Prison Cuisine: A Creative Challenge

[Gifted Gourmet]

website

As a person who never imagined being a gourmet cook (or a prisoner), the last 15 years have not been easy, but they have been an interesting culinary journey.Eventually, I learned these "tricks of the trade," and added my own creations, I share a single stove with 75 men who are Jamaican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Asian, African-American, Italian and Caucasian. A unique bond of trust, respect and friendship is evident, which brings back pleasant memories of home and time shared in the kitchen or at the dinner table. Creativity has become my most important seasoning. With a dash of kindness, a sprinkle of laughter, and a teaspoonful of patience, my culinary journey has reached plateaus beyond mere nourishment.

He has some recipes on his website ... interesting ...

[Daniel]

I enjoy hearing these prisoner recipes and stories.. How they make there own weapons, languages, food, and liquor.. I think the most impressive one I heard was jail house hootch.. You basically take bread and sugar packets.. You add it to water and then cover the bottle top with an unrolled condom.. When the condom fills with gas, its ready to be drunk.. Sounds rather gross.. But if I heard this recipe when I was in high school, I would be telling you how it tasted..

[Jason Perlow]

We actually pioneered on reporting on prison cuisine.

Cell Block Cuisine, Part 1

Cell Block Cuisine, Part 2

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?act=ST&f=13&t=23122&

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?act=ST&f=13&t=23530&

[lancastermike]

I am in prison most of the day. Not an inmate, I work at one. A county prison. There is no microwave or other cooking device for the inmates here. They get three meals a day served on trays from the kitchen. Commisary includes ramen noodles. The speciality of the inmates here is "Chi-Chi". It is different in each housing area. What they do is mix various commisary items in their ramen noodle bowl and crunch it all together. You and I would consider it inedible, but it is something different from what the kitchen gives them.

The same kitchen makes a daily meal for the staff. I do not partake, not because it is made by the inmates as some of my co-workers do, but because it is all fat and startch. I bring my lunch. Once in a rare while if I forget my lunch I will eat here. Lots of bad pasta, potatoes and cheese.

County lock-up is no place for good food. I guess prison life holds some interest to folks on the outside. Take my word for it, prison live sucks. Some guys here thrive on it, but it is no fun.

Some people seem to want to romanticize prison life. Often, when I met people and they ask were I work, I cringe. I guess it is understandable that folks are interested in what it is like on the inside. However, the reality is nothing at all like the popular view

Edited January 11, 2006 by lancastermike (log)

[ilively]

For MLK, Jr Day, I heard that Ft. Devens in Mass. served Fried Chicken and collard greens ... this from a former inmate who said "that's what they always serve on MLK Day."

[jgm]

I have mixed feelings about these things. I can respect someone who's made some mistakes, but then paid their debt to society and straightened themselves out.

Others, such as a certain individual who made our city famous last summer, I'd resent him receiving anything that was beyond palatable. Guess I'm still missing one of his victims, who was a friend of mine. If he didn't have anything beyond cockroaches and water to consume for the rest of his life, it'd be fine with me.