Sushi and Sapporo: A Perfect Match

May 31, 2017

This post is sponsored by Sapporo USA, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

SUSHI AND SAPPORO: A PERFECT MATCH

Like I need a reason to eat sushi. And can you blame me? It's fresh, healthy and truly delicious. I didn't know International Sushi Day was a thing but now that I do I can't wait! Whether you're sitting down for a one-on-one omakase (where the sushi chef selects for you), grabbing a quick bite with friends, or making a few rolls all on your own, amazing sushi demands an amazing beer to go with it. And Sapporo Premium Beer is my go-to choice. With its light body and crisp, clear palette, Sapporo Premium heightens the subtle umami tastes found in sushi. The beer's refined bitterness balances with the salt in the soy sauce and the sweetness of fresh fish, making it a match made in Heaven. So, what's my favorite kind of roll to go with the perfect beer?

Many of you asked me what is my favorite sushi roll, and my answer is and will always be, Dragon Roll. I simply love the crunchy texture of shrimp tempura inside the dragon roll. The Red Dragon Roll is a roll within a roll! It consists of a center of shrimp tempura roll & cucumber, and is topped with spicy tuna, Masago, green onions and finished off with a spicy mayo. The "red" in the name is supposed to make it sound spicy, but it's really not that spicy. A close runner-up is the Spider Roll, but it has soft-shell crab and isn't always in season.

Celebrate International Sushi Day this year with a platter from your local sushi bar, like one of my faves, spicy tuna red dragon roll, and don't forget a round of Sapporo Premium to go with it. What better pairing after a long, hot, summer day?

Follow Sapporo on Facebook for International Sushi Day content and exclusive giveaways – and feel free to share how you’re celebrating International Sushi Day with the brand!

LOVE & XX'S,

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Rosemary Peach Gin Cocktail

April 30, 2017

Sponsored Post: Message for 21+. This post is sponsored by Seagram’s, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. Play it Smart. Drink Responsibly.

DOWNLOAD RECIPE

Rosemary Peach Gin Cocktail

Cocktail recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski — Cocktail recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 Peach

4 Rosemary Sprigs

2 Tbsp Freshly-Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 20 oz. Ginger Ale

4 Tbsp. Rosemary Simple Syrup (1/2 Cup of Sugar, 1/2 Cup of Water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, add rosemary sprigs, stir, and let cool. Chill until ready to use.)

3 oz. Seagram's Extra Dry Gin

Directions:

Thinly slice half of peach. Make ice cubes with them by first adding the slice in each cube before adding water.
In a cocktail shaker, add ice, rosemary syrup, lemon juice, ginger ale and Seagram's extra dry gin. Shake well.
Pour over crushed ice evenly between two glasses.
Garnish with extra peach slices (optional) and rosemary sprigs. Serve immediately.

Happy Sunday, guys! I know I said I was going to post up a new cocktail recipe on Monday, but I was just too excited to wait until then! So here you have it, folks... a rosemary peach gin cocktail just in time for cocktail hour! It's always 5 'o clock somewhere, am I right? This recipe is so easy and delicious, let me tell you how to create this wonderful concoction! It'll be the perfect drink to unwind with for the rest of your weekend! Just peachy :)

I started with making ice cubes, but not any regular ice cubes, I put in some peach slices to bring a subtle flavor and fresh look to the drink. I've seen others use edible flowers, lavender, and other herbs when making ice cubes. And it's a great way to lightly infuse an adding taste while you drink it! The secret to the rosemary syrup is here: 1/2 Cup of Sugar, 1/2 Cup of Water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, add rosemary sprigs, stir, and let cool. Chill until ready to use.

When the rosemary syrup is ready to use, I added it into a cocktail shaker with regular ice, lemon juice, ginger ale and Seagram's Extra Dry Gin. Shake well (be careful when you open ha ha!) and pour over glasses with added peach cubes, (about 3 per drink). Garnish with peach slices (this is optional as I didn't do it as I felt it would've clutter the beautiful peach cubes) #foodphotography #problems #lol and rosemary twigs. Hope you guys enjoyed this recipe and will give it a try! It's the perfect spring/summer cocktail! Let me know what you think. Can't wait to start doing more cocktails in the future! Until next time, thanks for stopping by and I hope you all had a great weekend!

