Publisher Description
Meals are perhaps the most important aspect of prison life. They keep inmates alive, both physically and emotionally, as mess halls and common areas provide a level of social interaction in an otherwise lonely situation. Albert “Prodigy” Johnson served three-and-a-half years in prison, and during that time his focus was on his health—an almost impossible feat behind bars, where many inmates often enter the prison system healthy but leave with diabetes and hypertension.
Commissary Kitchen provides a deeper perspective of what it’s like to consume meals in prison. While recipes are provided, Prodigy and cowriter Kathy Iandoli also tell various anecdotes about situations in prison involving food. Meal prep in prison is very limited, so while this work appeals to anyone who has served time or is curious about prison life, it also speaks to those who prepare food with limited access to various cooking luxuries (such as college students in dorms). While the work is informational, above all it humanizes the prison experience in a way that has never been done before.
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“Prodigy describes how his lifelong battle with sickle cell made him hyperconscious of what he ate while incarcerated…Commissary Kitchen is as much about the politics of prison life as it is about making meals from almost nothing.”
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NPR
About the Authors
Albert “Prodigy” Johnson (1974–2017), as one half of the hip-hop phenomenon Mobb Deep, sold millions of albums, performed throughout the world, and recorded with the elite of hip-hop, R&B, and rock with his signature style of hard-core, reality-based music. Born with the hereditary disease sickle-cell anemia, Prodigy battled pain his entire life and promoted the importance of a healthy diet, spiritual enrichment, and a positive, productive lifestyle.
Kathy Iandoli is a critically acclaimed journalist and author. Her work has appeared in publications such as Pitchfork, VICE, Maxim, Cosmopolitan, Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and many others. She is also a professor of music business at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, New Jersey.