Events

Creative Community Cookbook

Open Now: Lake Erie Ink’s Fourth Community Cookbook!

The Creative Community Cookbook project brings together writers, artists, and cooks of all ages from around the Greater Cleveland area. Submissions for the fourth volume, titled Kitchen Fables: writing and recipes shared around the table, will be open from June 1-September 15.

The Rules:

  1. This challenge is open to ALL AGES (although if you are under 18, you will need a parent or guardian’s permission).
  2. No more than 2 submissions per person. 
  3. Original formatting may be altered to fit the cookbook layout.
  4. All genres of writing and art are welcome: poetry, flash fiction, comics, nonfiction, photography, painting, and more!
Submit here!

Not sure where to begin? Check out the prompts below to get started:

  • Describe your favorite or least favorite meal.Write about a scent that instantly reminds you of a particular dish or cooking experience. How does this scent trigger memories and emotions?
  • Paint a picture of your kitchen while preparing a meal.
  • Describe a food that always makes you happy.
  • Reflect on a taste from your past that has stayed with you. What emotions and memories does it evoke? How do you recreate or reimagine this taste in your own cooking?
  • Share a favorite family recipe along with the story of how it has been passed down through generations. 
  • What memories or traditions are associated with a favorite dish that makes it special?
  • Describe a special meal that celebrates a significant occasion in your life or your community.
  • Write a fable about a kitchen where ingredients come to life and share their tales.
  • Write about the very first meal you remember cooking or sharing with someone.

Click here to purchase the previous Community Cookbook, On the Tip of the Tongue!



Got questions? Contact us at [email protected] or (216) 320-4757.

Fables at the Kitchen Table Workshops with Doug Katz


Join us for Writing Workshops with Chef Doug Katz at Amba & Kiln!

Join acclaimed Cleveland chef Doug Katz for two special writing workshops hosted at his restaurants, Amba and Kiln, as part of The Creative Community Cookbook project. These unique sessions invite participants to explore the stories behind food—how meals shape memory, identity, and community. Surrounded by the rich culinary atmosphere of Katz’s kitchens, writers of all ages will be inspired to craft recipe-driven stories for Kitchen Fables, the fourth volume in the series. Submissions are open from June 1–September 1.

Purchase tickets here!

Adult Spelling Bee at the B Side Lounge







Join the Fresh Ink young professionals board for the annual back-to-school adult spelling bee! This fun event takes place at the B Side Lounge on September 18th at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15 per person. All proceeds benefit youth writing programs at Lake Erie Ink!

Purchase tickets here!


Giant Bananagrams

Go bananas for Lake Erie Ink! This unique event combines a love of language and creative word play in support of Lake Erie Ink. Inspired by the fast-paced, Scrabble-like word game, Giant Bananagrams brings together teams of up to 5 players to compete on a 30×30 ft board in front of a large audience and narrated by a guest emcee. This event requires creative thinking and encourages teamwork and collaboration as groups scramble to be the first to turn their letters into words.

Check back here next spring for info about the 2026 Giant Bananagrams Tournament!