Summertime Snacking with My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream

June 24, 2018

This post is sponsored by My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I'm more of a dessert person when the temps are warmer and now that summer has finally arrived what is better than finding two loves in one? I'm talking mochi and ice cream combined, how yummy does that sound? It's the perfect pairing for anyone with a sweet tooth, especially to anyone who is always on the go or to those that just like to kick it back at home and unwind. So basically it's great for everyone! Continue reading on to learn more about mochi, if you don't already know what it is, and also why you need to get your hands on a box of My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream asap! There are also shop sections for both my outfit and my two most favorite flavors that I'd recommend trying.

Back to the mochi at hand! If you're wondering what My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream is, it's soft mochi dough with very delectable ice cream in the middle. These snacks are not only the cutest little things, they're also the yummiest of the mochi ice creams in the market. My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream comes in 8 appetizing flavors, and my husband and I's most recent favorites have got to be Cookies & Cream and Mint Chocolate Chip right now! Let's just say we're already out of it, and I cannot wait to grab another box (or two). These two boxes from this post may or may not have been completely consumed while on set!

So are you ready to blow your mouth’s mind? My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream is taking over snack time ALL the time! Why wait 'til after dinner? It's pre-breakfast, post lunch and/or a midnight delight. It's great on Monday morning to shake off the last of those Sunday scaries. A mundane meeting made wayyyy better by sneaking a little bite of your favorite boisterous balls. It's perfect for picnics, car rides, carousels, beach walks, boardwalks.......and pretty much just about any other summer adventure you can think of. Like here where we literally stopped in the park after lunch to sit down and devour these cute little bites. So stop with the boring snacking and make your chosen bites more bold, beautiful and all around better with these balls!

LOVE & XX'S,

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Springtime Snacking with My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream

April 27, 2018

This post is sponsored by My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

WEARING: VIP.COM BLUE GINGHAM WRAP TOP | JOE'S JEANS | PATRICIA GREEN JASMINE PUMP | ZAFUL EARRINGS | MEDUSA MINI BLUE CLUTCH/CROSSBODY

I'm more of a dessert person when the temps are warmer and now that spring has finally arrived what is better than finding two loves in one? I'm talking mochi and ice cream combined, how yummy does that sound? It's the perfect pairing for anyone with a sweet tooth, especially to anyone who is always on the go or to those that just like to kick it back at home and unwind. So basically it's great for everyone! Continue reading on to learn more about mochi, if you don't already know what it is, and also why you need to get your hands on a box of My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream asap! There are also shop sections for both my outfit and my two most favorite flavors that I'd recommend trying.

Back to the mochi at hand! If you're wondering what My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream is, it's soft mochi dough with very delectable ice cream in the middle. These snacks are not only the cutest little things, they're also the yummiest of the mochi ice creams in the market. My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream comes in 8 appetizing flavors, and my husband and I's most recent favorites have got to be Strawberry and Chocolate! Let's just say we're already out of it, and I cannot wait to grab another box (or two). These two boxes from this post may or may not have been completely consumed while on set!

S are you ready to blow your mouth’s mind? My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream is taking over snack time ALL the time! Why wait 'til after dinner? It's pre-breakfast, post lunch and/or a midnight delight. It's great on Monday morning to shake off the last of those Sunday scaries. A mundane meeting made wayyyy better by sneaking a little bite of your favorite boisterous balls. It's perfect for picnics, car rides, carousels, beach walks, boardwalks.......and pretty much just about any other situation you can think of. Like here where we literally stopped in the park after lunch to sit down and devour these cute little bites. So stop with the boring snacking and make your chosen bites more bold, beautiful and all around better with these balls!

LOVE & XX'S,

SHOP THE PRODUCT

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Le Coq Rico – The Bistro of Beautiful Birds

December 13, 2017

This post is brought to you by Le Coq Rico, but all opinions are my own.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Yesterday I had the pleasure of experiencing the wonderful downtown restaurant, Le Coq Rico. The original Le Coq Rico (The Bistro of Beautiful Birds) is located on Monmartre's Rue Lepic in Paris. Each Le Coq Rico pays tribute to responsibly raised whole-animal poultry. This restaurant is Chef Antoine Westermann's ode to the local terroir, expressed through the flavors of wild and noble birds. Westermann spent more than a year traveling across the Northeast, particularly through the Hudson Valley and Pennsylvania, to meet farmers and learn their poultry raising philosophies. "Fowl is a world unto itself," noted Westermann. "The flavor and texture change depending on the region, breeder, age, and style of farming." The result of this exchange stands today as Le Coq Rico, NYC. Continue reading to learn more about my time at this attractive, chic bistro.

Renowned French chef, Antoine Westermann was just 23 years old when he became the Chef and Owner of his first restaurant. In the twenty-five years that followed, he earned three Michelin stars. Then in 2006, he made the exceedingly rare decision to ask Michelin to remove his stars so his creativity would no longer be confined by the rules and regulations of the guide. Specializing in sophisticated poultry dishes, I was more than excited to try their Tuesday's plat du jour, coq au vin. One of my favorite French dishes of all time, they certainly did the bird justice. It was the best I have ever had!

We started with lovely appetizers of deviled eggs in a bed of octopus, cabbage, and cumin salad along with a creamy mushroom soup with a confit of gizzards (YUM). For our main entrees, along with the coq au vin with egg tagliatelle, we also tried the succulent roasted chicken that is aged 120 days and is served with a side of seasonal salad. Delicious pairings of pinot grigio and pinot noir, we topped it off with dessert, their famous l'ile flotttante (Floating Island) which consists of soft meingue & crême anglaise and three selections of ice cream: coconut lime sorbet, ginger, and vanilla ice cream. Even the espressos are spot on! A truly magnificent, fulfilling lunch!

