San Quentin Eats

Every recipe shared here was created in a 9’ x 4’ cell. Cooking in prison comes with many challenges – ingredients are limited, and the only cooking implements are hot pots, garage bags for mixing bowls and a bed as the kitchen counter. Specialty ingredients can be purchased through the prison commissary, but the prices are astronomical, so they aren’t accessible to everyone.

Once the recipes reach the Humans of San Quentin kitchen, they have already been perfected inside. Yet in there, they have no measuring devices, so remaking the recipes for our consumption is difficult. Fortunately between Sheri, our food professional on the outside and Rodney “Pitt”, our expert chef inside – we have found the sweet spot. Recipes are edited and tested for clarity, but we make every attempt to stay true to the recipe as intended by the author. We hope these recipes provide a way to connect and experience one aspect of prison life. Bon Appetit!