Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Food between friends

acknowledgments

If not for you

You guys, writing a cookbook is a LOT of work and we wouldnt have been able to do it without our two biggest cheerleadersour husbands, Justin Mikita and Will Tanous. Somehow, they could always see the light at the end of the tunnel, and through their patience, love, and encouragement they kept reminding us that we could do this!

To our friends, family members, mentors, collaborators, and advisors who contributed in some way to the creation of this book. Thank you to everyone listed here for your support, talent, loyalty, creativity, and wisdom. As Dylan wrote, without your love wed be nowhere at all.

Justin Chapple

Sarah Carey

Ellen Bennett

Chrissy Teigen

Padma Lakshmi

Teri Turner

Adam Roberts

Gail Simmons

Fred Wistow

Brian Hart-Hoffman

Adeena Sussman

Natasha Phan

Jen Joel

Kari Stuart

Bonnie Bernstein

Craig Gartner

Francis Lam

Lydia OBrien

Amanda Englander

Stephanie Huntwork

Jennifer K. Beal Davis

Derek Gullino

Mark McCauslin

Neil Spitkovsky

Merri Ann Morrell

Zoe Tokushige

Eva Kolenko

Marian Cooper Cairns

Natasha Kolenko

Annie Psaltiras

Jessica Elbaum

Andrew Zepeda

Mary Inacio

Maggie Mariolis

Danielle DeLott

Ted Rosen

Farideh Sadeghin

Deenie Hartzog-Mislock

Lindsey Marie Miles

Corene Phillips (aka Coco)

Jim Phillips

Isabella Bartilucci

Maria Sanchez

Heather Brewer

Todd Hawkins

Ryan Crampton

Kevin Rutkowski

Ariel Lawrence

Robert Ferguson

Anne Ferguson

Muriel Vega

Mike Mikita

Kris Mikita

Leticia Lopez

Sofia Gutierrez

Don Collins

Janet Gomez

Bryan Godwin

Mary Jane Waldrop

Ella Huber

To all the chefs weve loved before

Even though they were not involved in the making of this book, without knowing it, these chefs are part of its DNA. We have learned so much about their cultures through the food they have made for us and the recipes they have published. We firmly believe that feeding one another blurs the borders of our world, and the sharing of our ancestry and histories, both painful and joyful, only brings us closer together. These are just some of the many people who have inspired us to commit to learning more, to make our table bigger, and to celebrate each others traditions.

Enrique Olvera

Daniela Soto-Innes

Tanya Holland

Susan Feniger

Rick Bayless

Jonathan Perno

Art Smith

Jos Andrs

Sarah Kramer

Sarah Hymanson

Carla Hall

Nancy Silverton

Roy Choi

Sean Brock

Frank Stitt

Dolester Miles

Ashley Christensen

Edna Lewis

Michael Twitty

David Chang

Martha Stewart

Candace Nelson

Kristen Kish

Toni Tipton-Martin

Missy Robbins

Ludo Lefebvre

And, yes, our moms, Coco and Anne

JESSE TYLER FERGUSON is a celebrated actor with a passion for cooking and entertaining, best known for his lead role in the TV series Modern Family. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, Justin Mikita, and their baby, Beckett.

JULIE TANOUS is a recipe developer, a food writer, and, with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the co-creator of the blog Julie & Jesse. Her recipes have been featured in numerous books and magazines, including Food & Wine, Bake from Scratch, Taste of the South, People, LA Weekly, and InStyle, among others. Born and raised in Alabama, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, their two children, and their French bulldog.

brunch: not just a sunday thing

Can we please start a petition to make brunch the new most important meal of the day? We all love that special Sunday meal, so why not extend it to the other six days of the week? These recipes are going to take a little more effort than scrambled eggs, but we assume you are up for the challenge because you bought this book. From a potluck gathering to a decadent midweek treat, these delectable dishes will have your friends and family saying, Thanks a brunch!

blue cornmeal pancakes

with Blueberry Butter

Makes 14 to 16 pancakes

I wish I could say that I always knew about blue corn, as its indigenous to the Southwest and was an option in virtually every New Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque, but heres the truth: Disneys Pocahontas first exposed me to it. I had never heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon, but my interest was piqued! Blue corn? What, where, when, why, and how? I learned that blue corn can be traced back to the Pueblo Native American Indian tribes in New Mexico, and with its slightly sweet flavor and dusty blue hue it is one of the regions most beautiful and cherished ingredients. The next time I noticed it on a menu, I went for it. It felt fancy and it was referenced in an Oscar-winning song. There is a whole scientific explanation as to why blue corn is blue, but I seem to have used up all my space talking about my love for Pocahontas. Just know that these crunchy pancakes are a tribute to that unique taste from my childhoodand to Judy Kuhn. ~ Jesse

1 cups blue cornmeal

cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs , lightly beaten

1 cups buttermilk

cup canola or grapeseed oil

Nonstick cooking spray

Blueberry Butter ()

Maple syrup

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil until smooth.

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold together until just combined. Do not overmix. Allow the batter to rest for about 5 minutes.

4. Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and grease lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using 2 heaping tablespoons of batter for each pancake. With the back of the spoon, gently spread the batter into a 3- to 4-inch circle. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and the center of the pancake feels slightly firm to the touch, another 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.

5. Serve the pancakes hot with the blueberry butter and maple syrup.

Judy Kuhn is a brilliant Broadway actor who also just happens to be the singing voice of Pocahontas. It should also be noted that Vanessa Williams did a great job with the pop version of the song, which played over the closing credits.

little grits souffls