The Case of the Missing Ingredient
By
PUPPETS and PROPS: Chef Cookie and Sparky the Dog; broccoli, bread, milk, nut, orange stuffed foods, a black pot
ACT 1 In the kitchen
CH: Oh, woe is me! Woe is me. The Great American Cook-off is tomorrow and I am missing my secret surprise ingredient. Whatever will I do? Look! Here comes Sparky, the firehouse dog. Maybe he can help.
SP: Hi, Cookie. Why are you so glum?
CH: Oh, it’s just terrible. I’ve entered into a cooking contest. Chefs from around the world will be there to see who can cook the most delicious meal using a surprise ingredient. But I’m missing my secret ingredient.
SP: Missing, eh? Perhaps I can look around and gather up some unusual suspects.
CH: Thank you, Sparky.
SP: Now, I’ll need a little bit of information to go on. Can you tell me something about your missing ingredient?
CH: Sure. It’s flavorful.
SP: Okay, I’ll be back in no time. I’ll be back before you can say “flapjacks and applesauce.”
ACT 2
(Sparky returns with a broccoli in his arms.)
SP: Look what I found lurking in the back of the crisper – a flavorful ingredient, if ever I saw one.
CH: Oh Sparky, that’s broccoli. It’s true. Broccoli is flavorful, and it’s also true that it’s full of vitamins, but, alas, it’s not my secret surprise ingredient.
SP: Okay, Cookie, it’s flavorful, but not broccoli. Can you give me another clue?
CH: Hmm! It tastes real good with tomato sauce.
SP: All right. Flavorful and tastes good with tomato sauce. I’ll be back faster than you can say “tofu twinkies!”
ACT 3
(Sparky returns with glass of milk)
SP: Now you can start on your favorite recipe. I have the milk you asked for.
CH: Got Milk? And tomato sauce? I don’t get it, Sparky.
SP: Sure whenever I have a can of my favorite Campbell’s tomato soup, I add a whole can of milk to make it cream of tomato soup.
CH: Canned soup? You eat canned soup? Why I wouldn’t feed canned soup to my dog. (looks at Sparky) No offense, Sparky.
SP: Oh I’m sort of use to it. It’s a dog’s life, don’t you know. But getting back to the case of the missing ingredient. As a famous bear once said “this is getting curiouser and curiouser.” I brought you something flavorful and something to go with tomato sauce, but it’s still not right. Say! Why don’t you tell me what your secret ingredient is, and then I’ll find it.
CH: Egad! You want me to just blurt out my secret surprise ingredient? Why it wouldn’t be a secret any more now would it? No, no, it would be much better if I give you clues. Now for my next clue…you must find me something that comes from another country.
SP: Gotcha, Cookie… Flavorful, goes good with tomato sauce and comes from another country. I’ll be back quicker than you can say “bananas foster!”
ACT 4:
(Sparky has bread in his hand)
SP: (singing like an Italian) “Oh so la me-o La cuca-racha!” Look, Cookie, hot out of the Italian bakery oven. Bread! I did good, huh?
CH: Oh Sparky, you are trying so hard. There is a grain of truth, here. It is from another country, but not quite I’m looking for. What I’m looking for must be full and robust. It must add a little zing to your zang.
SP: (getting a little annoyed) Okay… Flavorful, goes with tomato sauce, comes from another country and… it will add a little zing to your zang. Allrighty-dighty, I’ll be right back faster than you can say “Mozzarella meatball.”
ACT5
(Sparky returns with a piece of fruit)
SP: Ta-da!! Orange you glad you sent me to get this! Whew! I never thought I’d find it, but when I passed by the fruit stand my zing went ZANG – and I just (Chef is shaking his head)..knew…it ..was…….not your secret ingredient. Cookie, I got to tell you that I’m getting a little tired. I’m one whipped puppy.
CH: But we can’t give up now. We are so close. I can feel it. Just once more. I promise.
SP: Okay. We don’t want to end this mystery by saying that that’s how the cookie crumbles. So give me the final clue.
CH: You’d have to be crazy to try and cook without it.
SP: This one is a little (ruff!) But they don’t call me Sparky for nothin’. So here it goes – flavorful, goes with tomato sauce, comes from another country, puts a little zing in your zang, AND you would have to be crazy to cook without it. I’ll be back quicker than you can say “Bertie Bott’s Jelly-belly Beans!”
ACT 6
(Sparky returns with Nuts)
SP: Here you go, Cookie. You said you would be crazy to cook without it – so I brought you NUTS.
CH: Oh dear, I didn’t mean crazy hoo-hoo. I meant…Oh never mind what I meant. I’ll just have to do without my Chile pepper. Ooops! I said it. Now you know my secret surprise ingredient.
SP: Chile pepper? Is that what your looking for? Why, I brought that to the firehouse last week.
CH: You brought my Chile pepper to the firehouse? Why in the world would you take my Chile pepper to the firehouse?
SP: Well, do you remember that Chile you made last week?
CH: Sure, it was full of my secret ingredient.
SP: I’ll say. My mouth was on fire, so I went to the firehouse and drank about a gallon of water from the hydrant. When the Chief of the fire department heard about it, he asked me to find the cause of the fire in my mouth. So I brought the Chile pepper in.
CH: Well, that solves the mystery of the missing ingredient, but what am I going to do for the cook-off tomorrow.
SP: I can think of something flavorful, that goes with tomato sauce, comes from another country, puts a little zing in your zang and you would have to be crazy to cook without it.
CH: Really, Sparky, and just what might that be?
SP: It’s right here in your cooking pot. A casserole! Mix all the ingredients that I found to make a creamy, broccoli casserole with a breadcrumb topping and a special nutty, fruity sauce. What do you think, Cookie?
CH: By George, I think you’ve got something there - a one-stop, square-deal meal with dairy, grains, protein and fruits and vegetables all rolled into one. That’s a blue ribbon winner, if I do say so myself!
SP: But what will you call it?
CH: That’s easy. I’ll call it… Sparky’s Secret Surprise!