LOVE & XX'S,

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MaQ's New Fave – Nature's Recipe Grain Free Salmon Dog Food

April 11, 2017

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Nature’s Recipe®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Some of you may have read up on MaQ, my German Shepherd dog's diet a while back. For many years it's strictly been raw red meat (sometimes chicken or salmon), sushi rice, cooked green beans with a dollop of cottage cheese and olive oil. And glucosamine pills to keep those hips in check.(Whoa.) While I haven't fed him purely kibble food since he was a puppy, the vet has recommended putting a little bit of it into MaQ's meals. What is the reasoning behind this? There are just some ingredients dogs cannot get in other food categories like in dog food. Which is why lately, I've been giving my fur baby Nature's Recipe Grain Free Salmon Dog Food, a healthy & nutritious easy-to-digest dry food MaQ has become completely addicted to! Look how adoringly patient he is waiting to eat his breakfast! Awe!

It's no surprise that salmon is healthy. And while it's the number-one ingredient in Nature's Recipe grain free easy to digest salmon, sweet potato & Pumpkin recipe, it's also part of an all-star lineup including nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources to help your dog stay on the move. Sweet potatoes and pumpkin round out this mix, giving your dog a nutritious, easy-to-digest food that doesn't get in the way of all that delicious salmon. The best part? It is new at Walmart, it has no corn or wheat, no artificial flavors or preservatives, and no poultry-by-poultry meal. Which is why for many years I didn't feel confident including dry dog food into his diet. German Shepherds are prone to extremely sensitive digestive systems and I'm always a little weary giving him something new since it throws his tummy off.

But with Nature's Recipe's real chicken or fish being the #1 ingredients in their dry recipes, made with premium protein sources and fiber to help support digestion, energy and satisfy natural cravings for every stage of a dog's life, it is the perfect form of dry kibble for MaQ. And he goes absolutely nuts over the smell of the kibble alone! You should have seen his face when I first introduced the bag, I thought his eyeballs were going to pop right out he was so excited! In today's post, I mixed the kibble in with raw salmon, (like a total grizzly bear, he is a savage when it comes to this specific fish) shredded carrots with lettuce, white rice, and olive oil. We even feed him handheld treats out of the kibble as an in-between snack! It's his grandpa's (YES, he has a grandpa!) favorite way to give him a treat. Can you tell he's lovingly spoiled?! :)

If you're a pet owner, I strongly recommend Nature's Recipe Dog (and cat) Food for your beloved babies. They have a variety of other flavors besides salmon such as chicken, lamb and more! There is also a line of wet dog food too if that's your pooches' thing! The best part, is you can find Nature's Recipe at your local Walmart. This makes the switch to kibble easy and convenient. For more info on this amazing dog food line, click here!

LOVE & XX'S,

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WALMART NATURE'S RECIPE GRAIN FREE SALMON DOG FOOD

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Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

March 20, 2017

WEARING: ELEVEN PARIS BYSCOOB T-SHIRT | VAGABOND HONEY JAKARTA DENIM PANTS | 
EXPRESS SUIT JACKET | BOTTEGA VENETA LOAFERS | JILL-E DESIGNS SMART TABLET PURSE | 
LINEA PELLE STUDDED CHOKEN | 80S PURPLE FALA ROUND FRAMED SUNGLASSES

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY LUV.IT AND VAGABOND HONEY.

Today on the blog I’m showing you how to style a simple graphic tee with a collegiate vibe! This look is perfect for this temperamental weather that won't fully click into Spring just yet! (Even though it's the first day of spring... :::eyes rolling:::) With one of my oldest suit jackets I styled the Scooby-Doo t-shirt with ripped boyfriend jeans and loafers to give a casual chic look. I'm really digging the fit and comfort of the jeans. They're from a cute California boutique called Vagabond Honey and I love the boyish tone it brings to my look. To also bring a school-ish feel to my outfit I also accessorized with my Jill-E Designs smart tablet purse bag, a pair of retro shades and this cute choker I found to be so fitting with the t-shirt.

