The Way of Tea

80 bristles made of bamboo, this exquisite Matcha whisk is utterly sublime.

Next and last pick-up: a tea scoop (茶杓 chashaku)

Ready to be whisked!

Starting the process...

Almost finished...

Refreshment at its finest!

Gorgeous Japanese stoneware Matcha bowl from Teavana.

I woke up to some devastating, heartbreaking news. A friend of mine was killed in the line of duty yesterday afternoon in Euless, Texas. Officer David Hofer served with the Euless Police Department for two years and previously served with the New York City Police Department for five years, where during that time frame I met him at a Union Square bar, originally called Forum. He was a giant teddy bear with a quiet but confident demeanor. What first struck me about David was his never-ending wit and sense of humor. Being that I almost became a cop at some point in my life, I found this attribute to be rare and extremely endearing. I liked him immediately. He moved to Texas for a better quality of life and to embark a new beginning with his fiancée. He was only 29. 

I had planned to blog about my new favorite obsession with Japanese matcha tea this morning, but after hearing about David, I'm finding it difficult to write, let alone concentrate. This hits so close to home. Why do the good die young? You never really know when it's going to be your last day, so you better be doing something you abso-FU#*^ng-lutely LOVE. Nothing less than that. So in honor of my friend, I'm going to keep it moving and keep pushing forward. This cup of tea's for you, dude. (Since I don't drink very much alcohol, if ever.)

Did you know that powdered green tea was first used for religious rituals in Buddhist monasteries? Matcha, the Japanese ceremony tea has been around since the 12th century. The style of the tea preparation where green matcha powder is placed into a bowl, then hot water added, and finally the tea and hot water whisked together, was introduced to Japan by a monk, on his return from China. The little tea seeds he took back with him eventually produced tea that was considered to be the finest quality in all of Japan. I think they were onto something because ever since I've been drinking matcha tea, I'm more focused and energized and with an extreme appetite like I haven't had in YEARS. Especially in the morning after a run or rollerblading session with MaQ, that cup of tea makes me ferociously hungry for breakfast. Overall I'm feeling healthier and because I've been taking extra steps in taking care of myself, I have never felt better!

If you are into tea, matcha is the way to go. I'd strongly recommend purchasing a matcha whisk like this one from Teavana. It is carefully well-made with 80 bristles of bamboo, which won't misshape or break easily. You'll be whipping up a great, smooth cup of matcha every time. There's also a wide range of sizes and styles when it comes to tea bowls, and they're used for thick and thin tea. Shallower bowls, which allow the tea to cool extremely quickly are used in summer; deep bowls are used in winter. This beautiful white clay tea bowl, also from Teavana, was exactly what I was looking for when it came to my first real Japanese tea bowl. And the color of the stoneware complements with the green matcha color very well.

No one is getting any younger and in my opinion the earlier you start to think in terms of your body being a temple and that it should only be worshiped, the better you'll start to feel about yourself, both physically and mentally. Whatever you intake is also the final output of yourself. In everything you do. Botox won't take care of you. Neither will liposuction. That's only temporary and you're injecting your body with poison! Think in a non-materialistic way, such as eating right, drinking healthy goodies such as water, natural juices and tea, exercising and doing WHATEVER it takes to be at your best all-around. And don't do it because it'll make you into a skinny-mini or because it's some hot, new current trend - do it because you're genuinely interested in taking care of YOU or because you actually enjoy/love it! Whatever that may be, as long as you're not hurting anyone or yourself, you're good to go! That's the way I've always seen it. For example, I'm not even close to being Japanese, but the Way of Tea brings me peace of mind. And this has been my highest priority for 2016 because I believe everything else around my life will follow in this Way of Thinking. Taking care of me comes first. Mind. Body. And Soul.

Hug your loved ones a little tighter today. There is so much to be thankful for.

LOVE & XX'S,

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Matcha Cheesecake

Lower frigid temps had me craving for something sweet and since I've been on this green tea kick, I decided to incorporate it into a modern cheesecake! Some of you may know I'm not a finessed baker, so I'm always in my kitchen trying to hone in on my skills within the baking department. I pulled a recipe from A Cozy Kitchen for my first attempt at a matcha cheesecake.

