Fifth Season's recipe blog celebrates not just the joy of green ingredients, but the stories that are folded into the them. It's called "The Green Room," and we accept pitches on a rolling basis, so please hit up our inbox.
Here’s what we’re looking for:
Seasoned writers to provide a complete recipe (with ingredient list and steps) along with a well-told anecdote that gives the dish some life. Solid storytelling skills are required, and attention-grabbing ledes are a must.
In case you’re wondering if the recipe needs to be a salad, it doesn’t. (Though salads are welcome!) It merely must contain a leafy green in some form. Lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, Swiss chard, collards — whatever you like. Give us a great idea on how to dress it, sauté it, roast it, toss it in pasta, bake it, sandwich it or make it an attention-stealing side.
But more importantly, give us some interesting context around it, and you. As you know, "this recipe reminds me of my grandmother" is not a story. "This recipe reminds me of the time I bailed my grandmother out of jail" is.
Want examples of what this looks like? Below you’ll find links to some of our favorite pieces so far, as well as samples of other writing that demonstrates the kind of tone and excellent prose we wish to capture.
Great posts from "The Green Room" so far:
This Green Fish Curry Was the Best Meal I Ate While Hiding From Inspectors on an Oil Tanker
I Made This Beef and Leek Soup in a Blackout to Make My Boyfriend Love Me. He Loved the Soup
How I Lost and Regained Respect for Viola Davis Through Barbecue Greens
Need more prompts? We’d love for your story to:
Make us cackle:
Like Samantha Irby does over and over when she explains “How Cheeseburger Macaroni Got My Stepkids to Like Me” in Heated.
Give us a window into your life:
Such as Deb Perelman does expertly in her recipe for Morning Glory Breakfast Cake on Smitten Kitchen, in which she describes trying every trick in the book to get her son to please, please NOT be a morning person.
Introduce us to a dynamic character:
As Domenica Marchetti does in The Department of Salad (scroll down to find her piece) when we meet her Aunt Gilda, who had a thing for cool Italian fashion, hot summers, and satisfying rice dishes.
Whatever the angle, the tone should be fun, lighthearted and engaging.
Got something?
Send pitches along with at least one writing sample to Ali Trachta at thegreenroom@fifthseasonfresh.com.
Some housekeeping:
- Once a pitch is greenlit, the story should be 350-600 words, not including the recipe.
- Photography is not required.
- Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience.
