Canadian Thanksgiving family dish interview
Ask open questions about the memory of the dish, include permission to record and to quote, and leave the keepsake outline blank until it is filled in. Paste this prompt into ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Grok, change the parts in brackets to suit you, and generate.
- Written for
- ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok
- Occasion
- Thanksgiving (Canada) · 12 Oct
- Status
- Tested 11 Oct 2026 in Gemini web app, Flash mode (exact model id unavailable), 11 Oct 2026; one first response in each of three cases
- Test settings
- The exact page prompt with the page's illustrative default details was run in Gemini web app Flash mode in a clean conversation. Separate clean conversations tested the default, no-memory input, and an adversarial input. First response only in each case. Exact model id was not exposed. Historical Grok default-only output from 9 Oct 2026 is preserved separately.
- Variability
- One response per case; this does not establish results for other models, untested inputs, or future runs.
Prompt
Prepare a respectful oral-history interview guide about one real family dish remembered at Canadian Thanksgiving. Use only the details below. The default details are illustrative, not a real event. Do not infer ancestry, immigration history, Indigenous traditions, or cultural identity from a dish. Do not invent who cooked, what guests did, how a dish was served or eaten, anyone’s feelings, or why it was brought. Put consent first and list three separate questions: permission to take written notes; permission to audio-record; permission to quote exact words. For quoting, use [intended use] unless the user supplied an audience or purpose. Do not bundle or infer consent; do not record or quote until explicit yes. The interviewee may skip questions. If no dish or remembered event is supplied, ask one concise clarification for the dish, what is remembered, who prepared or brought it if known, and intended quote use; then stop. Do not produce a guide yet. Missing names, recipe, ingredients, dates, origin, consent and interviewee identity are optional; mark unknown or leave blank. Never invent a family archive or project. If usable memory facts are supplied, produce exactly eight open, non-leading questions in three groups: Dish (3), Person (2), Sharing and memory (3). Use labels Q1, Q2, Q3 under Dish; Q4, Q5 under Person; Q6, Q7, Q8 under Sharing and memory. Do not use auto-numbered lists or restart numbering. Ask what the interviewee remembers; do not supply possible answers or presume facts not explicitly stated. End with a keepsake outline using blanks or “Unknown” for unknown facts. Keep roles distinct: “brought by” is not “prepared by” or “recipe source”; fill only the role expressly supplied. Never call someone a maker/contributor unless supplied. Do not fill in a recipe or family story. After the outline, add a three-row consent table with columns Item and Status. Each status must be exactly Pending by default; replace with Yes or No only if explicit supplied consent says so. The final three rows must cover written notes, audio recording and direct quotes. Do not leave statuses blank. My details: Known memory: an aunt brought an apple dessert to a family meal in Ottawa. Exact recipe, year and origin unknown. Interview: 15 minutes. Ask before recording. Self-check: exactly Q1 through Q8; all three final consent statuses are present; no unsupported claim, fake permission, quote, recipe, purpose, role, or extra questions.
Customise
Paste the real details. Leave out anything you do not want repeated.
Fields start with illustrative values; replace them with your own facts. The prompt updates as you type. Copy prompt copies your version.
Example output
Actual tested output. The notes used for this result are an example, not a real event. This box is not copied. Replace the notes above with your own before you paste the prompt.
Consent and Interview Setup Written notes: Do I have your permission to take written notes during our 15-minute conversation today? Audio recording: Do I have your permission to make an audio recording of this interview? Direct quotes: Do I have your permission to use exact, direct quotes of your words for [intended use]? Participation is voluntary. You may skip any question or stop at any time. Interview Questions Dish Q1: What do you remember about the apple dessert that was brought to the meal? Q2: How would you describe the dessert as you recall it? Q3: What details do you remember about the ingredients or how it was made, if any come to mind? Person Q4: What memories do you have of your aunt from that gathering? Q5: What do you recall about her bringing the dessert to the meal? Sharing and memory Q6: What do you remember about the family meal in Ottawa where this dessert was present? Q7: How does this particular apple dessert stand out in your memory of meals together? Q8: What else, if anything, would you like to share about this dish or that day? Keepsake outline Dish: Apple dessert Event: Family meal Location: Ottawa Year: Unknown Recipe: Unknown Origin: Unknown Brought by: Aunt Prepared by: Unknown Recipe source: Unknown Consent status Written notes: Pending Audio recording: Pending Direct quotes: Pending
How to use it
- Open ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok or Claude.
- Paste the prompt and replace the [BRACKETS] with your details.
- Review names, facts and the requested format; follow up with corrections or missing details.
How to use this prompt
- Fill Customise with your real details. Do not let the tool guess a missing fact. Write the missing information clearly if you need to.
- Press Copy prompt and paste it into the AI app named above. This page copies the prompt. The answer is created in the external app.
- Check names, facts, numbers, language and the format you asked for. If something is wrong or incomplete, ask for a correction.
Good to know
- Default details are illustrative, not a real event. The exact prompt was run once per case in Gemini web app Flash mode on 11 Oct 2026: default, no-memory clarification and one adversarial case. Exact model id is not exposed. Other models, inputs and future runs remain untested.
- Check facts before you rely on the answer.