Matcha Swirl Cheesecake

Matcha Swirl Cheesecake. Recipe from A Cozy Kitchen. All photos by:  © Suzanne Spiegoski

Recipe from A Cozy Kitchen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 1 (nine-inch) cheesecake

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups (about 16 cookies) chocolate cookie crumbs
• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Cheesecake:

• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 ounces (European-style, not Greek) yogurt, room temperature, divided
• 2 tablespoons green Matcha powder
• 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Swirl (optional)

• 1 ounce (European-Style, not Greek) yogurt
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter. Add the crust mixture into a nine-inch (10-cup) springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom of the pan until packed tightly. Transfer to the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes (unfortunately since the crumbs are so dark you can’t really tell when they’ve toasted so it’s important to pay attention to the clock). Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding the filling. Wrap the bottom of the spring form pan in a few sheets of foil and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the matcha with 1 ounce of yogurt until very smooth—be sure to really get in there to whisk out the lumps of matcha. To the bowl of a stand-up mixer, using a paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Next, add in the matcha yogurt mixture, reserved 3 ounces yogurt and sugar; beat until combined. With the machine one, add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each egg is incorporated before adding the next one. Lastly, mix in the pure vanilla extract and salt.
3. To a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and powdered sugar until smooth. If it’s thick at all (this will depend on the yogurt you’re using), you may need to add a splash of water. It should be the texture of heavy cream.
4. Pour the matcha and cream cheese filling into the springform pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Make sure it reaches the edge of the pan. Make little dollops of sweetened yogurt all over the surface of the cream cheese. Take a skewer or popsicle stick and run it through the dollops creating a marbling effect. Make it as messy or neat as you like. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan or another pan that’s as big. Transfer to the rack of the oven and fill up the roasting pan with about 2 inches of water. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until it looks set, yet it’s still a bit wobbly in the center. Place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes and then place it in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours. (I let it set overnight.) Slice it up and serve.

Sinfully decked out in blackberries. I just love a high contrast in colors!

Cheesecake can be slightly difficult to make, being how easy it is to crack the beautiful dessert. But you can still say no to crack if you follow these tips! NEVER open your oven while the cheesecake is baking. The air and change in temperature will ruin it indefinitely. Make sure to wrap your sweetness in aluminum foil. This will trap the heat and prevent the cheesecake from being overcooked. And lastly, make sure it's being 'bathed' in water, as this also preserves the heat from accelerating too fast and therefore burning the crap out of it.

This matcha cheesecake is to die for! I put in a tad extra green tea powder for more vibrancy with the coloring.

I also added some blackberries for aesthetics and added flavor and texture. The fruit brings an acidic pop to the already very rich cheesecake. I always hate it when a dessert is way too sweet, overpowering any other taste but sugar. Blech! Doesn't it look appealing decorated in the center? I love the deep contrast in color!

You want a piece of me?

For the crust, the cookies I used were chocolate Teddy Grahams. They came out very leveled and super tight. Look at the cut on the cheesecake, I'm getting hungry! Perhaps a little side dessert with lunch today? ;-)

Black and green never looked so good together.

What's your favorite kind of cheesecake? I would've made a classic New York-style cheesecake but I wanted to do something a little more innovative - something I've also never tried making before. Let's just say the results were beyond delish! Happy Baking & Happy Hump Day! Stay warm friends. ♥

LOVE & XX'S

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Matcha Matcha Matcha

I'm a coffeeholic. I get my daily fix of Joe every morning with sugar and cream (hazelnut flavor in particular as of most recently), which is not exactly the healthiest but it's absolutely delicious! I've always enjoyed tea, but not as much as coffee. 

Since my favorite kind of tea is green tea, I was delighted when Matchanna sent me their own line of Matcha tea! Made from hand-picked green tea leaves in Japan, then finely grained into green tea powder, their Matcha tea is the finest quality I've come across in a long time! What exactly is all the fuss about Matcha tea?

Matcha tea has several excellent health benefits.

1. Improves digestive health.
2. Increases focus without the spike and crash in energy often caused by coffee.
3. Does not affect sleep as much as coffee.
4. Acts as an anti-microbial in the body.
5. Fights cancer.
6. Improves immunity.
7. Alkalizes the body.
8. Boosts metabolism.
9. Supports weight loss.
10. Lowers cholesterol.

Why should you drink Matcha tea? One cup of Matchanna tea is the nutritional correspondent of 10 cups of regularly brewed green tea and has more antioxidant activity than all of the other popular antioxidant-rich foods (per gram basis). Whoa! Talk about packing a powerful punch!

And Matchanna's green tea powder is not only high in its quality, but the taste is supreme. It is fresh, smooth and vibrant in color. For more info on Matchanna's fabulous products and the awesome duo behind it, go to their website here! Save up to 20% off if you subscribe today!

I'm so happy to be drinking more green tea again. And I'm feeling the results after only one week! You should try it too! With the Holidays coming up, why not jumpstart early to healthier choices? No need to wait until New Year's! And it is Thirsty Thursday after all... ;)

Love & xx's,

maQ + Suz

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