A Day in Old Salem with the Fabulous Rebecca Subbiah of "Chow and Chatter!"

Me, Rebecca & Princess Jasmine

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting someone in person I had "known" online for about two years. She is a familiar face in the "foodie community" here on Blogger and I am sure most of you already know her, the fabulous Rebecca Subbiah of "Chow and Chatter."
 
Rebecca has been an inspiration I think to many of us who have been at this blogging thing awhile. She has "led the charge" in many ways, not only in posting delicious recipes on her site, but also demystifiying alot of the technical stuff such as blog optimization, increasing page rank and yes, she has even developed an amazing app full of mouth-watering and health-conscious recipes on iTunes. Did I mention she is also a Registered Dietitian, expat from the UK and Mom to the adorable Jasmine who I had the pleasure of meeting on our day in Old Salem? Well, consider yourself "in the know."

Pot Roast at the Old Salem Tavern

The three of us had a wonderful lunch at the Old Salem Tavern in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I happened to be in town visiting family and conveniently, Rebecca lives in the area and was kind enough to show me around. This historic town is actually a "living museum" in which the people working in the shops and the restaurants dress in historical costume like the Moravian settlers who founded the town in the 1700's - it was quite charming! Luckily, it was a beautiful day and we got to eat lunch outside - the lack of humidity was positively delightful. 

One of the specialties of the Old Salem Tavern just happened to be Pot Roast and came highly recommended by our server. As I had been eating my way through North Carolina for a few days already, I figured "why stop now?" It turned out to be delicious and pretty much defined the phrase "comfort food." Rebecca and I had a lovely time getting better acquainted, discussing blog-related things and watching Jasmine who was, let me just tell you, positively delightful! 

The Winkler Bakery in Old Salem

After lunch, we walked down to the historic Winkler Bakery that has been making baked goods for over 200 years. Jasmine got an ice cream cone and I purchased some yummy Moravian sweet bread and lemon cookies to bring back to the family. Needless to say, they were very well-received! It was such a lovely day and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to meet Rebecca and her daughter. If you enjoy good food, be sure to check out her blog "Chow and Chatter" where you can find wonderful recipes from around the world and also find out more about her many culinary endeavors including her app on iTunes. 

Have you had the chance to meet someone in person you originally met through blogging?

Have a delicious day,

Valentine's Tunes to set the Mood for L'Amour!

You have your Valentine's Day menu planned to perfection, but how about some music to really set the mood. This playlist is guaranteed to pair perfectly with your meal and heat things up with your Sweet Baboo! It also makes for a nice gift if you haven't had time to run to the store.

The songs are from some of my all-time favorite artists (i.e. Madonna, Diana Krall, and The Bird and the Bee) and this playlist is actually available on iTunes (click here or title below). You might have to purchase the Sex and the City Soundtrack in order to acquire all the songs but if you don't have this CD already, it is a must!


I hope you enjoy these songs with your sweetie and, just a note of caution, you may want to disconnect your smoke detectors before you hit play!

XOXO,

Miss Q's Valentine's Mix 2011

1. L-O-V-E - Fisher
2. My Funny Valentine - Matt Damon
3. The Look of Love - Diana Krall
4. Language Of Love - Cee-Lo
5. Fever - Michael Bublé

6. My Love - Corinne Bailey Rae

7. Sex for Breakfast - Christina Aguilera

8. It could Be Sweet - Portishead

9. I Want a Little Sugar In My Bowl - Baby Goes Bang

10. L’amour - Carla Bruni

11. Love Profusion - Madonna

12. Kissing - Bliss

13. How Deep Is Your Love - The Bird & The Bee

14. Lover Undercover - Melody Gardot

15. Is This Love - Corinne Bailey Rae

16. I've Got a Crush On You - Steve Tyrell

17. Love Makes the World Go Round - Deon Jackson

18. Possession - Sarah McLachlan

19. Forbidden Love - Madonna

20. Tonight You Belong to Me - The Bird And The Bee

"Stephanie Savors the Moment" Featured in the Sun Sentinel!

I am excited to report, last Thursday's Food Section in the South Florida Sun Sentinel featured an article about my blog, Stephanie Savors the Moment! The piece chronicled the inspiration behind and journey of writing the blog and cooking my way through "Savor the Moment" over the past year, à la Julie & Julia, and the interesting opportunities that have come about as a result. From writing for Cork'd to The Art of Wine & Food Tasting Series at The Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale it has certainly been quite an adventure! I was also humbled and honored to be featured on the cover with one of my favorite Chefs and culinary idols, Nick Morfogen, no less.

It was a pleasure speaking with John Tanasychuk, Sun Sentinel Restaurant Critic and Food Aficionado, who conducted the interview at Chez Miskew last month. For the photo shoot, I prepared four favorite dishes from "Savor the Moment" including the Caviar Pie, Rosemary Roasted Rack of Lamb with Cabernet Sauce, Green Beans and Friends and Fallen Chocolate Souffle Cakes. You can't go wrong with these recipes for entertaining this holiday season! In addition to the recipes and a fabulous photo of my husband Steve (thanks, Hon!), the article also includes wine recommendations for the Thanksgiving holiday and the "Savor the Moment 2010" playlist which is also available as an iMix on iTunes for your listening pleasure.

The timing of the article also couldn't be better with our "Savor the Moment" 10th Anniversary Celebration taking place tomorrow, Friday, November 12th at the Seagate Beach Club. The Committee has been hard at work and we are all looking forward to "A Night to Remember!" Please check out the article and a huge thank you to everyone who has followed my blog over the past year. I am extremely grateful for your support and look forward to lots more food and wine fun in the future.

Bon Appétit,