I'm a happy camper this week. Why? One of my favorite food vendors has moved to town: Blue Bell Ice Cream! I was first introduced to Blue Bell in 1978 when I moved to Houston; I really was not a sweets fan at that time but a few years later I became a Blue Bell "hoover". I quit smoking and just loved that cream. I realized I was in love when my car was in the shop and I had to walk for food; I probably walked a mile in that hot Texas heat just to get my favorite: Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. I cannot forget this story because the store was out of vanilla and that's how I was introduced to their delicious strawberry. When I moved to Florida in 1990, there was a little black wreath hanging on my freezer door - it was a sad story: no Blue Bell.

If you have not tried Blue Bell, run, don't walk to your nearest grocery. I've been told several of our local supermarkets (Publix, Winn Dixie) carry my favorite vice: Homemade Vanilla. Just to
make sure you get the right thing, here's a photo of an old love.



Happy Valentines Day!
Rob

Happy New Year from the Two Saucy Chicks

On Christmas day friends and family joined Robbie at her home to celebrate the season. Left to right, George Fishman (Nancy's husband), Maribel Fernandez-Dillon (Catering by Maribel),The Two Saucy Chicks: Nancy & Robbie, Rene' Beal and Robbie's son, Michael Bell. All had a hand in creating a Southern Christmas brunch that was enjoyed by all.

On this day, January 2, 2009, Nancy and Robbie wish you and yours the best New You possible - may your life be filled with joy and laughter and may your table always be prepared with love and seated with friends and family.
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Join Us at the Table this Saturday...

You might think that all that fat is on your hips, but Dr. Ian Smith will tell us that it's all in your mind. In other words, the fight against obesity is as much mental as it is physical, and his new book, "The 4-Day Diet'' can help you get your mind right first. Dr. Smith is the diet expert on VH1's Celebrity Fitness Club and contributor to The View and Men's Health magazine. Listen in -- and lose weight by next Friday!

Also, Charmaine Campbell, of Chic International, knows that you only have one chance to make a first impression. When you're dining out, you don't want to be left with egg on your face according to Charmaine's new book "Money Cannot Buy You Class".

Tune in at 9:30 am to BlogTalkRadio.com/JoinUsattheTable

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We invite you to call into the show, chat with the guests and win prizes. Last week our guest sommelier, Gabriel Varela of South Miami Beach's newest hot spot the Meat Market (915 Lincoln Road) educated us to the nuances of bubbly. Not only did he educate us about the many varieties, tastes and price points, he also gave 5 Join Us at the Table listeners the opportunity to win a $50.00 gift certificate to the Meat Market.

Be sure to tune in this Saturday. Our Call-in Number is 347.677.0827 or sign on to www.BlogTalkRadio.com/JoinUsattheTable and register to enter our chat room and become a winner!!!
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Rum cake, empanadas, short ribs corn bread, chocolate bark – Nancy has a day job, so she spent much of holiday season doing some early-morning cooking. The point was to let the flavors mingle all day before "show time" later in the evening.

The most challenging? Nancy couldn't resist making puff pastry for empanadas (yeah, she could have bought the dough ready-made, but that's the coward's way out). First she had to find lard – never used it in her life. Food Giant came through. The dough itself was a minor major production: Mix flour and water, roll it out, spread lard on top and fold the dough in thirds like a letter; repeat this twice. The result: thin layers of dough that will puff up and expand as it bakes.

It worked, and Nancy can scratch it off her list of must-dos!
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We just finished our show and had a winner for a surprise gift from Eric Woods' boutique wine store, Harlem Vintage, located on Frederick Douglass Blvd. in New York City. The winner was South Florida chef, Irie Spice.
We missed Dr. Sharon Jefferson, the Jerk Queen, she is in Jamaica on a good will mission. Dr. Jefferson (right) is a dentist and she is helping children in her home country to have a brighter smile - Kudos to Dr. J.
Talk to you next week

Finally, a place to chat with the world!

Great to be here, another beautiful fabulous Miami, Florida day. One of those days you just have to go out and explore and I didn't get a chance to do so today. My plan is to visit Michael's Genuine in the Miami Design District for 5 days straight and only order soup. Why, you ask? Well, a week ago I was at Michaels with a friend for lunch and had a soup that was soooo fabulous that I could not think straight. It was a simple chicken soup, Thai style; a little coconut milk, lemon grass and a smattering of veggies - it was just so yummy it made my "Scrumpterou Report".

What is the "Scrumpterou Report", I will tell you later. Right now I want to talk about two things: 1 - The Miami Book Fair International - I had the pleasure of introducing Chef Andrew Carmellini, author of Urban Italian, Chef Michelle Bernstein (Cuisine a Latina), and Food Network star, Ingrid Hoffmann who has released SIMPLY DELICIOSO: A collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist. What a fabulous hour and half. Miami Dade College campus was the setting for a packed house; the mood was very informal and absolutely friendly. The authors took the stage one-by-one and gave us a feeling they were sharing something very personal; in each case you felt the closeness, their books were a part of them. When we got to the Q&A part, the audience was alive with tons of questions to all of the authors. It was so interesting to see how comfortable Michelle Bernstein was as she managed to curl up in a standard chair (you know, the kind of metal chair in classroom) like a little girl chatting with her friends. Andrew was a hit with his story of hunting porcini mushrooms in Italy with his uncle and meeting the "ladies" along the way. Ingrid's star-power personality comes through when she takes the stage; she has a fabulous cross-cultural background: she is from Colombia, raised in the Netherlands (Aruba), moved to Miami - she represents what our show, Join Us at the Table, is all about. I was delighted to participate, for my 2nd year, in this annual event and look forward to returning next year to host another panel of food personalities.

2 - On Saturday's show I talked about my Jamaica Kitchen experience - WOW!!! Let me tell you I cannot say enough - I went twice and going for a 3rd trip. The owner, Cheryl Chin called me this afternoon to let me know her husband was cooking up the Jerk sausage (made with chicken). Let me tell you - this little spot is a hit! It has been there over 20 years and I can't figure out why it took me so long to discover it. Thanks to my friend Cynthia who lives in that neck of the woods. That's the real deal, you need friends to turn you on - I drive for food; when other people, who know their food, say you should check it out - I am on my way.

The Jamaica Kitchen is a tiny Jamaican Chinese grocery you heard me right, a grocery with 1 folding table and two counters to service the eat-in customer. They deliver and cater authentic Jamaican foods, specializing in Jamaican & Jamaican Chinese foods. Guy Fieri found it, that's how Cynthia found out about it and it was right in her neighborhood. I am ranting and raving because I have had their curry goat, escovitch fish, stewed oxtails, peas & rice and stew peas (okay, I admit, I did not know what stew peas was - I do now and love it). The Jamaica Kitchen serves

Jamaica Kitchen is located at 8736 SW 72nd St., Miami 33173 Ph: 305.596.2585 - Be sure to tell them Robbie sent you.

In light of my recent success with getting my cholesterol down - I think I am going to back off for awhile - at least 15 minutes (hahahaha) and regroup.

Talk to you soon. In the meantime, tell us about your favorite spot, we'd love to hear from you.