When Snoop Dogg emerged from Long Beach, California as Dr Dre's prodigy in 1992, spitting out versus to Who Am I? (What's My Name) and cementing himself as a pioneer of West Coast rap, no one in the universe expected we'd be taking his culinary advice a couple of decades later.
But it's happened. Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. is making his debut into the cookbook world with From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen. The book features 50 recipes which are apparently from Snoop's personal collection, although this won't come as a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to the rapper's recent movements.
The 46-year-old has slowly established himself as one half of a very unlikely double act with Martha Stewart - AKA the American Delia Smith. Their show Potluck Dinner Party was even nominated for an Emmy and as a good friend of the star, Stewart even wrote the foreword in From Crook to Cook.
Buy Now From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen by Snoop Dogg (Chronicle Books). Out on 23 October.
In a statement to mark the book's release, Snoop said: "You know it's blazin' up in my kitchen. I'm takin' the cookbook game higher with a dipped and whipped collection of my favourite recipes, ya dig?"
Thing is, it's not actually blazin'. A release to journalists specifies that all recipes are "cannabis-free".
We definitely saw some of Snoop's concoctions coming. His recipes for the perfect gin and juice, Baby Got Back Ribs, California Rollin' sushi and That Thang Singapore Sling are featured alongside classics like Chicken Caesar Salad, Lobster Thermidor and Filet Mignon.
Here's a preview of what you can expect:
Bow Wow Brownies and Ice Cream
In the book, Snoop calls this his "greatest recipe", noting that the key is to make sure they're nicely baked.
Ingredients (serves 6)
⅔ cup [90 g] all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, ½ cup [100 g] granulated sugar, 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp whole milk, 2½ cups [450 g] milk chocolate morsels, 2 large eggs, ½ tsp pure vanilla extract, Vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, for serving.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F [165°C], with a rack in the middle position. Butter an 8-by-8-in [20-by-20-cm] square baking pan and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1½ cups [270 g] of the chocolate morsels. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla to the chocolate. Stir until blended and smooth.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the chocolate, stirring until just combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the remaining 1 cup [180 g] of chocolate morsels.
6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through the baking time to ensure even cooking, until the brownies are set and the edges looked baked.
7. Remove the brownies from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool in the pan.
8. Cut the brownies into 6 large squares. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, if desired.
OG Fried Bologna Sandwich
A "certified hood classic", Snoop used to snack on this as a kid using leftover cold cuts.
"A favourite munchie was discovered when I had the bright idea of throwing that bologna in a frying pan," he writes. "But now that we moved on up, like The Jeffersons, that bologna turned into the finest aged meats. We ain’t eating this just cuz we have to. These days we eat it because what would go better with that thang we love to do so much. Maybe I’ll start making it with some “smoked” Gouda now."
Ingredients (Serves 1)
3 slices bologna, 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, 2 slices white bread, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 3 slices American cheese, Barbecue potato chips, as many as you want.
Method
1. Place the bologna on a cutting board and cut one slit from the middle to the edge of each slice.
2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirl the skillet to cover the bottom completely. When the skillet is hot and the foam has subsided, add the bread. Lightly toast for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden. Transfer to a cutting board and spread the mustard on one slice of bread.
3. Return the skillet to the heat and add the bologna in a single layer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the edges are golden and crisp. Flip the bologna and top each slice with the American cheese. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until the cheese starts to melt.
4. Place the fried bologna and cheese on the toasted bread slice without mustard and top with as many chips as you and your sandwich can handle.
5. Close the sandwich, placing the other bread slice, mustard-side down, on top. Go to town.
Remix Gin and Juice
Snoop tells readers that after 25 years of mixing that Tanqueray with the OJ, it was time for a "fresh twist"
Ingredients (Serves 1)
1 oz [30 ml] gin (Tanqueray, preferably), 1 oz [30 ml] apple-flavoured vodka, 2 oz [60 ml] pineapple juice, Pineapple leaves and a lime wheel, for garnishing.
Method
1. Fill a co*cktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, vodka, and pineapple juice. Stir.
2. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with the pineapple leaves and lime wheel. Serve immediately.
