Unusual Wine Pairings
Create a guide for pairing wines with unconventional dishes. Experiment with combinations that defy traditional norms, such as pairing a robust red wine with a spicy street food snack or a sweet dessert wine with a savory pie, explaining the flavor profiles and why they work together.
Suggested length: An essay or article: 800 to 2,500 words
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Find one surprising fact and build around it.
- Use one example from your own life.
- Open with a specific story, then widen out to the big idea.
Writing cooking books
Recipes that work, and a reason to cook them.
Cookbooks and food writing cover everything from a single cuisine to the science of how cooking works. The best ones have a point of view: a voice, a philosophy, a story behind the food.
What readers expect
- Reliable, tested recipes
- A clear point of view
- Stories behind the food
- Beautiful, useful design
A tip before you start
Test every recipe more than once, ideally in someone else's kitchen. Readers forgive a lot, but not a cake that fails.
More Cooking, Food and Wine prompts
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- The Meal We RememberDescribe your most memorable meal shared with someone special. What made the food, the setting, or the company unforgettable? Reflect on the emotional…
- Fire Pits and FermentationWrite a narrative exploring the resurgence of an ancient cooking method in modern kitchens, such as fermenting or fire pit cooking. Include interviews…
- From Farm to TableChronicle the journey from farm to table for a specific meal you prepared, emphasizing sustainable practices. Discuss each ingredient's origins, the…
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