Wake & Unwind Body Scrubs

Oh my goodness! I'm so thrilled to work with SAVONBOX again! I did a full product review on their monthly luxury soap bars for December, (go here to read article) and today I'm reviewing their new line of body scrubs!

I'm always on the hunt for the next best thing in skin care, especially during the winter months where dry skin is more prominent than any other time of the year. And these body scrubs from SAVONBOX are the real deal. They are packed with vitamin e and linoleic acid - this helps repair skin damage that creates premature aging and improves tone and tightens skin. The dendritic salt is the purest salt with the finest grain to scrub away dry flaky skin, leaving you soft and perfectly primed to absorb healthy oils to nourish your body.

The grapefruit & mint Wake body scrub is perfect to the start of your day. The grapefruit essential oil's natural zing will have your skin refreshed and revived. It also helps to stimulate the mind, and is a natural antioxidant. It helps to keep skin clear and healthy, helping to fight the toxins that cause premature aging and wrinkles. The mint oil creates a gentle cooling sensation to help reduce stress. It helps to brighten and nourish dull skin, and improve the texture of dull and greasy patches. And with a touch of orange to add into the mix, you'll be smelling fantastic all day long!

The lavender & grape seed Unwind body scrub is preferably for the end of the day, especially after a long one. Lavender helps to naturally reduce anxiety, stress, and restlessness, and promotes peaceful, natural relaxation. The grape seed oil, a natural antimicrobial, helps detox and renew your skin. Suitable for reducing wrinkles, sun spots, age spots, and dry itchy skin. I highly recommend both, as one is for day and the other is for night. Check out below my before and after photos from the grapefruit & mint body scrub from this morning. I feel rejuvenated - my skin is incredibly soft to the touch and ready for the weekend!

If you want to grab a hold of these lovely body scrubs, go here or shop below.  Use my code SUZANNE216 for $2 off a body scrub. They are way too good to pass up! And your irresistibly smooth and scented skin will be thanking you for it. Naturally does a body good! 😉

Love & xx's,

SHOP THE PRODUCTS

Korean-Style Pork Belly Nachos

Well, that title was a mouthful. And deservingly so! I came across this recipe while looking for a smacking good-ass recipe for the Super Bowl on Sunday. Initially I was going to cook kalbi (galbi) but I wanted to infuse a classic American football munchie snack into something partly Korean. That's where I ran into this article on Buzzfeed and DUDE. It. Is. Splendidly. Delish! The flavors are insane! I can assure you, anyone to scarf down on these bad boys will be your new best friends as you've made their life complete. An instant touchdown! Did I mention it's in a cast-iron skillet? The Lodge cast iron is one of my favorite pans to cook in.

Korean-Style Pork Belly Nachos

Serves 4-6

Korean-Style Pork Belly Nachos

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of pork belly, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. red pepper powder
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• ⅓ cup + ¼ cup kimchi juice
• Tortilla chips
• Cheddar
• Monterey Jack
• Chopped kimchee
• Red onions
• Tomatoes
• Scallions
• ⅓ cup sour cream

Directions:

Combine pork belly slices with garlic, soy sauce, red pepper powder, honey, and ⅓ cup kimchi juice. Mix until the pork belly is coated in red. Pan-fry pork belly until fat has rendered and crispy.

Assemble your nachos. In a skillet, lay down a layer of tortilla chips, sprinkle on the cheeses, add chopped kimchi, toss on the cooked pork belly, top with some chopped red onions. Repeat.

Melt the cheeses under the broiler until crispy and bubbly. Mix together the sour cream and remaining ¼ cup kimchi juice and drizzle on top of the nachos.

K-Style pork belly nachos: Get. In. My. Belly. STAT!

These are the prettiest nachos I've ever made!

If you're a fan of pork belly like myself, make sure to get the meat nice and crispy. There's nothing sadder than soggy pork belly! The trick is not to cook the entire pound of meat all at once. Divide the meat into smaller portions when cooking it, that way giving the marinade and pork belly enough room to be cooked properly. I cooked mine just a knob above medium heat, because I like it really crispy. :)

And that sour cream kimchi sauce is OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD. I swear I could put this sauce on anything and it'd taste superb! That's like a fried foodie junkie saying, "I love anything fried. You could fry carpet and I'd eat it." Ha ha ha! But seriously, the combination of the dairy with the tangy juice from the kimchi is excellent and just the perfect complement to this dish. Are you ready for some football?!

What's everyone making this Sunday? Are you a football lover? I'm not really into the game itself, but I adore the ads/commercials and the live performances during halftime. I'm actually really excited to see Coldplay play as this will be their first appearance at a Super Bowl. Plus, Beyonce and Bruno Mars will also be performing, so I've got a pretty good feeling that this halftime show will be awesome! Who are you excited to see perform?

I'm such a girl that I didn't even know who was playing in the Super Bowl until just now when I looked it up! :X In which case, whichever team you are rooting for, whether it's the Panthers or Broncos, have fun, be safe and let the good times roll! Hope y'all have a very nice and cozy weekend. 🏈❤️🏈❤️🏈

Love & xx's,

Daktoritang (Korean Spicy Chicken Stew)

During the winter season, I love a warm, hearty bowl of comfort food. My girlfriend has been asking for my recipe of daktoritang, a Korean spicy chicken stew and ever since we chatted about it, I've been craving for it like mad! It's a quick and easy recipe, one of those 'throw it all in a pot' and 'sit back and relax' type of meals. Takes only about an hour total to make! Such a yummy dinner for any night of the week.

