Food Network Star and cookbook author Darnell SuperChef Ferguson is one of the rising stars in the culinary world. With television show hosting gigs and a brand-new book for young chefs, Ferguson could be sitting on his laurels and boasting of his success. Instead, he focuses on his faith and family and looks to the future for ways he can impact the next generation. Ferguson’s latest ventures include the second season premiere this November of his Food Network Show “Superchef Grudge Match” and the debut this month of his new book by Christian publisher Tyndale Kidz- SuperChef Family Cookbook.
Becoming a Chef. Ferguson never set out to be a chef. In fact, as a child, he didn’t have examples of cooks in his home and instead discovered cooking on his own when he watched celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s television show. “I got into it because I was watching Emeril,” he said. “I started watching cooking shows in my free time and started cooking at my cousin’s house on weekends.
Looking back, it wasn’t actual cooking. I was doing slushies and cereal and things like that. But I was really interested in it.” At 16 years old, he went to vocational school (traditional high school was a struggle, he said); he figured if it didn’t work out, he’d at least be able to cook some good lunches. Instead, the decision to transition from regular high school changed his life. “I’d never touched a culinary knife, so it was all new to me. But I had a great teacher who made me feel special,” Ferguson said. “She told me I was advanced and should keep with it. I’d never heard that I was special, and I wasn’t really good at anything. But then I found cooking.” Ferguson said that the first culinary teacher still supports him today and has attended show premieres and other events in support of him.
Darnell appeared on numerous shows on the Food Network before getting his own show. “I had to take the stairs, not the elevator. It’s a good story for people and kids. It took a long time, even though I thought I’d have a show in the first year. It’s a good lesson on patience.” Photo Credit: Food Network.
Ferguson’s journey took him to Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospital Studies and then he served as a chef for Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And while his culinary career seemed to be heading in the right direction, his personal life was less stable. He served a year in jail for selling drugs, then found himself living on friends’ couches while between homes. He even slept in his car at a certain low point.
After vowing to get straight and joining a church, Ferguson opened his first pop-up restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky in 2012 and began making local television appearances and eventually appeared on the “Rachael Ray” show. There, he met his childhood idol Emeril Lagasse. He ultimately was showcased on the Food Network shows “Chopped,” “Supermarket Stakeout,” “Guy’s Grocery Games,” and “Tournament of Champions,” and on HGTV Network’s “Home Town Takeover” and “The Big Holiday Food Fight.” Today he is co-host of Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America” and host of his own “SuperChef Grudge Match.” Along the way, he has found ways to give back, particularly to young people interested in cooking and culinary careers.
SuperChef Family Cookbook is the first in a planned series of books from Ferguson. He said that the first book is “planting a seed in kids who are interested in cooking.”Photo by Julie Chen courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers and used with permission.
Encouraging Young People. Ferguson’s newest venture is the SuperChef Family Cookbook, published by Tyndale House Publisher’s children’s imprint and releasing on October 3. The book includes an introductory section chronicling his childhood in Ohio to his time in culinary school and his eventual fall from grace and trouble with the law, then recounts his coming to Christ and ensuing success starting restaurants and at the Food Network.
The second section includes creative and approachable recipes for children and the entire family. The recipes come from Ferguson’s own restaurants, with tried-and-true tips that make cooking easier for people of all ages. With its superhero theming, the book leans into Ferguson’s idea that cooking is exciting and “super.”
Subsequent books will become more advanced to where kids can cook by themselves and “really be able to do things in the kitchen.” Photo by Julie Chen courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers and used with permission.
“The cookbook is a hybrid between a cookbook and a comic book. It’s about fun and lighthearted recipes that kids can complete,” he said, “and it encourages moms, dads, sisters, and aunts to work alongside the child and dive in with him.” The book features Little Super, a comic book character that helps readers better understand the recipes and cooking techniques; it also includes QR codes that readers can scan that link to video instructions from Ferguson. The book stems from Ferguson’s belief that one of his primary callings is teaching the younger generation about cooking. “Interest in cooking is growing and growing, and outside of sports, cooking is the most popular type of show watched today,” Ferguson said. “Kids watch it, parents watch it, and the hospitality industry is so large.
There are so many opportunities for children to go into it,” he said, adding, “Inspiring young people is my purpose and my call. I believe it’s part of why I have this gift.” Ferguson said that creating the cookbook has been a fun experience. “The book itself is very fun and has that super-chef background. But my recipes are easy and relatable to that kid like me who started by ‘cooking’ cereal. I feel like it’s relatable and stems from my personality,” he said. “I want to give kids who want to cook an outlet.”
Darnell and his wife Tatahda share eight children between them; six of them live full-time in their Louisville home. Their children are ages 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12, 16, and 16. Photo courtesy: Darnell Ferguson.
Becoming a Christian. Just as he knew nothing about cooking as a child, Ferguson also knew nothing about God. “I always thought it was just a fairy tale,” he recalled, noting that none of his family were Christians and he was never taught about God. He didn’t even know who Jesus was. “I didn’t know who God was at all. I had no thoughts of God at all in 25 years,” he said. “Then I found God for the first time.”
After visiting a church after a stint in jail, Ferguson had to learn to rethink beliefs about attitudes he’d held for most of his life. “Coming from where I came from, I was angry and afraid and that can make for a dangerous person,” he said. “My fears were embedded inside of me. Growing up I didn’t have confidence in myself, but I developed a huge confidence in who God was and that extended into my confidence.” Ferguson learned that Bible stories weren’t fairy tales and that his identity could be rooted in Christ. “I never knew who I was, then church solidified that for me,” he said. “It gave me something to hope in and let me know I was special. I began to believe that God created me, and believed everything God says about me.”
Today faith drives his businesses and work, as he pours into young chefs and his customers with a giving attitude. “I want to serve my customers,” he said. “In where I am in the industry, it’s often about awards or people knowing who you are. But it should really be about the people. I want people to say, ‘Chef, I love your food,’ because I’ve given them something they love.”
Family Cookbook releases on October 3, 2023. Click here to find Ferguson’s Honey-Baked Turkey recipe perfect for the holidays.
He gives back to his local community with his nonprofit SuperChef’s Cape and through organizations like Blessings in a Backpack. He also stays committed to young people, speaking often to high school and college students about overcoming adversity, work ethic, and how to treat others. His faith also extends into his family life. He and his wife Tatahda have eight children ranging in age from two to 16. “It’s a good life, and I’m blessed,” he said.
-Cheryl Wray
