Russell Warnick -

by Russell Warnick

First Class Virgins

I happened to be one of the fortunate few who survived the Labor Day weekend unscathed from flight delays and lost luggage, unlike a lot of my friends, so I thought I’d spend the time reporting back some of the culinary experiences I had at 36,000ft. When flying coast to coast, my preferred choice of airline is Virgin America. Not only do they provide an excellent flying experience, but they’re also able to give me a taste of home, thanks Sir Richard. And, since Travel + Leisure recently named VA home of the best airline food, I had to check this out in more detail.

We all know that airline food is over priced and totally sub-par, so I wasn’t prepared to spend a lot of cash on poor quality airline food. Yes, my expectations were high going into this as you can tell. With that in mind I upgraded myself so I wouldn’t feel cheated when ordering the food — it also enabled me to skip the security lines and get drunk in the air on the free champagne- what else was I to do on a 6hr flight from IAD to LAX?

The good, the bad, and the soggy, after the jump.

by Russell Warnick

Mr. & Mr. Ben-Jerry

I now pronounce you Ben and you Jerry, husband and husband.

That’s right folks, today isn’t just the unofficial end of summer (boo!), but marks the first day that the great state of Vermont performs same-sex marriages (yay!).

To celebrate this milestone event Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream has teamed up with Freedom to Marry and is renaming one of their signature ice creams: Chubby Hubby to Hubby Hubby.

If you are in Vermont during September be sure to hit up one of the B&J shops for their fabulous peanut cookie dough ice cream and support the cause by chowing down on some Hubby love.

Vermont is one of four states that now perform same-sex marriages with California Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa being the other three. New Hampshire’s same-sex marriage law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2010. NH, do you think you can trump Ben & Jerry’s foodie political move? You have four months to work on it. ES is watching.

in Desserts / Personal / Politics / Trends 2 comments

by Russell Warnick

Marshmallow Nachos

Growing up in England didn’t expose me to the many culinary delights offered here in the U.S.; at least that’s what I had thought. Watching television sitcoms and dramas I would hear references to foods and drinks that would always stimulate my curiosity. What was I being denied in England that people in the U.S. were eating freely?

When I finally moved here over six years ago I sought out a sweet dish what you guys call S’mores, and I have to say I was slightly disappointed. I’d had them before. My mother used to make a variation of these for me as a kid: marshmallow and chocolate chips sandwiched between two digestive biscuits and microwaved for 30 seconds. Ever since then my curiosity feigned. Apparently all the delights I thought I was missing were clearly a matter of translation.

A couple of weeks back I was sent some marshmallows in the mail by the gourmet marshmallow maker Plush Puffs to celebrate none other than National Toasted Marshmallow Day.

Yes, there is such a day and it happens to be this Sunday, August 30. I will admit I was slightly bemused by this as I don’t recall eating marshmallows since that fateful night back in 2003. Yes, it had that much of an impact on my life, but still, I was willing to give it a go and see what I could do with these sugary treats. I managed to create two dishes: my take on one from the Plush Puff recipe page and the other was inspired by something I stumbled upon last week. Check them out after the jump.

in Bacon / Desserts / Endless Bacon / Featured / Holiday / Personal / Recipe 14 comments

by Russell Warnick

Best Food iPhone Apps

The first thing all of my friends would tell you about me is that I’m pseudo-addicted to my iPhone. My better half refers to the gadget as my other boyfriend; in which order he and the device are placed I am yet to figure out. Whether I’m checking my email, tweeting or reading the news, I will always find a reason to play with it.

But one of the more surprising and perhaps most purposeful tools I have found for my iPhone is its usefulness in the kitchen and in the grocery store. There are an unbelievable array of food-related apps on the market, enabling me to plan dinner, make restaurant reservations, research menus for my diet-conscious friends, create a grocery list and even expand my enviro-conscious.

Having downloaded and deleted many, many applications, I thought I would share my favorites so you don’t have to waste your bandwidth. Check out the best after the jump.

in Featured / Personal / Trends 10 comments

by Russell Warnick

Behind the Scenes

Nothing pleases me more than waking up on a weekend morning and switching on the Food Network. I love watching marathons of Iron Chef America or Food Network Challenge, hours and hours of great entertainment. I’ve always wondered what it actually takes to make a food show (even though we’ve all seen behind the scenes footage of our favourite studio audience sitcoms).

A few weeks ago I gate crashed was invited to the filming of Kelsey & Spike Cook, a show of roughly five minute webisodes from Food2.com. Kelsey & Spike Cook is a fun spin on classic dishes. Kelsey, of The Next Food Network Star, tends to go by the book, while former Top Cheftestant, Spike, in true form, turns it around and breaks from the norm of conventional cooking. I actually witnessed him rolling out pastry with the handle of a broom.

Check out those shenanigans and a few behind the scenes secrets after the jump.

in Celebs / TV 6 comments

by Russell Warnick

My POV of the W

It has finally happened- the long awaited arrival of Washington’s very own W Hotel. However, more importantly for the residents of DC, the reopening of this hotel means only one thing: the terrace bar, which hosts unrivaled views of the city. You can scope out the Washington Monument and the White House in all its glory, including those pesky snipers that adorn its roof. What could be more pleasant than sipping summer cocktails whilst gawking at the Obamas from afar?

One of my friends managed to secure a spot on the guest list for the opening night of the W Washington’s POV Roof Terrace this past Wednesday. The hotel was abuzz—a true velvet rope event which is not a familiar sight in DC.

I am happy to report that the views from the terrace are exactly how I remembered them to be (back when the spot was Hotel Washington), and then some. The terrace has expanded onto the Pennsylvania Ave side, with an enclosed floor-to-ceiling window bar—great for those cooler evenings. The sophisticated reds and subtle lighting create an atmosphere that is familiar, so not to intimidate, but yet chic, to remind you that you are in a place that is special.

Before you read further I should provide a disclaimer, this was opening night and the place was packed, lines forming at all entrances of the hotel. My experience wasn’t the best but I believe that the service will improve as will the product. Continue reading with view of the White House after the jump.

in Drinks 5 comments

by Russell Warnick

All of England on One Bun

Living in the US has taught me one thing: no matter what, no matter where, there is always an ultimate this or ultimate that, the ultimate burger, the ultimate hot dog, the ultimate blah blah blah…

I was watching a show the other week on this very topic, and the host was traveling the country in search of the ultimate/largest cheese steak. This got me thinking — it’s not all about being the biggest (cough cough), it’s about being the best. In my university town of Leeds there is a small cafe called the Crusty Bin. This eatery would serve up the best breakfast sandwich that has ever passed my lips. With this in mind there was only one thing left for me to do: recreate the Crusty Bin breakfast sandwich.

When I first told gansie that I intended on writing a post about a breakfast sandwich that I used to eat during my university life she immediately responded with, “I want it to start with a crazy university days’ story.” I suppose I could tell you about the time I gathered at the Crusty Bin with friends after our university summer ball, when after a night of drinking this was the only place we wanted to be. However, there was one person missing from our group because he was caught only hours earlier doing the dirty with his girlfriend in a portable loo in the grounds of one of England’s finest country estates… I can’t go any further as it wouldn’t be SFW. Or I could tell you the story of how I woke up the day after my 21st birthday, which also happened to be the day I handed in my final year dissertation — with a mohawk and an incredibly painful hangover which was cured by said sandwich. But I won’t.

You didn’t read this post to hear about me, you read this post due to the mouth watering picture above.

A gooey cross-section shot and the full deets on what’s in it after the jump…

in Bacon / Breakfast / Eggs / Endless Bacon / Featured / Sandwich 17 comments

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