The service was great, very friendly staff and super helpful when it came to making a selection. I'd recommend Le Coq Rico to anyone! But if you want to avoid the holiday crowds and nightlife scene, lunch is the way to go! And sit at the chef's counter, where you are able to watch the chefs cook for you up close and personal! The only problem with that is it might have your tummy rumbling as you wait! How many of you have experience Le Coq Rico? If you haven't yet, what are you waiting for?! ;)

LOVE & XX'S,

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Matcha Popcorn with White Chocolate and Black Sesame Seeds

October 1, 2016

Happy October! My favorite month always starts off with a bang. Come the 1st day of October every year is my beautiful boy, MaQ's birthday! He is four years old today and officially a grown-up. He's still young at heart, but his demeanor is more calm nowadays. More gentleman-y. The hubby and I had plans for his birthday but unfortunately the New York weather is being extremely uncooperative, and will be raining for the next couple of days. All. Day. Long.

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photos + recipe by: © Suzanne Spiegoski — photos + recipe by: © Suzanne Spiegoski

Matcha Popcorn with White Chocolate and Black Sesame Seeds

Ingredients:

4 ounces white chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon Japanese matcha green tea

1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped (about 8 cups popped)

Black sesame seeds

Directions:

Place white chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 15-second intervals, stirring between each one, until melted.
Add matcha powder and stir until completely incorporated. Hello, green!
Place the popcorn in a large bowl and drizzle with the white chocolate mixture, tossing as you go, until popcorn is evenly coated. Season with salt. Set popcorn in refrigerator until white-chocolate coating has firmed, about 10 minutes. Break up any clump and serve. Popcorn can be stored in the refrigerator overnight using Ziplock bag.

So you know what rainy days call for. Cooking times with Suz! :) Aside from MaQ's birthday being one of the reasons why I love October so much, I also am a big fan of Halloween. I decided to make 'Frankenstein' popcorn! This is matcha green tea incorporated into melted white chocolate and the best part, with the popcorn. Mmmmm... let's not forget the wonderful black sesame seeds. Its deep, rich flavor complements with the mild sweetness from the white chocolate, overall giving this dessert a well-balanced combination in taste. Tell me a kid who wouldn't want to try this popcorn - just look at that green color!

Instead of venturing out in the rain for MaQ's birthday this weekend, we've postponed our plans and we'll be keeping it low key and just trying to recuperate from the crazy busy month we've had. The key is to try. ;) Everyone needs to recharge their batteries every now and then. I want to check out 'The People v. O.J. Simpson' TV show, munch on some 'Frankenstein' popcorn, nap, and munch down on more deliciousness I'll be cooking later. Chicken Jardinière anyone? Perfect for gloomy, dreary days like today.

Hope you have a nice weekend. Coming up Monday on the blog, I'll be sharing another outfit post featuring my most recent pieces of jewelry and a twist on the latest reverse/backwards shirt trend, where you any shirt that buttons down in the front; you switch it to the back. Playing a lot with masculine and feminine tones together lately. Stay tuned...

LOVE & XX'S,

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Peach Melba

July 21, 2016

Cheers, it's almost the weekend and I'm about to have me some fun! I finally found my edible flowers, y'all! After patiently waiting until Wednesday, I happily went to the Union Square Farmer's Market and picked up some vibrant babies with Windfall Farms. They have the freshest flowers to work with and ever since they've caught my eye during the start to spring, I've been dying to add them in my practice with plating. Plus, edible flowers can really bring a dish together with its fragrant and earthy qualities. Not to mention how aesthetically sound they are, especially with desserts.

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recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski — recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Peach Melba

Ingredients:

Peaches:
1 1/2c water
1 3/4c sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
1Tbsp lemon juice
2-3 peaches

Raspberry sauce:
1 1/2c raspberries
1/4c confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 pint of vanilla bean ice cream
Raspberries & peanut granola to garnish.

Directions:

Put the water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla pod into a wide saucepan and gently heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring saucepan to a boil and let it bubble for 5 minutes. Turn heat down to a fast simmer.

Cut the peaches in half, and if the stones come out easily then remove them. If not, you can get them out after poaching them. To poach, put peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Test the cut side with the sharp point of a knife to see if they are soft. Remove with slotted spoon.

Peel skin off peach halves and let them cool. Be sure to remove stone after. To make raspberry sauce, blend fresh raspberries, confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Sieve to remove the pits and pour the puree into a jar.

To serve, allow 1 -2 peach halves per person alongside with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Spoon raspberry sauce over each.

One of my all-time favorite desserts (originally from France) is the peach melba. The combination with the sweet peach and tartness from the raspberries is a symphony in your mouth. Add in the vanilla ice cream and its oozy, creamy combo will definitely have you feeling some type of way! Instead of doing it the traditional way, like how I used to get it at the retirement home I worked at as a teenager (yup, true story), was a scoop of ice cream, half of a poached peach, and with some drizzling of raspberry sauce. Nothing fancy. And it doesn't need to be. But I have such a passion when it comes to cooking, I'm always trying to elevate dishes to the next level. I even formed my first ice cream quenelle! So here you have it: My deconstructed version of the peach melba dessert. You can download the recipe by clicking on the button above. Got questions or comments? I love hearing from my readers! Write your thoughts down below. I've got some really exciting content coming up for the rest of the summer! And yes, it will include some traveling! Yay! Plus I'll be celebrating my one year anniversary since creating MaQ + Suz, and of course I'll be doing a post on this! Stay tuned...