Dak Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps with Ssamjang Sauce

Happy Friday! With Winter Snowstorm Jonas inching it's way closer to Manhattan, I'm starting the weekend off by filling my belly with some warm delicious Korean barbeque and lettuce wraps! I normally do galbi, or make bulgogi with red meat but I was particularly craving some good ole' fashion protein. Chicken. And the marinade can be used for any choice of meat, so if you're opting for something more carnivorous, go for it! 

Korean lettuce wraps with ssamjang (쌈장) sauce.

Dak Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

2 -3 Servings:

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless chicken thigh and/or breast

A head of butter or Boston lettuce, rinsed and dried.

Sushi rice

Shredded carrot, sliced radish and green onion for garnish.

Sweet & savory Korean chicken BBQ lettuce wraps.

Ssamjang sauce (쌈장)​:

4 tablespoons red pepper paste

5 tablespoons soy bean paste

5 cloves garlic, minced

¼ sweet onion, minced

1 green chile pepper, finely chopped

2 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons rice wine

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Marinade for dak bulgogi (Korean BBQ chicken)​:

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

pinch black pepper

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

Mix all ingredients for ssamjang sauce. Refrigerate after use.

For chicken, rinse in water and pat dry. Trim all excess fat. Cut into bite-size pieces.

Mix marinade before mixing in the chicken.

Pan fry until cooked through, roughly 5-6 minutes on each side.

Spread ssamjang sauce, sushi rice, chicken, and garnish on a leaf of lettuce. Wrap and enjoy! :-)

Ssam means "wrapped" and jang means "paste" or "thick sauce." Together as ssamjang they mean "wrapping sauce." The etymology behind it is kind of cool, don't you think? What's even cooler? This spicy sauce will knock your socks off! I normally refer it as "my cracksauce" because after one dip you'll be hooked!

Ssamjang sauce (쌈장).

Ssamjang sauce is a great vegetable dip. Don't forget the rice because I'm not kidding when I state that it's spicy! And especially if I've made it, it'll be extra hot! I love it with cubanelles (Cuban peppers) because the sweetness out of the pepper balances with the spice. They complement each other very well. Cucumbers are also super yummy with this sauce!

I also used a cast iron grill pan to char my chicken — to add that smoky flavor. Together as a whole, with the crispiness of the radish and all the other textures, these lettuce wraps will be a huge hit in anyone's kitchen! Why not give these a try these weekend? And if snow is 'allowed' where you live (ha!), stay safe and warm. We hope you have a cozy next few days. These will surely give a little spice into your life. ♥

Love & xx's,

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

10 Years in New York City - Part 2

Friday's post was about the lessons I've learned from living in New York City from the past decade. Today I'm sharing with you what I did on my 10-year anniversary! First, I wanted to walk the Brooklyn Bridge with my favorite boys and take in the scenic view of my city (and to take some photos of course). It was pretty cold that day but I always find find this bridge especially to be so awe-inspiring. Talk about a landmark! Plus MaQ has never visited the Brooklyn Bridge before! I knew now was a good time as any, and it was such a treat for everyone. I really enjoy sharing as many experiences as I can with MaQ in the city of New York, he is after all a NYC dog!

MaQ & the Brooklyn Bridge. Doesn't he look majestic AF? :)

Brooklyn Bridge, you beaut. <3

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York, January 2016.

It's only about a 40 minute walk from the Brooklyn bridge to our apartment in the East Village so we walked our way back up. That's what makes commuting with a large German Shepherd rather difficult. He can't just take the subway or hop a ride on a bus. Same situation with restaurants (unless there's outdoor seating available if the weather permi). But walking through the streets of New York is also one of my favorite things to do with my furry man. I just love watching the world go by and he loves greeting them. On our walk up we made a couple pit stops to check out some graffiti and street art, something I've been documenting though the years with MaQ. As you can see in the photo below with Danielle Mastrion's incredible portrait, he is a natural born model. I also really love the first photo of this post because some of things I cherish most in life are apparent in it. Art, love, life, even rock music. New York, you are just supremely awesome. I can't believe how lucky I am to live here every day!

My husband surprised me for lunch at Cipriani Downtown. It's one of my favorite restaurants in New York. It's a more casual version of Harry Cipriani, and Downtown offers a slightly less formal menu than its uptown predecessor. Beautifully designed, the restaurant offers outdoor dining when the weather is agreeable, serving lunch and dinner in a party-like atmosphere. Not to mention the hip artwork and gorgeous people surrounding you as you dine. We shared the tuna tartar while downing their well-known Bellinis, a famous staple of Cip's. They're are the absolute best. For our main course, I had their scampi asparagus risotto and the hubby went for some delicious gnocchi. Like I've mentioned before, I'm a foodie and unfortunately foodie addicts like myself will sometimes forget to take photos of all our food that's to be enjoyed. Oops. :X All I have to tell you is it was damn good.

Cipriani Downtown, New York City.

Cheers to the best Bellinis in the world!

Cipriani's Tuna Tartar. One word. Amazing.

I chose where to have dinner. On my very first night in New York, ten years ago, I went out partying like a mad woman until the wee hours of the morning before finally stopping at a 24-hr open Korean restaurant in K-Town. It was a blast. But fast forward ten years later, I wanted Korean again, but I wanted something a bit more upscale. We're talking a big celebration, y'all! I wanted the ultimate dining experience with a fantastic view. Enter: Gaonnuri. A penthouse-level joint (39th floor) in K-Town, this stylish Korean eatery offers panoramic views & tabletop BBQ. The meat was top quality; the service, impeccable. And the views were out of this world. I really want to try their Black Forest Cake on Fire dessert, but I was far too stuffed my first time around. A true gem I discovered in the heart of Koreatown and because of my sweet tooth (and hungry fatty-status), I will definitely be coming back soon! Very soon. :) 

Empire State Building lit up in red and green.

Now, THIS is Korean BBQ. :)

Spectacular views from K-Town!

With all these celebrations I'm left feeling remindful of what's important. Sure I have a tendency to get caught up in my work, but that shouldn't be a reason not to enjoy the little things. For example, I haven't been to a New York museum in a few years (YIKES), I itch a blog post coming up on this very soon... stay tuned! Thanks for stopping by and we wish you a great start to your week! :)

Love & xx's

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,