Feasting with Stephanie
Kathy Moran (The Philippine Star) - October 14, 2017 - 4:00pm

MANILA, Philippines — Amid friends and family, STAR Lifestyle food columnist, TV host and bon vivant Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi officially launched her first book, Feast With Me, published by Anvil Publishing and Philippine STAR, last Friday, Oct. 6, at The Peninsula Manila.

The book was made possible with the major support of Bertazzoni-La Germania, as Stephanie is their new brand ambassador, as well as Stephanie’s longtime partners McCormick Philippines, Contadina, Del Monte Kitchenomics and Jordan Farms.

“Contrary to what most people think, this book is not about luxury,” Stephanie says. “In fact, one of the reasons I often invite people over is to save money. With rising prices in restaurants, I find you can serve a delicious meal at home for a fraction of the cost of eating out in the city.”

She added that most of the ingredients in the book’s recipes are available in most supermarkets. Even the luscious dark chocolate mousse calls for Toblerone. “The entire book doesn’t even have a single whiff of truffle oil,” she adds. “It’s really not about fancy dishes and Grand Cru wines with names that are difficult to pronounce. This book is all about enjoying good old, home cooking washed down with a glass or two of nice wine with your nearest and dearest.”

Feast with Me is currently the only food and wine-pairing book that targets non-professionals through a lifestyle setting in the Philippines.

A true oenophile, Stephanie pursued her wine studies and holds a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Level 3 certificate. She explains that she finds joy in a glass of wine: “It stems from that fleeting ‘aha! moment when the food has met its bacchanalian soul mate.”

Rather than being centered around traditional holidays, each menu will have an occasion at its heart with a globally inspired menu. “Travel is such a big part of me and I can never seem to quench my wanderlust,” she added. With chapters like “Laidback Indian Dinner” or “Relaxed Parisian Brunch,” they take you around the world through places that have a special meaning in Stephanie’s life.
Stephanie hopes Feast with Me will “allow you to travel from the comforts of your home and have the scent of distant markets and exotic cultures waft from your stovetop, enticing and drawing you and your loved ones around the table for a shared moment of epicurean joy.  In fact, all moments at the table are cause for celebration and it is that celebratory spirit that truly transforms any meal into a feast.”