The realest cookbook ever written—because it had to be.
After serving five years in federal custody, the author built this guide from limited resources. SPREAD GAME is for currently and formerly incarcerated cooks, families who fill commissary accounts, true-crime readers, dorm-room chefs, and anyone who has had to make something from almost nothing.
Inside a federal housing unit, the chow hall keeps you alive, but the microwave helps you stay human. This book presents the cuisine of the American federal prison system through tested recipes made with commissary items and a microwave, organized the way a cook thinks—not the way an order form reads.
Inside you’ll find:
• A decoded commissary list by category, with prices and a starter pantry
• Techniques including hot-water-bath cooking, the chip-bag cooker, micro-frying, cookie-tray baking, and the mayo sear
• The Spread, from The Standard to the Birthday Spread
• The Mackerel Patty Sandwich recipe and its sandwich-business playbook
• No-oven desserts, including cheesecake builds, brownies, two-minute fudge, and Visitation Cake
• Photos of each recipe in the gritty, mouthwatering style of the yard
Written in a voice as real as the yard and clean enough to gift, SPREAD GAME shows how to make satisfying food with limited tools and ingredients.
You don’t need an oven. You need a microwave, a list, and the game.
