Justin Warner Brings Marvel Magic to the Kitchen
‘Eat the Universe’ features the food of superheroes
Marvel movies have been releasing like clockwork over the past decade, but 2020 has been a letdown for superhero fans. With this year’s Black Widow solo film and the third installment in the Spider-Man franchise delayed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic (along with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the studio’s first major TV series), this will be the first year in a long time that the world doesn’t get a major Marvel release.
While our favorite heroes won’t be up on the big screen anytime soon, there’s a way we can bring them into our kitchens this fall.
When chef Justin Warner took first place on the eighth season of Food Network Star in 2012, word got around that he was a bit of a nerd. While Warner went on to host and compete in food shows like Guy’s Grocery Games, Cutthroat Kitchen, and Cook vs. Cons, the Marvel cinematic universe was growing along with his career.
As the superhero craze continued, Warner’s name stayed in the mix and he was approached about hosting a show about superheroes and food. Eat the Universe, a digital series in which Warner creates Marvel-themed dishes, was born, giving fans an excuse to bring their comic books into the kitchen. Recipes like Wolverine’s Bayou Boil, Deadpool Chimichangas, and Hulk Smashed Potatoes have appeared on the show, giving home cooks of all skill levels a chance to cook like a super-powered soldier.
This summer, Warner brought his comic book culinary creations to print with Marvel Eat the Universe: The Official Cookbook. Heated’s Sam Hill caught up with Warner to talk about his favorite Marvel characters, his recipe development process for the series, and why he became the Chef of Heroes.
SH: Tell me about your history with Marvel characters — have you always been a comic book guy?
JW: Yeah. When I was a kid, I checked out books on spiders and radioactivity and wrote letters to Spider-Man asking for commercially available web slingers. I recall going to Peoples Drug Store, checking…