Perfect for any chicken lover, you can adjust the spiciness according to your taste.

Daktoritang 닭도리탕 (Korean Spicy Chicken Stew)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

A hearty Korean chicken stew with rice.

Sushi rice

2 ½ pounds chicken thighs

2 large potatoes, cut into large chunks

2 carrots, chopped into ½ inch pieces

1 large onion, cut into 8 chunks

4 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup water

½ cup soy sauce

 2 tbsp white sugar

3-4 generous tbsp gochujang/Korean hot pepper paste

(adjust based on how spicy you want it!)

Directions

1.       Mix chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic in a large pot over medium heat

2.       Pour in water and soy sauce

3.       Mix in sugar and pepper paste and bring to a boil

4.       Reduce to low and simmer covered, for 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

5.       Serve with sushi rice.

Close-up of daktoritang, a Korean Spicy Chicken Stew I made for tonight. Delicious!

Cooked in gochujang (a Korean fermented red chili paste) along with vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions, it's a real hit for spicy lovers but what I love about this dish is the ability to be able to alter the hotness of the sauce. Growing up I remember seeing four different pots over the stove, straight up from Goldilocks, when my mother made this. One was extra spicy, one was regularly spiced, the third was mildly spiced, and the littlest pot was for, well, you know how the rest of this goes...

Anyone hungry? Winner-winner, chicken dinner! Don't forget to download the recipe above!

I love it spicy so I usually put in 4 heaping spoonfuls of gochujang in, however, if you would like it on the milder side, I'd recommend a generous 2 tablespoons for it. As for the chicken, you can use any part of the meat, just as long as it's close to 2.5 pounds. I really like chicken thighs, so I used boneless ones for this recipe.

Chicken stew, where are you? You're about to get in my belly, that's where! ;)

You can get gochujang at any Asian market. They're also available online at Amazon and other similar places. If you have more questions about this stew, please comment below. I am always happy to hear and answer questions from my readers. You guys rock! TGIF and hope everyone has a nice weekend! Have a good one. :)

Daktoritang 닭도리탕 (Korean Spicy Chicken Stew) Photos © Suzanne Spiegoski

Love & xx's

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,

Dreamy Visions of Couture

TGIF! Last night I had the pleasure of attending the opening reception of Cathleen Naundorf's exhibition here in New York at the Edwynn Houk Gallery. And wowzers! What an absolutely delightful evening filled with exquisite designer haute couture in fashion photography! Let me tell you more about the artist!

Opening reception with Cathleen Naundorf's photographs at Edwynn Houk Gallery.

Born in the small German town, Weisenfels, in 1968, Cathleen Naundorf began working as a photojournalist in the early 90's and photographed various groups around the world including the Yanomami in Amazonia, the Mongols and Kazakhstanis in the Altai Mountains, and the shamans in Yakutia, Sibiria. Her friendship with photographer Horst P. Horst, quickly grew her to be inspired by fashion photography.

"L'armore, 1", Valentino haute couture 1992 au château de Wideville © Cathleen Naundorf

In 1997 she began photographing backstage at Paris fashion shows for Condé Nast, and in 2000 she began working with her trademark polaroid and large format cameras. Her Polaroid photography resonates with magical, enchanting dream-like fantasies, and Naundorf's distinctive technique is not only inspired by her mentor Horst, but the images are so atmospheric, they present a surrealist world rich with intrigue that suggest a romantic aesthetic of a forgotten age. Paired with instant film's hazy saturation and the actual amount of time and effort that goes into making a couture garment, makes her images extremely fitting and quite unique.

Cathleen Naundorf, Valentino en Rose, Valentino – Haute Couture Winter 2007 - N°59, 2007, Gelatin silver print, 24 x 20 inches (60 x 50 cm)

Photographing the intricate haute-couture designs of fashion houses such as Dior, Elie Saab, Philip Treacy, and Valentino, clearly and continually reference an esteem for the antique and handmade. Plus the ethereal effect from the way Naundorf manipulates the inherent textures and color variations enhance everything in her prints. Just pure elegance, style and quality.

Cathleen Naundorf, An Ordinary Day, Valentino - Haute Couture Summer 2008 - N°20, 2008, Chromogenic print from original polaroid, 24 x 20 inches (60 x 50 cm)

From 2005 to 2011, she did the epic series Un rêve de mode for which the artist gained unprecedented access in the previously mentioned fashion houses. In 2012 Prestel published the series in the limited edition monograph, Haute Couture: The Polaroids of Cathleen Naundorf.

L to R: Gilles Decamps, Suzanne Spiegoski, Cathleen Naundorf, & M. Brendon MacInnis from in the Art world.

In the past five years, Naundorf has worked privately with Mr. Valentino Garavani on several projects including An Italian Story and the photo-documentation of Mr. Garavani’s collaboration with the New York City Ballet. Her work is consistently featured on the pages of Harper’s Bazaar and Condé Nast publications. She currently lives and works in London and Paris.

With the amazingly talented fashion photographer, Cathleen Naundorf at Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York City, NY.

Here are a few of my faves from the exhibition. Selected photographs by Cathleen Naundorf from the Haute Couture series will be exhibited at the Edwynn Houk Gallery from January 14th to February 27th, 2016.

L’arche de Noé XVIII, Dior haute couture summer 2012, 2012 © Cathleen Naundorf

Les liaisons dangereuses - The wedding meal, Dior Joaillerie, 2010 © Cathleen Naundorf

L'arche de Noé VIII, Dior/Philip Treacy, haute couture summer 2012, 2012 © Cathleen Naundorf

Love & xx's,