A journalism project at San Quentin State Prison has morphed into a form of therapy and connection.
Walk into any cell block in San Quentin State Prison, and you might smell chicken frying, mackerel croquettes sizzling, adobo chile powder, a hint of fish sauce. One whiff and it would seem the corrections and rehabilitation facility just north of San Francisco is full of amateur chefs.
The show isn’t yet available to watch outside the prison , but four of the students I teach were willing to share an inside look at their dishes and the stories behind them. Here, they tell us about the recipes that remind them of life outside the prison walls.Being locked up, I miss a lot of celebrations con mi familia. The one I miss the most is making tamales on Christmas, a tradition shared by a lot of Chicanos like me. For many of us, it’s the same scene. Familia gathers at a tia’s house.
Tie the bottom of a large plastic bag into a tight knot. Crush 2 bags of Cactus Annie’s Nacho Tortilla Chips until contents are small crumbs, and add to plastic bag. Add some hot water from the hotpot in small amounts, kneading the water into the crumbs until it forms a masa the texture of soft cookie dough. Open the bag, and using your hands, spread the masa into an 8” x 16” rectangle ¼ -inch thick. Empty both bags of cooked meat into the center of masa.
To recreate it, I got all the apples I could find along with clean trash bags, because that is what we use to cook our food in; some substitute sugar from the mess hall, because even though officials don’t allow us to have real sugar anymore, we’re smart enough to improvise; and whatever cake I could get from guys who didn’t eat it for dinner. The seasonings and spices, I bought from the canteen.
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