contest #270

If the universe had a kitchen, it would be open night and day. In it there would be a book of recipes. The list of ingredients would be endless. Dark matter, cosmic rays, and celestial dust. There’d be a recipe for everything. Big recipes for the planets and small ones to make hurricanes and rainbows. The stars that twinkle in the sky are the sprinkles atop a vast chocolate cupcake. Swirling like cinnamon rolled into pastry dough are the galaxies. At the beginning of the book, you can find the universe’s recipe for generating gravity. At the...

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“Slice of Heaven” by Eloise Kramer

Submitted to Contest #270

I walked into the house and put my pink Jansport backpack on the hooks next to the door. “I’m home!” I yelled walking into the kitchen, I was starving after a long day of volleyball. As I walked to the pantry I saw my parents sitting at the dining table. And they looked anxious. ”Hi honey, can we talk for a little bit.” My dad said, I could tell in his voice this sounded serious. “Yeah of course. What’s up?” I asked. I pulled out one of the cold wooden chairs that sent goosebumps up my arms. Mom passed me a grilled cheese and exchanged ...

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“No Whisk, No Reward” by Keleigh Hadley

Submitted to Contest #270

Maggie's hands moved with precision as she sliced through the crisp okra, the rhythmic sound of her knife against the cutting board echoing through the kitchen. The aroma of simmering collard greens and spicy fried chicken filled the air, a testament to the soul food legacy she was building at her restaurant, Sweet Home."Shawn, how's that cornbread coming along?" Maggie called out, her eyes never leaving the task at hand."Golden and perfect, Chef," Shawn replied, his deep voice carrying a hint of pride. "Just like everything else that comes ...

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“Forward Falling” by Kate Winchester

Submitted to Contest #270

**Author's note** This story can be read alone, but it's a sequel of sorts to Falling Forward and it references Falling Down. **Trigger warning** contains references to domestic violence and sexual assault All he wanted to do was curl up in a cave of blankets and sleep forever, but being the selfless-to a fault-person that he was, he found himself saying yes to his sister’s lunch invitation. He almost immediately regretted his decision; however, when he walked through the door. “You look like shit.” She said. “Gee, thanks Evie.&...

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“The Dinner” by Abby Johnson

Submitted to Contest #270

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the table set in the garden. Audrey and Liam sat across from each other, the remnants of their meal—a shared plate of risotto and a simple salad scattered between them. The clinking of silverware and the distant chirping of crickets filled the evening air, but the weight of the conversation ahead hung heavily between them. “Are you sure about this?” Liam asked, his brow furrowing as he leaned forward. “Once you make that decision, there’s no turning back.” Audrey took a deep breath, ...

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“Much to Talk…” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #270

Bianca got her boyfriend, Geoff’s text at work. ‘Meet at Manson’s, 6pm. Much to talk.’Manson’s, the most expensive restaurant in town, was pronounced ‘Mansion’s.’ So people wouldn’t think Charlie owned it? Or an added gloss of pretension? No matter. It was a favorite of Bianca’s.Either formal or glib, Geoff could be such a mystery. ‘Much to talk?’ Had some jock set a homerun record? Or had Existentialism found proof of Nihilism’s emptiness?Guys can be so casual. They’d gladly know you biblically before bothering with your pedigree or even yo...

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“In Comes The Bogeyman” by Carol Stewart

Submitted to Contest #270

Granny’s in the kitchen doing a little stitching, in comes The Bogeyman and pushes Granny out…Needle in hand, workbox on the table, Adeline Cruikshank - Ads to her friends – recalled the old skipping rhyme of her schooldays. Hazel and Ruth - polio victims so it was always them - rope stretched between them, turning it up and over the pigtailed head of whoever’s ‘go’ it happened to be. Whoosh, skiff, whoosh skiff, fifteen jumped beats. White knee-high socks and buckle-my-gravel-scuffed-shoe, grey-pleated skirt a-swishing, till the word was ‘o...

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“Recipe for Murder” by KG Green

Submitted to Contest #270

The kitchen was a whirlwind of activity, but now, as the last plates were scrubbed clean and the aroma of tonight's specials slowly dissipated, tranquility began to settle in. The staff, weary but satisfied, congregated near the exit, awaiting the final words from their leader.Chef Elena stood at the heart of the kitchen, her pristine white coat marked with the remnants of a hard night's work. Her eyes, tired but twinkling with pride, scanned the room, taking in the faces of her team. "Everyone, gather around!" she called out, her voice carr...

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$250

Prize money

338

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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