By Leigh O’Connor.
E-40 and Snoop Dogg are homies…these two rap icons first met on the West Coast of the USA where Earl ‘E-40’ Stevens paved the way for the Dogg and became his brother and mentor.
Following the breakout success of ‘From Crook to Cook: Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchen’, Snoop is back with a new cookbook. This time he’s teamed up with his friend, longtime collaborator and iconic Bay Area rapper to produce ‘Goon with the Spoon’ with more than 65 crowd-pleasing recipes.
The book draws inspiration from both rappers’ music catalogues, their favourite meals to cook and eat together and their experience as food business entrepreneurs. You’ll find everything from hearty breakfasts to crave-able snacks, soul-satisfying sides, main dishes, fun cocktails and decadent desserts, all with a memory from Snoop Dogg as to why these recipes are special to him and E-40.
Let’s start down South in the Big Easy with an iconic chicken and shrimp gumbo recipe…
"I only spent about a year living in Louisiana, but even in that short time I learned just how important gumbo is to the state’s culture and foodways,” Snoop says.
"There’s no denying that the best gumbo on the planet is probably going to be at someone’s home in Louisiana, but the restaurants have some serious game too. Just thinkin’ about a bowl from Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe, where they make their own homemade sausage, or that Creole gumbo at Dooky Chase’s has me wanting to get back to the Big Easy right now!”
Snoop learned so much from the time he lived in and travelled to Louisiana and from his mother, who grew up around all of the crab, shrimp and other seafood you find in gumbo.
"To me, gumbo is a celebratory meal, something to enjoy with your day-ones - the folks you truly love and know got your back. If you’re familiar with gumbo, you’ll see a lot of classic elements in this recipe, like the Holy Trinity of Creole cooking - celery, bell peppers and onion - and roux, a mixture of fat and flour that thickens soups and stews. It’s a time-consuming dish, but the results are well worth the effort.”
Snoop’s Uncle Reo believed in grilling ribs until the meat fell off the bone and so does he. Uncle Reo’s recipe requires patience - make your BBQ sauce while you give the meat a few hours to cook and they’ll be worth the wait.
As for dessert, how about green brownies?
"No, not that kind of green brownies - though, we aren’t opposed to those, either! Get a green mint ice cream to serve over this very minty brownie dish, which gets a double dose of flavour thanks to melted chocolate mint candies baked into the base and whole chocolate peppermint patties distributed throughout,” Snoop explains.
This is a great cookbook for those of us who want a little fun in the kitchen as well as delicious American food on the plate. Let’s leave the last word to Snoop…
"Watching E-40 expand his love for food and cooking over the years to his many successful businesses is some boss-level shit. Which is why ‘Goon with the Spoon’ had to be the next cookbook, ya dig?”
