Spiced Apple Margaritas

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Happy Labor Day weekend! I'm staying in town relaxing and prepping for NYFW along with brainstorming and creating content for my favorite season, fall! There's no drink quite like the margarita- whether it's frozen or on the rocks, from delicious variants like Chipotle to strawberry and more. That's why Margaritas are the #1 cocktail in the U.S., with 70% of them made from scratch in our very own homes... But there's a well-kept secret that turns an ordinary home-made margarita into an extraordinary one--Agavero Orange. Which is why I've partnered with Agavero Orange Liqueur, a tequila based liqueur that is the perfect addition to any margarita recipe. It's Gran Centenario Tequila's perfect match, and it's your dance partner, party pleaser and top-secret ingredient.With summer coming to an end, I wanted to create a fall-inspired margarita cocktail. Enter: Spiced Apple Margaritas! 

photos + recipe by: © Suzanne Spiegoski

Spiced Apple Margaritas

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1.5 parts Gran Centenario Plata

.75 parts Agavero Orange Liqueur

1.5 to 2 ounces apple juice

1 oz fresh orange juice (about half an orange, juiced)

Dash all spice & cinnamon

Star anise, apple & orange zest for garnish

Cinnamon/sugar/salt rim blend and garnish

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. On a small plate, use a fork to blend the sugar, salt and cinnamon. Run a wedge of orange around the top of each drinking glass, then turn the glass down at a 45-degree angle and roll the top of the glass through the cinnamon, sugar and salt blend. Fill the glasses with ice and set them aside.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Feel free to make 2 to 3 drinks at once. Pour in the tequilas, apple juice, orange juice, all spice, and cinnamon. Put on the lid and shake the cocktail for about 20 seconds. Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass(es) and add a star of anise if you’d like. Garnish with a slice of apple and orange zest. Cheers!

Agavero Orange Liqueur is a delicious blend of 100% agave tequila infused with orange and agave nectar. It is subtle enough for sipping, but also an ideal orange liqueur for the ultimate Margarita as it offers a robust tequila flavor coupled with the ripe citrus of Mexican oranges. So I paired the orange liqueur with Gran Centenario® Plata - it adds extra depth and character to crafted cocktails. The tequila is also delicious as a chilled shot. I paired the Tequila's with more orange and apple flavors, spicing it up with some ground all-spice and cinnamon. Lastly, I garnished the drinks with star anise, to not only enhance the flavor but to maintain a rustic sort of fall cocktail. 

What do you guys think of these spiced apple margaritas? I definitely wanted to try something different using fall-inspired ingredients. I was even thinking of a pumpkin spiced margarita, but given the fact that I don't have a blender in my kitchen at the moment, I found it to be rather more challenging to mix those kinds of ingredients together. Which is why I opted for apple and orange, the perfect combination with the Agavero Orange Liqueur and Gran Centenario Tequila. Enjoy the rest of the long weekend!

LOVE & XX'S,

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Our Thanksgiving Spread

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your day was filled with warmth, love & full bellies! I am thankful for every day. Every sunrise or sunset I get to see makes me filled with gratitude. However I'm thankful most for my husband, Gilles and our fur baby, MaQ. They are my family and without them I'm not sure where I would be today. Their love makes each day worth getting up for. I love these two more than anything else in the world. Thank you both for always having my back.

Today's post is all about my cook-a-thon from yesterday's feast! I've been cooking our turkey's for the past 7 years and I must admit, this year's turkey was the best yet! I got a decent-sized bird to last us for days, just shy of 14 pounds! I panicked the first time I handled a turkey. The idea of cooking the darn thing was intimidating enough, let alone preparing all the side dishes and appetizers, cocktails, etc. Secondly, I was honestly grossed out. But now, with persistent practice in the kitchen, I prep faster and with more confidence, therefore with much more ease. It's a breeze now and I relish the idea of cooking a 20+lber one day, ha ha! This year was also the first time where I never felt overwhelmed! My cooking skills are improving, and I'm so happy to share with you my progress thus far! Here are a few tricks of the trade I've learned from the many Thanksgiving dinners I've made in the past years:

ALWAYS PREP IN ADVANCE! I can't tell you how many times I was that dingdong who'd rush to the market on the day of Thanksgiving. BAD Suz! BAD. Life is continuously hectic in New York, and I never could seem to manage to prepare anything beforehand and made everything on the actual day! This year in particular, I bought everything I needed the day before. Lol. I also made the pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Eve, which definitely helped take off a little pressure from all the cooking on the day of.

