Prison

When it comes to quirky cookbooks, we really chose a unique title for July’s pick – Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars by Clifton Collins, and Gustavo “Goose” Alvarez, with a special forward from Samuel L. Jackson. They describe the idea behind these recipes in the statement, “When you're in prison, a little money in the commissary can mean the difference between a life of flavorless misery and the pleasure of re-creating a taste of childhood… Firsthand stories of life in prison, told by each of the contributors, go a long way to explaining the joy of doctoring a bag of Ramen. A joy you can now re-create in the freedom of your own kitchen”. Some of our personal favorite recipes here at BPL include Ramen Instant Karma, Avary’s Jailhouse Hole Burrito, and State Issue Soup. This book includes many stories written by inmates, both anonymous, and some you may know: guitarist Slash and actors Danny Trejo, Taryn Manning, and Shia LaBeouf. Prison Ramen is copyrighted 2015, but the inmates first got the idea in 2009 when they were inspired over a shared meal. Both Collins and Alvarez have worked to turn their lives around with the help of their friends and families; writing this book and doing the interviews to make it happen, was a big stepping stone in both of their paths. If you’re interested in checking out this title, find it under the call number, “641.822 Col”.