🔗 Terry Crews, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star is a popcorn-seeking missile. And come Thanksgiving, don’t get him started on sweets.
Let’s talk turkey. What’s your technique?
Oh, that’s my wife’s territory; my job is to get the ingredients. She marinates it, then roasts it in an oven bag. It’s so tender.
Do you have a signature dish?
Bread pudding. I pour this orange-butter sauce over the top, and my God, it’s like crack; it goes straight to the bloodstream. Bread pudding is the Cronut experience in a pan.
Anything else you make every year?
A mac and cheese everybody loves. It’s a really simple mixture: some asiago and really sharp cheddar, then I add cottage cheese and sour cream, cook the macaroni, cool it off and blend it all together. Then I’ll flatten it all out, put it in a pan and top it with paprika. As it melts, it becomes this deep, nutty macaroni and cheese without that classic saucy feel. When I’m done, I sit down and watch football.
What team do you root for?
I’m a fan of players, not teams. I love watching guys like Arian Foster from the Houston Texans. I like to support my guys. It’s like a fraternity.
So what was Thanksgiving like for you growing up?
It was a sport in our house. I was raised very religious, and the only thing allowed was overeating. [Laughs] So Thanksgiving was where you really broke things out. I remember turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, and my favorite dessert of all time, sweet potato pie. My grandmother made chitlins, too, but I won’t eat those now that I know what they are.
Say you could invite anyone, living or dead, to Thanksgiving. Who would it be?
A guy I never met: my grandfather on my father’s side. The only memory I have of him is a mug shot. That’d be the ultimate meal because it’d help me learn about myself and where I come from.
Has food brought you and your own dad closer?
Oh yeah. Last year was healing for the whole family. Thanksgiving is a time when everyone can regroup or declare enemies—that’s why it’s so intense. The holidays create memories good and bad, and I’ve experienced both.
Any advice for managing the drama?
Know when to go home. People are always like, ‘We gotta be a family!’ But it collapses when everyone needs a break and doesn’t say, ‘Okay, see you next year.’
Does your family cook together now?
Yes. Like, we make this cool fruit salsa, and between my five kids and my wife, it’s a game—‘I’m cutting up the blueberries!’ ‘I’m cutting up the strawberries!’ As we talk and cook and eat, we get closer.
Did you help out in the kitchen a lot when you were a kid, too?
My mother always gave us something to do. She had a great cream cheese pie that was so simple: softened cream cheese, some lemon juice, some vanilla. I’d crush the graham crackers for the crust, she’d pour the cream cheese blend over it, and then we’d put cherry pie filling on the top and let it set all day in the refrigerator. It’s still one of my favorites.
You grew up in Flint, Michigan. Tell us a food memory.
Locals there make this cherry crumb cobbler—basically granola mixed with fresh cherries. I can’t stop eating it! Michigan cherries: That’s my deal.
So you’re definitely a dessert guy.
I eat raw cookie dough right out of the package. It says, ‘Do Not Eat,’ but sometimes you grab a spoonful and say, ‘Today I’m living on the edge!’
What’s your midnight snack?
Garrett Popcorn. It’s like kryptonite—it makes my knees buckle. You have to literally throw it out of my house if I’m training because I’m gonna get it!
About your morning routine: Is it true you don’t eat until the afternoon?
It is. I’ve found that as I get older, I don’t eat as much, and it’s much easier to maintain my weight. My last meal of the day may be at 8, 9, or 10 p.m., but I make it my biggest meal. And in the morning, I’ll work off that meal.
Coffee or tea?
I’m a big green tea guy. I’ve got my little kettle and I experiment with different flavors. I find it very enjoyable; it feels like a meal.
It’s hard to imagine you infusing different teas.
It’s hilarious, man; it’s like I have a little lab. Making tea is a very calming, peaceful regimen. When you’re young, you wake up and work out, wanting to explode and blast music. But I’m much more chill now. I get enough excitement at work.
Finish this sentence: “My relationship with food is…”
Emotional. I love my food. But sometimes you have to hate whatever doesn’t make you feel good. You can’t fix emotional problems by eating.
