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From Crook to Cook by Snoop Dogg Review: A Chart-Topping Celebrity Cookbook
From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen is a #1 New York Times bestselling cookbook from Snoop Dogg, published by Chronicle Books in October 2018, that pairs soul food and everyday recipes with personal stories and behind-the-scenes photos — a combination that has proven irresistible to more than 1.5 million buyers.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Fans of Snoop Dogg and soul food / American comfort cooking who want a cookbook that doubles as an entertaining read — and anyone seeking a standout, cross-demographic gift.
Worth it if
You want bold-flavored, accessible recipes wrapped in genuine personality, personal storytelling, and hip-hop iconography rather than culinary technique for its own sake.
Skip if
You're looking for a deep-dive culinary reference with advanced technique — or you have no connection to Snoop's cultural footprint and are likely to find the persona-driven framing more ornamental than useful.
What readers & critics say
CraftGossip praises the book as "a full-blown kitchen party with flavor, personality, and an unapologetically fun attitude," noting the recipes are doable and delicious even for inexperienced cooks. RedCarpetCrash concludes it's "a fun addition to your cookbook collection" whether read for kitsch value or genuine cooking inspiration, while Waterstones highlights Buzzfeed's Michelle No calling it a worthy stamp of approval for homemade comfort-food versions of restaurant favourites.
Sources: CraftGossip, RedCarpetCrash, Waterstones4.8from 40,618 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
Look inside the book
Preview the actual pages, via Google BooksIn This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Actually Is
- Its Place in the Celebrity Cookbook Landscape
- Strengths: Personality, Range, and Accessibility
- Limitations and Who May Be Frustrated
- Who This Book Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- #1 New York Times bestseller with more than 1.5 million copies sold, reflecting broad, documented appeal
- Covers a wide range of recipes — snacks, breakfast, entrées, and cocktails — structured as a complete home-cooking repertoire
- Snoop Dogg's distinctive voice and personal stories are woven throughout, making it engaging beyond a purely instructional cookbook
- Behind-the-scenes photos and curated playlists add a multimedia dimension uncommon in standard cookbooks
- Consistently cited by readers as an exceptional gift choice with cross-demographic appeal
What Doesn't
- Skewed toward personality and occasion-driven cooking rather than deep culinary technique, which may disappoint readers seeking advanced instruction
- The book's identity is inseparable from Snoop Dogg's persona — readers with no connection to his cultural footprint may find the framing less compelling
A #1 New York Times bestseller with more than 1.5 million copies sold, this cookbook earns its platinum status not through culinary pretension but through a rare mix of accessible recipes and genuine personality.
What the Book Actually Is
Front cover featuring gold decorative border and kitchen utensil motifs on teal background.
From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen is Snoop Dogg's first cookbook, published by Chronicle Books on October 23, 2018. It is organized in the manner of a full home-cooking repertoire: the publisher describes it as covering pantry and fridge staples, snacks, breakfast, entrées, and cocktails — including the now-iconic Gin and Juice. The recipes are drawn from Snoop's personal kitchen and, according to Chronicle Books, had never been shared publicly before this volume. Behind-the-scenes photos accompany the recipes throughout, and curated playlists are woven into the book's structure, framing cooking as a full sensory experience rather than a purely technical exercise.
Its Place in the Celebrity Cookbook Landscape
The book arrives with significant cultural context: Snoop Dogg's culinary profile was already well established through his appearances on VH1's Emmy-nominated Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party, which introduced millions of viewers to his cooking sensibility alongside Martha Stewart. Chronicle Books positions From Crook to Cook alongside a wave of personality-driven cookbooks — from Thug Kitchen to Magnolia Table — but Snoop's specific combination of hip-hop iconography, soul food tradition, and celebrity storytelling is squarely its own category. The "Snoop Dogg Presents" series imprint signals that the publisher treats this as an ongoing brand rather than a one-off project.
Decorative title page with gold ornamental border featuring kitchen utensils and flourishes on teal background.
Strengths: Personality, Range, and Accessibility
The book's defining strength, borne out by both its sales figures and reader response, is its voice. Snoop Dogg's distinctive way of speaking carries through the text, and readers on Amazon note that his personality "comes across in the pages" in a way that makes the book genuinely entertaining to read alongside cooking. The recipe range runs from comfort-food staples — fried chicken, barbecue, gravy — to more unexpected entries like lobster, reflecting a kitchen that doesn't confine itself to a single register. The publisher describes the recipes as "delicious and simple," and reader reviews consistently highlight that the ingredients are pantry-friendly. The inclusion of personal stories about Snoop's life and career adds a memoir-adjacent dimension that distinguishes the book from purely instructional cookbooks.
