The official pre-kickoff to summer is only a few days away and I bet you guys are ready to have some fun! For this Memorial Day weekend, I’m sharing some past kimchi fusion recipes that are totally summer-inspired and easy to make. Each recipe has flavor, presentation and just a fun blend of summery items we all commonly have but with a twist. From kimchi gazpacho to kimchi potato salad, there is a range for everyone. All 8 recipes have its full link to the complete recipe. Continue reading for more info, which recipe would you want to make first?

Recipe, photography + styling by © Suzanne Spiegoski

KIMCHI GAZPACHO RECIPE

THE KIMKRAUT DOG RECIPE

KIMCHI BLOODY MARY RECIPE

KIMCHI DEVILED EGGS RECIPE

KIMCHI POTATO SALAD RECIPE

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH CUCUMBER KIMCHI RECIPE

KIMCHI GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH RECIPE

FISH & CHIPS WITH KIMCHI TARTAR SAUCE RECIPE

FAVORITE SUMMER KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

LOVE + XX’s,

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A childhood friend of mine passed away last week. She was the eldest daughter of two families that lived next door to me. I am saddened by this and have been thinking a lot about them and that time period in my life. I think about the other people I grew up with on that block as well. The other family that lived next door to me happened to be one my mom's best friends. I too was and still am close to her, as she was the one to notify me of the unfortunate news.

The first time I ever tried a grilled cheese sandwich of any kind came from her, my mom's best friend. It wasn't anything special. Just an open faced grilled cheese with a slice of tomato and green pepper on it. I was playing in their backyard with the kids and she brought it out for lunch. I loved it so much and even to this day, it's one of my favorite ways to eat a grilled cheese sandwich. So I put my own twist on a Korean fusion-inspired one. Because one, I've been missing creating food content and two, it's been more than THREE months since I've last done one!

DOWNLOAD RECIPE

Veggie-Packed Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 slices whole wheat bread 3 Tbsp butter 4 slices Colby Jack cheese 1/2 cup kimchi Few slices green, red & yellow pepper 5-6 cherry tomatoes

Directions:

Melt one third of butter in a large non-stick skillet (or grill pan in my case) over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add 2 slices of bread, then 2 slices of cheese on top, press firmly into pan and cook until golden brown on bottom side (approx 2 min.)
Char kimchi, peppers & cherry tomatoes while the bread is grilling for approx. 4-5minutes.
Chop up kimchi and veggies, then add on top of cheese. Remove sandwich using a flexible metal spatula. Add the remaining butter. Repeat steps 1-3 with second sandwich. Serve & enjoy immediately. :)

Twists include using a cast iron grill pan to give a nicer design on the bread. I always use whole wheat bread unless it's homemade stuffing. That's the only time I'll make an exception for white bread. I charred all the veggies while grilling the cheese and in the same skillet. It gave the cherry tomatoes and peppers a nice tiny roast, which in turn brought more flavor in my opinion. I also grilled the kimchi in the pan for a few minutes to soften the cabbage. And whenever I am making a grilled cheese sandwich I always, nine out of ten times, use Colby Jack cheese. It's a favorite aside from Havarti and Emmental. What's your favorite cheese to grill?

I have some really exciting content coming to the blog soon! This week I'll be shooting more fashion + style content. I'll be heading down to the Financial District on Tuesday for one of them so stay tuned on my Insta Stories for some BTS! There will also be a brand new cocktail recipe posted more toward the end of the week. And lastly, I'll be attending NYFW again in the next couple of weeks but this time I'll be getting to go backstage to some pretty cool designers... I can't wait to share! Did I mention travel content is also coming to MaQ + Suz in the next few months? Clue? It's international... Looks like 2017 is off to a great start! ;)