Try the World - Michelin Curated Holiday Box

Interested in having gourmet ingredients from countries around the world delivered straight to your door?  Try the World does just that, and right now they’re featuring their special Michelin Curated Box!  Please Note: Try the World sent me their Michelin box in exchange for my honest Try the World Review.

Try the World - Michelin Curated Holiday Box

WHAT IS 'TRY THE WORLD'?

Try the World is an international food delivery service that sends out subscription boxes with food from different countries. It's definitely going to save you the trouble and time at many grocery stores pondering over what to get let alone if it's even in English. Most well known for their mint 'Signature Box', the Signature Box is country-specific (for example, last month's Italy Box), and comes with 7-8 gourmet-quality food items. They also offer a less expensive, non-country-specific snack box and pantry box, and an online store to let you restock on the goodies you've tried and now love. 

Every once in a while though, Try the World offers a specialty box. And this special edition I received is completely curated by Michelin – the food-curating, gourmet-loving company that keeps chefs all over the world competing for excellence. This holiday box includes 8 items: Mexican hot chocolate disks, Israeli date spread, South African salted toffee, French spice cake mix, British lemon curd, Taiwan pineapple cakes, Italian truffle sauce, and Canadian Maple shortbread cookies.  Today I'll be sharing with you my ideas on what to make with each item. 

1. KEKUA MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE

What I loved about this particular hot chocolate is that it did not come in powder but rather, more like cookies! Perfectly designed for easy melting and incorporating the chocolate into other chocolates or sweets. Great pairings with this is of course, milk, but given I'm such a coffee fanatic lately, I'd also try making a mocha. Imagine the richness of a chocolate frosting/icing when using this!

2. YOFFI DATE SPREAD

The sweetness of the date would go wonderfully in a batch of traditional cinnamon rolls. I don't know about you folks, but given this time of the year when the weather starts to get colder, I love to hunker down and enjoy a rich snack/dessert. Besides cinnamon rolls, cookies or any kind of bread/cake would also be splendid with the Israeli date spread. The smell is intoxicating just by itself!

3. DARLING SWEET TOFFEE

The South African toffee is simply delicious on its own, but even dropping a couple of them in a hot cocoa and letting them melt with their oooey-gooey wonderfulness would also be pretty amazing. And if you're a fan of Christmas brittle/bark, these little cuties will definitely help achieve the most awesome snack/dessert. 

4. MARLETTE ARTISINAL FLOUR

The French spice cake mix would be lovely in bite-size form, such as mini-cakes or muffins! And a lil' date spread on top? A match made in heaven. The spices would also complement with pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon very well. Can anyone smell fall bread in the kitchen? Thanksgiving is right around the corner and this flour mix is the perfect starter for any meal, big or small!

5. FOX GOURMET FOOD LEMON CURD

What can I say about lemon curd? We get along like peas and carrots. I normally don't eat a lot of fish during the winter time, but it's so healthy to eat it once a week and I try to keep that a weekly habit. I'd use this curd in an easy-peasy white fish recipe I bake in the oven. It's fresh and light, and wonderful all year round. Let me know if you'd like a recipe up on the blog! Also, if you really want a challenge in cooking, try make some lemon soufflés with this curd. ;)

6. TAIWAN MINI PINEAPPLE CAKES

Are you a fan of banana pudding? Why not put a twist on those boring vanilla wafers and mix it up with mini pineapple cakes?! They're small in size and are packed with a full-crunch. The citrusy aftertaste will leave your tongue tingling and full of delight. Of course, if you're impatient like me, you'll quickly devour them before using it for any recipe. And how cute is the packaging of their box? Tropical and festive, I simply loved these mini cakes. 

7. TARTUFATA TRUFFLE SAUCE

I'm not going to lie. When I saw this in the box, I squealed with excitement. There's no artificial flavor, it's the real deal! Yes, there's actual truffle inside! I'd fold this into an alfredo or any other kind of pasta your foodie heart can dream of. I mean, tell me someone who doesn't like Italian truffle! Oh so good, yum!

8. SPRUCEWOOD HANDMADE COOKIE CO. CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

I could eat these straight from the box. (Looking pretty cozy paired with the hot chocolate...) But these cookies can be crumbled onto a pie or cake as part of the topping. It'll bring an added flavor with its texture. And Canadian Maple?! I would even experiment this with pancakes or french toast, talk about a dreamy holiday breakfast.  

Interested in trying this holiday box out for yourself? Start your journey with a FREE BOX when you subscribe! The Michelin curated holiday box is perfect for any food lover and such a lovely gift to give to someone who appreciates trying new things. Cheers to new experiences in your kitchen! You can also get $10 off a pantry box using promo code, 'EARLYADOPTER'.

LOVE & XX'S,

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Matcha Popcorn with White Chocolate and Black Sesame Seeds

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.  

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:

1. Place white chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 15-second intervals, stirring between each one, until melted.

2. Add matcha powder and stir until completely incorporated. Hello, green!

3. 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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Kimchi Potato Salad

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! On this day it is my tradition to cook like a mad woman in the kitchen. I normally barbecue ribs or fry up some chicken, but since creating my blog, I've been heavily creating most of my recipes to be Korean-fusion inspired. One of my favorite side dishes for an occasion like today is classic-American potato salad. If you know me well, I could survive off of potatoes. Must be the Polish in me.    