Limitations and Who May Be Frustrated
The book's strengths are also the source of its most specific limitation: for readers seeking a deep-dive culinary reference or advanced technique, From Crook to Cook is not that book. Some readers note, as one Amazon reviewer put it plainly, that the recipes are "not something I make often" — suggesting the collection skews toward crowd-pleasing, occasion-driven cooking rather than everyday weeknight staples for every household. The book's identity is tied tightly to Snoop's persona, which is an asset for fans but means readers with no particular connection to his music or public image may find the cultural framing more ornamental than meaningful. It is, at its core, a celebrity cookbook that leans into that category fully — which is a strength or a limitation entirely depending on the buyer's expectations.
Who This Book Is For
From Crook to Cook is genuinely well suited to fans of Snoop Dogg, enthusiasts of soul food and American comfort cooking, and anyone looking for a cookbook that doubles as an entertaining read. It has demonstrated particularly strong appeal as a gift — reader reviews describe it repeatedly as a standout choice for occasions like "dirty Santa" exchanges — which speaks to its broad, cross-demographic appeal. With more than 1.5 million copies sold and a #1 New York Times bestseller designation, it has clearly connected with an audience far beyond dedicated cookbook collectors. For a household that wants recipes built around bold flavors, accessible ingredients, and a lot of personality, this is a volume that delivers on exactly what it advertises.
Frequently Asked Questions
is From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen (Snoop by Snoop Dogg worth buying
For fans of Snoop Dogg, soul food, or personality-driven cookbooks, it absolutely delivers — the review notes its rare mix of accessible recipes and genuine personality has connected with over 1.5 million buyers and earned a #1 New York Times bestseller designation. That said, if you're hunting for advanced culinary technique or a deep-dive kitchen reference, this isn't that book — it leans fully into the celebrity cookbook category, which is a strength or a limitation depending entirely on your expectations.
what is From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen (Snoop by Snoop Dogg actually about
It's Snoop Dogg's first cookbook, covering pantry and fridge staples, snacks, breakfast, entrées, and cocktails — including the now-iconic Gin and Juice — all drawn from his personal kitchen and never previously shared publicly. Beyond the recipes, it weaves in personal stories about Snoop's life and career, behind-the-scenes photos, and curated playlists, giving it a memoir-adjacent dimension that sets it apart from purely instructional cookbooks.
is From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen (Snoop by Snoop Dogg good for everyday weeknight cooking
Not necessarily — the review points out that some readers note the recipes are "not something I make often," suggesting the collection skews toward crowd-pleasing, occasion-driven cooking rather than everyday weeknight staples for every household. If you're after bold-flavored comfort food like fried chicken, barbecue, and gravy with pantry-friendly ingredients, though, you'll find plenty to work with.
is From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen (Snoop by Snoop Dogg similar to Thug Kitchen or Magnolia Table
Chronicle Books positions it alongside personality-driven cookbooks like Thug Kitchen and Magnolia Table, but the review is clear that Snoop's specific combination of hip-hop iconography, soul food tradition, and celebrity storytelling puts it in a category of its own. His voice — the same one viewers got a taste of on VH1's Emmy-nominated Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party — carries through every page in a way readers describe as genuinely entertaining.
does Snoop Dogg's personality actually come through in From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen (Snoop by Snoop Dogg
Yes — the review calls Snoop Dogg's distinctive voice the book's defining strength, and Amazon readers specifically note that his personality "comes across in the pages" in a way that makes it entertaining to read alongside cooking. Readers who have no particular connection to his music or public image may find the cultural framing more ornamental than meaningful, but for fans it's a major draw.
is From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen (Snoop by Snoop Dogg a good gift idea
The review says yes — reader reviews describe it repeatedly as a standout choice for gift occasions like "dirty Santa" exchanges, which the reviewer sees as evidence of its broad, cross-demographic appeal. At $14.16 and with a visually rich format full of behind-the-scenes photos, it reads as much like a coffee-table keepsake as a working cookbook.
what kind of recipes are in From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen (Snoop by Snoop Dogg — is it all soul food
Soul food and American comfort cooking are at the heart of it — think fried chicken, barbecue, and gravy — but the range is wider than you might expect, with more unexpected entries like lobster showing up alongside the classics. The review notes the recipes use pantry-friendly ingredients and are described by the publisher as "delicious and simple," so the emphasis is on accessibility over complexity across all the dishes.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
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chroniclebooks.com
- Further reading
- 3
Snoop Dogg, Wikipedia
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