BUTTER, BUTTER & MORE BUTTER. What's the secret to French cooking? That's right, folks, the more the better. If you want your turkey to have a super moist, rich taste, the key is where you put the butter. I like to season mine first with a variety of herbs & seasonings, then take the mixture and place it under the skin. The trick is to not to rip the entire skin off though. I will poke a hole through each end on both sides, and will especially be generous with the butter when it comes to the breast. I put most of the butter in this section because this part of the turkey has a tendency to be the most dry.

COVER TURKEY WITH FOIL. Remove the foil when there is only 1 hour left to finish cooking the bird. This is the time to baste the turkey from the cooked juices, I usually try to do this every 10-15 minutes (for an hour), giving it a nice brown on the skin. Doesn't it look delicious?!

USE UNFLAVORED DENTAL FLOSS TO TIE THE LEGS. It's easy to remove and even easier to tie if you have an extra pair of hands. (Thanks, hubby bear for the awesome teamwork!) I'm not sure what everyone else uses, but I've been using this method for years and it's never failed to secure them tightly!

A VARIETY OF SIDES GOES A LONG WAY. Some of my favorite trimmings are mashed potatoes and stuffing (or dressing as the South calls it). I could literally survive on the stuff! But you never know who's going to show up, so it's a good thing to mix it up and try different and new recipes. I also made my version of candied yams & apples, which is on the sweeter side comparatively to the other dishes. Salad is also a great starter. I mixed mine with mushrooms, red & yellow peppers, onion, cucumbers, tomatos and shredded carrots. I also will normally have some kind of bread at the table but I totally forget about it in the photo! Last are the cranberry sauce and green beans which are always winners.

HOW TO GET THE FLUFFIEST MASHED POTATOES. A whisk! Just whip those taters up like you're whisking eggs and it'll be the airiest potatoes of your life! Secret's also in the right amount of butter and milk. Don't forget the salt too!

APPEARENCE DOES COUNT. Any kind of decorative effort brings liveliness to a place/setting. Whether it's flowers, funky-looking squash and pumpkins, or a fabulous table runner, I try to keep the spread looking simple yet appealing. Plus, you'll still have all your decorations after which will still keep your place looking fun and festive, unless you like to jump into Christmas right away.  :)

What are some of your favorite tricks for Thanksgiving dinners? Favorite sides? What about your least favorite dish you still come across? Like fruitcake during Christmas? Ha ha! Have a safe rest of your Black Friday and enjoy the Holiday weekend! <3

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Parsnip Risotto With Beets And Walnuts

We're less than a week from Thanksgiving! It's my favorite holiday and my love for cooking is at it's ultimate height this month! Lots of turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry everything; I'm drooling over my keyboard as I type!

Every year for Thanksgiving I try to come up with a different dish in addition to my more traditional dishes. This week, I tried out a recipe I discovered on Pinterest through the Love With Food website. A risotto lover (hubby included), I was excited with the idea of putting more earthy flavors and tones with the rice component. Parsnips are naturally sweet and have always paired well with the pungent taste of beets, in my opinion.

Parsnip Risotto With Beets And Walnuts

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 medium large parsnips, peeled and cut in chunks
• 1 & 1/2 cups risotto rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 cups vegetable bouillon
• 100 grams walnuts, chopped
• 4 large beets, peeled and boiled
• 10 sprigs thyme
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 1/5 cup soy yogurt or soy cream
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel the onions and cut in small pieces.
2. Peel and cut parsnips in medium bite-sized chunks.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and saute the onions until glassy.
4. Add the risotto rice and mix to coat the rice with the oil.
5. Add the white wine and cook until the wine has been absorbed.
6. Add the parsnips and half of the vegetable bouillon and cook, stirring until the bouillon has been absorbed. Add other half after, stirring continuously.
7. Slice the cooked beets.
8. Heat the vegan margarine in a second frying pan.
9. Add the chopped walnuts and lightly toast.
10. Remove the leaves from the thyme sprigs and add to the walnuts.
11. Add the beet slices and cook at light heat to warm the beets.
12. When the risotto is soft, add the soy yogurt and mix well.
13. Serve the risotto on a large serving platter with the beets and walnuts on top of the risotto and garnished with a dollop of soy yogurt (optional), a few walnut pieces and thyme leaves.

I love thyme and it perfectly goes well with the walnuts, though next time I would love to try this recipe with actual butter and cheese (mmmm... fatty alert) because the soy yogurt was really not my thing! I didn't even bother to add the dollop on top, though the recipe calls for it.

