This Week’s Prompt: Recipes Start Writing

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Recipes

Recipes can be treasured and passed down from generation to generation, or they can begin in your kitchen. They can be closely guarded secrets or happily shared with anyone who asks. Some of us still have collections of favorite recipes on cards or in cookbooks. Others have tossed these in favor of Internet searches. Think back … What are some of your favorite recipes? Where did they come from and what memories do they evoke? Is there one you would share on Retrospect? Share your recipes stories forward.

Stories on This Week's Writing Prompt

Featured Story

One Step at a Time

by Tom Steenburg

(Mom) was drawn to challenging recipes. With mixed results. Her sardine pie became the stuff of family legend, firmly [...]

Readers’ Choice

by Suzy

Of course I loved this Little Golden Book, whose main character had my name, the way I spelled it at the time.

The Enchanted Castle Cake

by Risa Nye

It was more than just a cake; it was an architectural marvel.

by Charles Degelman

...Good gawd how we tried.

Chocolate Angel Pie

by Kathy Porter

It's delicious, no matter what you call it.

Creative cooking with what we have

by Marian

It didn't help that mom and grandma didn't write anything down. "You'll know when it's done ... just add a shake of that ..." [...]

Fernando’s Fritattas

by Dana Susan Lehrman

When my son Noah was in high school the headmaster announced the school would be participating in an exchange program with 20 [...]

The Cheesecake Chronicles

by Barbara Buckles

Some kid named Steven Spielberg was a friend of my boss and, before he landed his first gig, basically squatted in the tiny [...]

by Laurie Levy

The sacred recipes I shared have a few things in common. They are easy to create, and they bring people joy.

Thanksgiving Forever

by Betsy Pfau

Imagine my surprise when my dear mother-in-law called, saying she wanted me to host Thanksgiving in 1982. I had never cooked [...]

Comfort Food – for Renee

by Dana Susan Lehrman

I met Renee about 25 years ago when we were both working as librarians in the Bronx – she at New York Public Library, [...]

Applesauce Cake

by John Shutkin

Ironically, applesauce cake is sort of the "Holy Roman Empire" of cakes. At least my mother's recipe contained virtually no [...]

Cream Cheese Crack Cake

by John Zussman

I could give you the recipe, but you'll have to sign a release form.

Stories from the Previous Prompt

Superstition

Superstition, science, blind faith, denial, and ignorance: a trumped-up world view

by Charles Degelman

If an event happens once, it can — and probably will — happen again.

My Grandma’s Superstitious Surprise

by Laurie Levy

Her superstitions were old wives’ tales she brought to America from the old country as a girl.

Other Recent Stories

Scents and non-scents

by Marian

He was wearing Brut, perhaps in retrospect not the most subtle of scents. But I'll never forget the scent of Brut, forever [...]

Prompted By Fragrant Flashbacks

Scent of a Woman

by John Shutkin

This week’s prompt has not exactly motivated the Muse of Creativity to come and seduce moi. Sure, smells are evocative [...]

Prompted By Fragrant Flashbacks

Recipes

Recipes can be treasured and passed down from generation to generation, or they can begin in your kitchen. They can be closely guarded secrets or happily shared with anyone who asks. Some of us still have collections of favorite recipes on cards or in cookbooks. Others have tossed these in favor of Internet searches. Think back … What are some of your favorite recipes? Where did they come from and what memories do they evoke? Is there one you would share on Retrospect? Share your recipes stories forward.