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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Sonya Singh

‘If you ain’t got love, you’ve just got chicken wings’: how food helped three chefs start again after prison

Chef Michael Carter and staff, who are all formerly incarcerated, opening up for the day at Down North Pizza in Philadelphia on September 21, 2023.
Chef Michael Carter and staff, all formerly incarcerated, open up for the day at Down North Pizza in Philadelphia, on 21 September. Photograph: Kriston Jae Bethel/The Guardian

Write this down: Put together ramen noodles, cheesy crackers and squeeze cheese – that’s your dough. Mix barbecue sauce and salsa to layer on a marinara. Break your shaving mirror in half to create an edge just sharp enough to slice a cheddar block.

Now, the tricky part. Make a funnel out of a toilet paper roll and light the inside. Stick a pencil in either end of a summer sausage like you would for a barbecue. Twist the pencils on the edge of the toilet, over the flame, making sure the smoke goes down the funnel, inside the toilet. Chop up the now-cooked sausage, and you’ve got Michael Carter’s jailhouse pizza.

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