Are you a risotto fanatic like me? What are some of your favorite risotto recipes? Whatever plans you have for this weekend, we hope it's a relaxing and enjoyable one!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Mom & Dad's Spaghetti

With a Korean-Polish background, I didn't grow up eating much Italian. I was raised in the Detroit-area and there was certainly an Italian community. Sure, we got takeout pizza and even sometimes mostaccioli, but it never was a prominent cuisine in our house. We mostly ate Korean food since my Mom did most of the cooking, and sometimes my Dad would whip up one of his signature meals, like his incredible chicken and cabbage combo which was killer good. He even, if I can remember correctly, made some pretty decent lasagna at some point, but the irony is they both made spaghetti. Now, it's not from scratch. The sauce is mostly from a jar, but all together it is simply delicious. And it tastes like home- a place I wish I could revisit with the people I've lost whom I long to see the most.

I cooked the sauce in a Green Earth frying pan by Ozeri, which utilizes GREBLON - an ultra-safe ceramic coating from Germany which is 100% PTFE (PolyTetraFluoroEthylene) and PFOA (PerFluoroOctanoic Acid) free. The pan delivers enhanced heat distribution and superior non-stick performance without ever releasing harmful fumes or toxins. Groovy, huh! My sauce literally tasted better from cooking with this pan! I really recommend it into your everyday cooking. Though from many reviews, it doesn't seem to be long lasting. You can get one on Amazon today!

Mom & Dad’s Spaghetti

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 ounces button mushrooms, chopped

1 jar (1 lb. 8 oz.) Ragu® Sauce

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper, to taste

1 pound spaghetti, cooked and drained

Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef until fully cooked through. Drain grease. 

2. Add in onion and green pepper, mixing in with the beef. Cook 2-3 minutes

3. Add garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes

4. Stir in Ragu® Sauce, including the 1/4 cup of water mixed in with the rest of the sauce from the bottle.

5. Place in bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer cooking 20-30 minutes.

6. Add in mushrooms last. Keeps it’s texture without turning it to mush. That’s how I love my mushrooms!

7. Don’t forget the s&p! Mix in with spaghetti noodles.

8. Garnish with parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese (optional).

This is the epitome of comfort food. Quick, easy and simply scrumptious - it is perfect for a Friday night in at home. While writing this blog post I, unfortunately, had CNN on my TV, breaking news of the attacks in Paris and of course, I can not write this entry without acknowledging this tragedy. My heart literally aches, I am incredibly sad. When will the hate stop? When will the world realize love truly conquers all? My thoughts and prayers are with you, Paris. Stay strong and keep those heads held up high. Don't ever let anyone rob you of your Goodness. Love and Light to all.

Please, PLEASE, please. Take care of each other and hold your loved ones a little tighter tonight, some will never be able to ever again. </3

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Happy First Day of Fall! In honor of my favorite season, I started the morning off right with one of my favorite pastries. Scones! And the ultimate combo: a raspberry white chocolate match made in heaven! These are literally the best scones I've ever made, all thanks to Rock Recipes!

RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE SCONES RECIPE

Hands down the best scones I've ever made! Thanks Rock Recipes!

Prep: 15 mins Cook: 25 mins Total: 40 mins

Ingredients:

    3 cups flour
    ½ cup sugar
    6 tsp baking powder
    ½ tsp salt
    ¾ cup very cold butter, cubed
    6 ounces good quality chopped white chocolate
    2 tbsp lemon juice
    2 tsp vanilla extract
    1 cup milk
    1½ cups frozen raspberries

Instructions

•     I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or even 2 knifes held between the fingers.
•     In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
•     Pulse in the cold butter until this mixture resembles a coarse meal. It is very important that pea sized pieces of butter remain in this mixture.
•     Transfer to a large bowl and toss in the white chocolate.
•     Mix together the lemon juice, vanilla extract ans milk.
•     Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a fork only enough to form a dough ball.
•     When the flour is almost incorporated, add the frozen raspberries.
•     Frozen berries work best because they are less delicate and easier to incorporate into the scone dough.
•     It is important that you work this dough as little as possible or the finished scones will be too dense and heavy.
•     Roll to 1 inch thickness and cut out scones with biscuit cutter or in triangles with a sharp knife and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
•     If desired you can brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash of 1 egg beaten together with 1 tbsp water.
•     You can sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar if desired but this is, of course, optional.
•     Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter.

Drooling yet? I don't know about y'all but for me, butter is mandatory with scones! So yummy!

I can definitely attest to my hubby's full, content belly. I've already had two with coffee!

What is your favorite kind of scone? Got a killer combination? We'd love to hear about it!

maQ went crazy over the aroma in our apartment. It smells like the most divine bakery right now! Don't you love that after baking? :) We hope, whatever you decide to do to enjoy the first day of Autumn, is a happy, delicious one! We plan to get outside after work! Cheers to the best season!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz