Cookbook

The small island was wind-swept and barren. Its only noticeable feature was a beached sailboat that lay on its side. To the leeward of the boat was a driftwood fire, and close by squatted an emaciated man studying a book. He addressed an equally thin woman who approached with a pot of rainwater, “Here’s a good one, Haddock Scalloped au Gratin, with butter, œ green pepper, œ onion, Cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce…and check out the picture. Doesn’t that make your mouth water? Let’s prepare it.”
The woman nodded agreement but added, “With it I want some of Strindberg. The parts we had yesterday were old but tender.” After the main course, they redirected their attention to the cookbook and found a recipe for chocolate soufflé, which the man read aloud. After admiring the photograph, the man carefully tore out the page and sank it into the boiling water.
“Tomorrow is Sunday,” the woman noted while carefully chewing the cellulose, “The bible will provide sustenance. Maybe the chapter about feeding 5000 with five loaves and two fish or where water was turned into wine.”