You gotta hand it to Will Ferrell: The man cares about the press. While situating himself on the dais for his "Step Brothers" press conference, the comedian has a huge bowl of salad in his hands (which he's obviously snagged from the nearby hospitality suite).

"If anyone feels hungry during this time, you can grab handfuls. It's my famous Kansas City chopped salad," Ferrell says. "I've got a bigger announcement! I'm coming out with a cookbook, mostly on salads, on Bantam Books. It's a terrible cookbook, actually."

Joined by director Adam McKay and co-star John C. Reilly, "Step Brothers" is the trio's follow-up to blockbuster "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." After having a great time working together and then going their separate ways, Ferrell says they made "a blood pact" to work together again in the future.

"I think it was John who was really the catalyst who said, 'Let's really make a concerted effort. You work on films with people, you have fun experiences, and then you say let's do it again and it slips through your fingers,'" Ferrell recalls. "I think we had a couple of dinners where we threw out a bunch of different ideas, and it was Adam who called both of us the next day, and said, 'I just thought of this other thing. What if you guys are two 40-year-old guys who live with your single parent? They meet each other, get married and you're forced to be stepbrothers.' We both were like, 'That's the idea.'"

And that's pretty much the plot of the movie. Throw in Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins as the parents of the lazy 40-somethings and Adam Scott as Ferrell's annoyingly successful younger brother and comic hilarity ensues (for most moviegoers, at least).

Ferrell and Reilly each left home when they were 18, but both understand the appeal of a home-cooked meal and free laundry service. Ferrell says, "I think kids should move out of the house when they feel ready. For some, that's a 5-year-old child -- they're ready. For others, it's a 52-year-old man."

Sony Pictures' willingness to allow "Step Brothers" an R rating helped break the improvisational shackles. McKay notes, "We were just tired of doing the PG-13 jump-through-the-hoops kind of thing. We just wanted to speak freely."

"And make swears. We wanted to be able to make swears," Reilly jokes.

As for reteaming for a third time, the trio admits it's not in their immediate plans.

"The first one, 'Talladega Nights,' was such a joy," McKay says. "[With] this one, a little reality set in."

He's kidding. Maybe.

"Step Brothers" opens nationwide July 25.