Write a story in the form of a recipe.

Posted in Short Story on Sep 27, 2024

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✍️ 82 stories

“Recipe for Disaster” by Harry Stuart

Submitted to Contest #270

Category: Main DishBest Paired with: strife, doubt, and heavy hors d'oeuvresPreheat: to an unbearable temperature; most likely to come to fruition during summerPrep time: a sad, exhausting spans of a lifetimeCook time: less than thirty secondsIngredients:-one failed marriage (optional: can include other failed marriages if available)-1/10 of your self-esteem (that’s all you have left)-ten heavily mixed drinks (stout, I mean, really stout)-a dash of stifling insecurity (dash = the whole salt shaker fell in)-two loathsome jobs (could any other...

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“Witchetty Grub” by Derrick M Domican

Submitted to Contest #270

Recipe #666 / Variation 091Servings: 7 Preparation Time: Varies (based on resistance of ingredients)Ingredients:1 eye of newt1 toe of frog150 grams wool of bat1 tongue of dog10 scales of dragonA pinch of dead man’s bloodA drop of a virgin's tear1 swollen, pus-filled witchetty grub for flavourPreparation:A. Acquire pre-selected ingredients from their natural habitats. Successful extraction requires careful attention to prevent accidental damage.1. NewtNet the Newt in a crumbling inner-city neighbourhood. Still in his teens, the Newt is m...

61 comments 61

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“The Sauce” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #270

Stare at the photo of your grandmother. Stare at it. Imagine her voice telling you that you will never make her sauce the way she did. Never. Hear her cackle. Remember the time you tried to rollerblade in her driveway and fell on your face. Remember the cackle. Steel yourself. You will make this sauce and it will be better than hers. Imagine her saying ‘If ghosts were real, I would come back and crack an egg on your head just for the hell of it.’ Tell yourself that you’re not really smelling her cigarette smoke. It’s all in your head.Look up...

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“Single Serve Birthday Cake (Family Recipe)” by Elaine Guinto

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #270

INGREDIENTS2 parents (overbearing, preferably judgmental)1 partner, living with you, well and truly done with you17 days of poor communication5 weeks till the lease runs out1 desperate birthday party2 drunk texts from your ex (seen by partner)Between 3 and 7 shots of tequilaINSTRUCTIONSAt Thanksgiving dinner, sit silently as your parents (not for the first time) criticize your partner: their outfit, their career, their taste in music, and any of the other myriad things they’re sensitive about. Your family has always been good at that: hittin...

8 comments 8

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“Hmmmm…” by Helen A Howard

Submitted to Contest #270

INGREDIENTS FOR BAKED ALASKAYou’ll need two quarts vanilla Ice cream.Hmmmm…One quart sounds more than enough, let alone two. What exactly is a quart anyway? It sounds medieval. I’d better find out fast. Siri will know. Is it sad that I’ve become quite fond of Siri these days and sometimes feel like flirting a little? But then he does have a nice voice.Hey Siri.Ah ha. (What can she be wanting now?)You can make your own or buy it from a store if you prefer.In my case, definitely the latter. Even if it does feel a bit like cheating! Will R even...

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“RECIPE FOR THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE: THE BIG BANG” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #270

Warning: This recipe is not for the faint of heart. Once created, it cannot be undone. Proceed with extreme caution.Ingredients:1 Void of Absolute DarknessNote: This isn’t a simple absence of light. This Void is a suffocating, consuming emptiness, devoid of warmth, sound, and existence itself. Found lurking in the cracks between dimensions, it clings like a predator. Handle it with care. It will stick to you like cold, wet death; pulling yourself free might be impossible.1 Single Point of Infinite Density and Heat (handle delicately)Note: Th...

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“Grandma's Apple Pie” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #270

Step One: Open a can of premade pastry and roll into two equal circles.I can’t believe I’ve resorted to canned pastry. After all these decades of making my own from scratch. It’s barbaric. The grandkids swear it tastes the same; that they don’t care either way. I can tell though. I can taste the additives and colourings. The tinge of mass production scarring the dough.Alas there is nothing to be done, my old hands can only handle so much these days. Gosh, when did I lose the smooth, supple things that my mind could will into anything. The fi...

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“Chinese Food for Rosh Hashanah” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #270

The Recipe.“No, you are staying home and helping out with Rosh Hashanah.” said Naomi, who was starting to wind up to full-on manic mode and looked like she’d blown in on a storm. She threw her son’s laundry on the foot of his bed, then pulled up the window shades, throwing light on things best kept obscured. “There’s only one other trombone player, and she’s got Covid,” said Adam, hitting the pause button on his computer game. “Don’t they know it’s a high holiday?” said Naomi. “There’s only five Jews in the entire school,...

16 comments 16

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“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 ...

14 comments 14

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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 ...

9 comments 9

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“The Relativity of Time and Banana Bread” by Aaron Morgan

Submitted to Contest #270

At the uncharted edge of the known universe:Rivia pulled back both thruster controls as the planet approached. The force of the deceleration sent the suspended flight capsule forward while the harness system began clicking and whirring, making minor adjustments to the tension on the straps and seat that cradled her body.Why didn't we upgrade this suspension system earlier? She thought as she closed her eyes and let her body adjust to the forces that were pulling with their predictable but almost frightening power. When the deceleration ...

18 comments 18

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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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“Charles Stew” by Thomas Wetzel

Submitted to Contest #270

CW: This story contains depictions of violence, including dismemberment and murder. References to suicide and infidelity are also present. Reader discretion is advised.The following is my home recipe for Charles Stew. I met my husband Charles while we were both training to become professional chefs at the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie, New York in September of 2009. Served with fresh-baked bread and a nice red wine, this stew is a great Autumn meal and I think you will enjoy this dish, which must be made with true passion to...

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“How To Cook Your Mother-In-Law” by Aurélien Hannoyer

Submitted to Contest #270

How To Cook Your Mother-In-Law Who has never dreamt of killing and making disappear one’s mother-in-law ? It is rarely, to say the least, love at first sight. It is more likely and usually an open raging war. But if you kill her, there is a body, and with a body comes a crime. You surely want to avoid that. No body, no crime. And what best way to make a body disappear than to cooking it ? You will find below an recipe to cook an “old-fashioned mother-in-law’s roast”. It may not be the most famous of the dishes and you may not find it easily...

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“Day of Roux: A Mike Dodge Mystery” by Martin Ross

Submitted to Contest #270

The roux is the foundation -- of any great stew, bisque, chowder, the velveteen béchamel your visiting cousin calls the “gravy” he found just a mite too boojie for his tastes. It’s the distinction between a minestrone and a pasta e fagiole and certainly the basis of any jambalaya you don’t want called out as a gumbo.**“You’re shitting me, right?”“I shit you not,” I pledged, sliding the cookie sheet into the oven. I guesstimated, as I had throughout my culinary career, and set the dial for 375. It was an old church oven – that’s to say a rest...

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Write a story in the form of a recipe.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 82 stories

“Recipe for Disaster” by Harry Stuart

“Witchetty Grub” by Derrick M Domican

“The Sauce” by Story Time

“Single Serve Birthday Cake (Family Recipe)” by Elaine Guinto

“Hmmmm…” by Helen A Howard

“RECIPE FOR THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE: THE BIG BANG” by Darvico Ulmeli

“Grandma's Apple Pie” by James Scott

“Chinese Food for Rosh Hashanah” by Luca King Greek

“Sacrifices Unspoken” by Alexandra Noir

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

“The Relativity of Time and Banana Bread” by Aaron Morgan

“Recipe for Murder” by KG Green

“Charles Stew” by Thomas Wetzel

“How To Cook Your Mother-In-Law” by Aurélien Hannoyer

“Day of Roux: A Mike Dodge Mystery” by Martin Ross

🌟 Similar prompts

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

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

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

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

Contest #270

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

338

Contest entries

134

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: