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.”
-- FarmerJohn, Jun 23 2002

[m-f-d] Not an idea.
-- bookworm, Jun 23 2002


I know eating paper is not a very good idea, not even if you're starving, though the printed words may provide food for thought. It's sort of a roughage draft.
-- FarmerJohn, Jun 23 2002


How about mandatory nutrient soaks for all new literature, just in case such a tragedy occurs? Books made of sugar paper?

Or scratch and sniff cookery books, so you'll know in advance whether or not you'll like the recipe..
-- yama2, Jun 23 2002


Thou shalt not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
-- beauxeault, Jun 23 2002


Well they obviously didn't find this one [-]
-- Mr Phase, Aug 21 2006


Hold on!

The idea as I see it is for a book who's pages are made in such a way that boiling them extracts their flavouring (hence the need for 'beefing' up their stew with 'Strindberg', who, I assume is an ex-shipwreckee)

A bit like a flat pot-noodle, but presented in cookery book form.

Yes the idea is presented in a narrative style - but there's an idea there all the same - maybe I'm looking too hard - but that's what I see.
-- zen_tom, Aug 21 2006


Perhaps a better title is called for, but yeah, this seems to be an idea.
-- shapu, Aug 21 2006


Are we related?
-- Ah Supp, Oct 08 2011



random, halfbakery