Puppet Recipes: A Feast for the Imagination
Forget the kitchen—these recipes involve sawdust, chisels, and a whole lot of string! Sessions start tomorrow!
The Secret Ingredient is… Puppets!
Ah, dear readers, have you ever found yourself standing in the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand, gazing wistfully at a lump of dough and thinking, if only this were a marionette instead? No? Just me? Well, my friends, prepare to mix, carve, and string your way into a brand-new kind of recipe—the kind that doesn’t require preheating the oven but does involve a healthy dose of sawdust and possibly an alarming number of chisels.
This month, the grand Puppet Kitchen of Prague is throwing open its virtual doors for Puppet Recipes, an ongoing subscription that promises to be a feast for the imagination. Whether you're a seasoned puppet artisan or someone whose only experience with strings involves an untangled set of fairy lights, this is your chance to get hands-on with some true Czech puppet-making magic. And trust me, it’s way more fun than following a soggy soufflé tutorial.
February’s Special: The Frog Marionette
First up on the menu? A rather charming amphibian. On 2nd February, Master Chef Mirek (who, let’s face it, is more of a puppet sorcerer than a mere instructor) will guide participants through the making of his beloved Frog Marionette. But wait, there’s more! As an added bonus, you’ll also learn to construct one of Mirek’s legendary “puppet gadgets” – the all-important wooden platform. Because every puppet needs a stage, just like every chef needs a good chopping board.
The event will take place on Zoom (link will be sent via an official email—please don’t mistake this for an invitation to a frog-themed dinner party). And if you’re worried about forgetting all the intricate details, don’t! A recording and a step-by-step recipe card will be provided, ensuring you can revisit the process without frantically scribbling notes mid-session.
What’s Coming Next?
Like any good subscription, this isn’t a one-time affair. Over the coming months, you’ll be carving, stringing, and assembling your way through an entire puppet curriculum. Think of it as a series of puppet “cook-along,” only instead of pastries and pies, you’ll be crafting expressive wooden faces, learning the secrets of devilish horns, and possibly even engineering automata.
Highlights include:
March: Tricky Carving 1 – Eyes full of character (and a handy chisel holder!)
April: Tricky Carving 2 – Devil heads and the mystery of drawing a straight line
May: Let’s Make a Puppet Show – Because your marionettes deserve a spotlight
June: The Magic of Automata – A mechanical marvel straight from the UK Automata Fest
July & Beyond: Ever heard of a Stomper? What about complicated trapeze stringing? No? Excellent!
Frankly, I’m exhausted just listing all these sessions, but excited at the same time. It’s a year-long puppet buffet, and everyone’s invited.
The Fine Print (aka, Things You Need to Know)
Each session lasts 1.5 hours, and yes, you’ll need tools. You’ll receive a specific materials list after each session, but general advice is this: invest in good chisels. No, really. Bad chisels are the equivalent of a blunt knife trying to dice an onion—it’s a frustrating disaster waiting to happen.
And if you ever feel like you need a pep talk (or just want to show off your newly carved puppet eyebrows), there’s a Puppet Recipes Online Forum where you can swap tips, share progress, and commiserate over particularly stubborn pieces of wood.
Final Thoughts (And a Toast to the Puppets)
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at Czech puppetry but weren’t sure where to begin, this is your sign from the puppet gods. Whether you go for the craftsmanship, the camaraderie, or simply because you’ve always dreamed of creating a frog that won’t literally leap off your workbench, Puppet Recipes is available to make it happen.
So, sharpen your chisels, clear a workspace, and get ready to craft. Because this year, the best recipes don’t belong in the kitchen—they belong on strings.
More info and book