So I created my traditional potato salad, but with a twist! I added in some Napa cabbage Kimchi, juice included, to give this dish some heat and tanginess. For extra spice, I also included a couple of generous tablespoons of gochujang, a Korean red pepper paste. I would say this can be optional if you're not as much into spiciness like I am. If you're not into spice at all, you can omit the gochujang along with the kimchi and still make an awesome OG potato salad. :) 

Be sure not to over cook either the potatoes or eggs. A mushy potato salad is neither appealing or very tasteful. In terms of texture, you want to make sure the potatoes are cooked tender but still firm. This usually takes about fifteen minutes. As for the eggs, always submerge them in cold water rather than hot when you first begin to cook them. This prevents the eggs from cracking and becoming overcooked. 

recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Kimchi Potato Salad

Ingredients:
5 potatoes
3 eggs
16 oz cabbage kimchi, chopped with juice
2 Tbsp gochujang
1c celery, chopped
1/2c red onion, chopped
1/2c sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp Alderwood smoked sea salt
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp prepared Dijon mustard
1/4c mayonnaise
fresh ground black pepper to taste
black sesames seeds and scallion for garnish

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and chop.
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
In a large bowl, combine kimchi, gochujang, celery, onion, relish, garlic salt, alderwood smoked sea salt, celery salt, mustard, mayonnaise and pepper. Add in potatoes and eggs. Mix together well and refrigerate until chilled.

For garnish, I used green onion for color and crispness, (red onion is also best in a potato salad, in my opinion, for these reasons as well) and black sesame seeds for the final detail. This side dish is perfect to bring to any barbecue or family/friend get-together, especially on a day like today, or any other summer event you may have planned for the remainder of the season. This did not last long in my kitchen!  

Don't go too far, I've got new and exciting posts coming later this week! One post will be focusing on MaQ and dog walking in a big city such as New York and I will also be sharing my very first travel diary from our anniversary trip to Cape Cod last week! I can't wait to share! In the meantime, have a fun & safe Fourth. Love you all! God Bless America. 

LOVE & XX'S,

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Rice Cake Soup

My mother would make rice cake soup (Tteokguk, 떡국) every year on Seollal (Korean New Year’s Day), the first day of the Lunar calendar and a very important holiday in Korean culture. Traditionally, according to Korean age reckoning, everyone’s age went up one year on Seollal, so the process wasn’t fully complete until you had a bowl of tteokguk. She'd sometimes make this soup on Western New Year’s day, January 1st, too, being that I'm also American.

Rice Cake Soup (Tteokguk, 떡국)

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 cans of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup (with 2 cans of water)

15-20 sliced tteok rice cakes

2 green onions, chopped

2 eggs

2 sheets of black seaweed paper

Fresh black pepper

Directions

1.       Bring the chicken noodle soup to boil, then add rice cakes and eggs. Lower to medium heat.

2.      Cook for approximately 5-7 minutes (depending how you like you’re egg cooked)

3.      Add onion, seaweed and black pepper. Serve immediately.

This is not an exact recipe for this traditional soup either. My family wasn't rich and my mother always improvised in the kitchen. This recipe is one of those improvisations. I'd say it's an 'Americanized' version to the Korean way. And who doesn't like chicken noodle soup? ;)

There's a funny side story to this post. I had asked my husband to run to the Korean market to grab the seaweed and rice cakes. When he couldn't find the rice cakes and asked one of the workers where he could locate them, his reply was, "Your wife's Korean." Ha ha! No question, he was totally confident in his statement.

So what's the meaning behind the rice cake soup? Like in some Eastern European cultures, they eat lentils on New Year's for good luck. The rice cakes are the good luck charms for Koreans, the disc-shaped rice cakes look like coins, symbolizing wishes for future prosperity for anyone who eats them. And the clearness of the soup symbolizes a clean, fresh start to the new year.

My husband LOVED it so much, he asked for it again the following day! Perhaps we will have some extra good luck this year? :) <3 Nothing but positive vibes, YEAH!

What's your annual New Year's meal? We'd love to hear yours! Happy New Year! (Again.)

Love & xx's,

Christmas Cookies

Happy the Day Before the Day Before You Know What! It's a rainy one here in New York and the perfect kind of day for endless amounts of baking! My apartment smells like a gingerbread house - and it's perfectly delightful! It's the first time I've ever baked actual gingerbread cookies (shocker!), but I have to say it was really easy! And the best part? The decorating of course!

Christmas Gingerbread Cookies w/ Icing

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• ½ cup molasses

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• Zest of 1 lemon

Directions:

1.     In a large bowl or standing mixer, combine the dry ingredients: Flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

2.     To the same bowl, add your butter, egg, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix until your dough comes together. Just beyond the stage seen in this photo, it'll become shiny and more like play dough.

3.     Shape your dough into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and let the whole thing rest at room temperature for 1 hour (or you can leave it out for up to 8 hours if needed.)

4.     Working in two batches, roll out your dough with a rolling pin. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. If the dough sticks to your rolling pin, use just a little extra flour on the pin.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out your gingerbread men from the rolled dough. Place the cookies about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with either silicone, parchment paper or greased. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies) at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

5.     Whatever shape you choose, cool the cookies completely on a wire rack before frosting.

6.     Use a small tipped pastry bag to make lines, polka dots, or any other finely detailed pattern. I use 3 large egg whites mixed with 14 oz. of confectioner's sugar. Whisk until it begins to form peaks and voila!
 

The shapes I used were Christmas trees, German Shepherds, dog bones, stars, and cute little gingerbread men. Of course I had to write MaQ's name on one of them!

I went with green, red, and white colors, though you can use whatever you want! Next time I would definitely like to add in some more sparkle, with a touch of silver and/or gold.

This is a great activity to do with the kids. It's not only fun but the time spent with the ones you love is what's priceless. Enjoy and be Merry! We can't wait to show you our annual Christmas photo! Stay tuned!

Love & xx's,