Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook by Albert “Prodigy” Johnson and Kathy Iandoli

Albert “Prodigy” Johnson served three and half years in prison, where he mainly focused on his health. Commissary Kitchen provides a deeper understanding of the meals consumed in prison. Along with recipes provided, this book reminisces on situations in prison involving food. As meal prep in prison is constricted, this book will speak to anyone who has served time, curious about prison life, or those who have limited access to cooking luxuries, such as college students.

Written with a great sense of humor, Johnson writes about having to navigate through his incarceration in discovering the means to recreate healthy dishes with intelligence in order to control his lifelong battle with sickle cell anemia.

This cookbook includes the importance of how proper nutrition provides nourishment not only physically but also emotionally. In addition to ingenuous cooking, this cookbook will address the important roles food plays in building community as well as the movement of veganism in hip-hop culture.

Reviewed by Jesse Garber