Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars by Clifton Collins Page A
Authors: Clifton Collins
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same road to hell. I wasn’t that naive eighteen-year-old from before. I was just shy of my thirty-third birthday. My tattoos, reminders of my past, had started to fade. I was an adult, a husband, and a father of three kids. I love my kids more than my life and did what any father would do to protect them. For me, that meant carrying a weapon to ward off attacks that often came by complete surprise. And that’s what put me on another long vacation from society—and took me away from my kids.
When I found myself back in that cell, I knew what was coming next. Every moment, every day, my ability to keep cool would be tested. There would be riots, stabbings, and lockdowns. And when there was a lockdown, there would be no communication with my kids.
The shit that hurt the most? Getting letters from my kids. After the correctional officer would drop off the letters, it would take me a moment to open them up. The pain was too much just to see their handwriting. “Miss you Daddy. Please come home. I love you.” The regret was a heavy load to carry. I kept from screaming by remembering the words of another man who had been incarcerated, Nelson Mandela: “There is no easy walk to freedom, anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”
P B & Plátano Sandwich Spread
Ingredients
6 tablespoons peanut butter
6 slices bread
3 bananas, sliced
2 handfuls M&M’s candy
3 tablespoons honey
1. Spread the peanut butter on each piece of bread.
2. Place the banana slices on top of each piece.
3. Sprinkle the M&M’s over the banana slices.
4. Pour the honey over each slice of bread. Press the slices together to make 3 sandwiches.
5. Cut into quarters and serve.
Not-So-Happy Holidays
T here’s a lot of tension in prison around the end of the year. The weather gets colder, we start going outside less, and then the holidays arrive. They represent more of what we don’t have. All it takes is for one idiot to lose it and start a wildfire. The spark that ignites it could be a bad call on the basketball court, or just a hard look. Anger, resentment, and sadness are released in the form of physical violence. But there were volunteers, particularly around the holidays, who’d bring a little joy, even to the coldest men. They would hold church services and then share some goodies and snacks—kind of like a Christmas party. They would also arrange for some of us to pick out toys and gifts that they would deliver to our families. It bordered on a feeling of normality, to know your kids would get a gift from Dad on Christmas. I will never forget the sound of my kids on the phone saying, “Thank you, Daddy!” on Christmas morning.
Peanut Brittle
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter, plus more butter or vegetable oil for the pan
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup sugar
½ cup corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Butter or oil an 8-by-8-inch square metal baking pan. Set aside.
2. Mix the peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a large microwavable bowl.
3. Microwave for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice. It will bubble and get very hot.
4. Add the butter and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the mixture turns a caramel color.
5. Working quickly to avoid letting the brittle set, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. Add the baking soda and stir until mixed well. It will bubble up even more and be very, very hot.
6. Carefully pour the mixture into the buttered pan. Jiggle the pan so the mixture spreads out evenly.
7. If you have the option, refrigerate the brittle so it cools faster. Otherwise, just let it sit for about 30 minutes until cool.
8. Break into pieces and serve.
Get Faded
M aking prison hooch is a team effort. It takes seven long days to ferment the mix of smuggled ingredients. In a dorm facility, the only hiding place is a stall in the restroom. The last time I made it, my homies
When I found myself back in that cell, I knew what was coming next. Every moment, every day, my ability to keep cool would be tested. There would be riots, stabbings, and lockdowns. And when there was a lockdown, there would be no communication with my kids.
The shit that hurt the most? Getting letters from my kids. After the correctional officer would drop off the letters, it would take me a moment to open them up. The pain was too much just to see their handwriting. “Miss you Daddy. Please come home. I love you.” The regret was a heavy load to carry. I kept from screaming by remembering the words of another man who had been incarcerated, Nelson Mandela: “There is no easy walk to freedom, anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”
P B & Plátano Sandwich Spread
Ingredients
6 tablespoons peanut butter
6 slices bread
3 bananas, sliced
2 handfuls M&M’s candy
3 tablespoons honey
1. Spread the peanut butter on each piece of bread.
2. Place the banana slices on top of each piece.
3. Sprinkle the M&M’s over the banana slices.
4. Pour the honey over each slice of bread. Press the slices together to make 3 sandwiches.
5. Cut into quarters and serve.
Not-So-Happy Holidays
T here’s a lot of tension in prison around the end of the year. The weather gets colder, we start going outside less, and then the holidays arrive. They represent more of what we don’t have. All it takes is for one idiot to lose it and start a wildfire. The spark that ignites it could be a bad call on the basketball court, or just a hard look. Anger, resentment, and sadness are released in the form of physical violence. But there were volunteers, particularly around the holidays, who’d bring a little joy, even to the coldest men. They would hold church services and then share some goodies and snacks—kind of like a Christmas party. They would also arrange for some of us to pick out toys and gifts that they would deliver to our families. It bordered on a feeling of normality, to know your kids would get a gift from Dad on Christmas. I will never forget the sound of my kids on the phone saying, “Thank you, Daddy!” on Christmas morning.
Peanut Brittle
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter, plus more butter or vegetable oil for the pan
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup sugar
½ cup corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Butter or oil an 8-by-8-inch square metal baking pan. Set aside.
2. Mix the peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a large microwavable bowl.
3. Microwave for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring once or twice. It will bubble and get very hot.
4. Add the butter and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the mixture turns a caramel color.
5. Working quickly to avoid letting the brittle set, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. Add the baking soda and stir until mixed well. It will bubble up even more and be very, very hot.
6. Carefully pour the mixture into the buttered pan. Jiggle the pan so the mixture spreads out evenly.
7. If you have the option, refrigerate the brittle so it cools faster. Otherwise, just let it sit for about 30 minutes until cool.
8. Break into pieces and serve.
Get Faded
M aking prison hooch is a team effort. It takes seven long days to ferment the mix of smuggled ingredients. In a dorm facility, the only hiding place is a stall in the restroom. The last time I made it, my homies
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