Tracy Morgan has some ideas for you — culinary ideas, to be exact.
The funnyman, currently starring in the TBS comedy The Last O.G. opposite Tiffany Haddish, will publish a cookbook with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt officially tied to the series, EW can announce exclusively. Featuring “80 Soulful Recipes With Street Credit,” the book includes an introduction written by Morgan with a focus on community and love.
“This project is really special to me,” Morgan said in a statement. “I can throw down in the kitchen, so I’m excited to put these recipes in a book packed with soul and bold in-your-face flavors. The most important ingredient is love. I want this book to not only inspire mad culinary skills, but give back to the Brooklyn community where I grew up.”
In The Last O.G., Morgan plays Tray Barker, a recently released ex-convict who, upon returning to his hometown of Brooklyn to find his girlfriend ( Haddish) married to another man and his neighborhood gentrified, relies on his cooking skills to find his place in a city he often doesn’t recognize. In addition to the soulful recipes of The Last O.G. Cookbook — covering everything from wacky originals like Dessert Loaf and Chopped Cheese Dip to reinterpreted African-American classics such as Tray’s To Die Dreaming Fried Chicken and Waffles and Shay’s Repast Spaghetti — brief sections of the book will focus on pressing social issues including mass incarceration, food deserts, and re-entry challenges. (A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit Fortune Society, a New York-based non-profit organization committed to getting returning citizens back on their feet.)
“I had to publish this book when I saw how passionate Tracy was about the project,” Deb Brody, VP and Editor-In-Chief of HMH Trade Publishing said. “The Last O.G. Cookbook will not only capture the raucously hilarious, yet touchingly redemptive spirit of the show, but teach readers how to make uniquely delicious recipes inspired by Brooklyn’s diverse culinary influences.”
The Last O.G. Cookbook publishes in April 2019.
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