The choker is cute and gives the look a tiny edge while keeping it cool and laidback, and with my partner in crime, MaQ, no less, this is really one of my everyday looks for Spring! A lot of you have been asking about him, and I know you are missing him in action so I HAD to bring him in for a little feature of course (more dog content coming your way in early April), and short, adorable story: If MaQ had the voice of one character, I always have believed it to be Scoobs. I think every pet owner comes across this thought and has one person in particular for the part. Ha ha ha! I know it sounds silly, but I know it's true! He sends lots of bbo boo... MaQ has learned how to kiss in Korean! ;)

I got the Scooby-Doo tee, studded choker and the sunnies (all for under $75 together) from a shopping app called Luv.it, which I’ve previously written about them in this post. The app features smaller brands that you wouldn’t normally find at department stores, such as this graphic Scooby-Doo t-shirt which is from a brand called Eleven Paris or these amazing tortoise sunglasses from 80s Purple. I love how the app has a strong mix of styles from higher-end brands to middle and lower. I love combining the different 'hierarchies' of brands if you will, so Luv.it is definitely one of my current favorite fashion shopping apps. On the hunt for some new Spring and Summer pieces? Be sure to download the app at the iTunes store and follow me @suzannespiegoski.

LOVE & XX'S,

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Korean Coq Au Vin

March 17, 2017

Happy Friday and Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Kiss me, I'm Korean (and Polish)! ;)

In light of the 'blizzard' this week here in NYC, we got lucky. Expecting over 2 feet turned over to only about a foot and the conditions were mostly icy with frigid temps! I bet a lot of you are looking forward to spring just as much as I am! With a snow day on our hands midweek (seriously everything was closed, from schools to banks... even Starbucks!), I cooked up more of a fall/winter dish that I've been dying to make. A well known French dish, I also wanted to put a twist on it and created a Korean Coq au vin.

DOWNLOAD RECIPE

Korean Coq Au Vin

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

24 to 30 pearl onions
4 chicken thighs and legs, or 1 (5 to 7-pound) stewing chicken
¼ to ½ c AP flour
2 Tbsp water
6 ounces bacon, chopped
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp butter
2 bottles red wine, preferably pinot noir or cabernet
2 Tbsp Gochujang
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, quartered
2 medium carrots, quartered
3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 245 degrees F.

Cut off the root end of each pearl onion and make an "x" with your knife in its place. Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop in the onions for 1 minute. Remove the onions. Allow them to cool, and then peel. You should be able to slide the onions right out of their skin. Set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the chicken pieces, a few at a time, into a large sealable plastic bag along with the flour. Shake to coat all of the pieces of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bag to a metal rack.

Add the 2 tablespoons of water to a large, 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat along with the bacon. Cover and cook until the water is gone, and then continue to cook until the bacon are golden brown and crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the salt pork from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, using the remaining fat, add the pearl onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté until lightly brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Next, brown the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown, working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the chicken into a 7 to 8-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

Add the mushrooms to the same 12-inch sauté pan, adding the 1-tablespoon of butter if needed, and sauté until they give up their liquid, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with approximately 1 cup of the wine. Pour this into the Dutch oven along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, gochujang, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Add all of the remaining wine.

Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Maintain a very gentle simmer and stir occasionally.

Once the chicken is done, remove it to a heatproof container, cover, and place it in the oven to keep warm. Strain the sauce in a colander and remove the carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Return the sauce to the pot, place over medium heat, and reduce by 1/3. Depending on how much liquid you actually began with, this should take 20 to 45 minutes.

Once the sauce has thickened, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon and cook for another 15 minutes or until the heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, remove from the heat, add the chicken and serve.

*Tips: If you want to do it overnight, just do everything up to putting the chicken in the oven. That part is for the next day :) The longer you marinate, the better the flavor! xo

Coq au vin is a French dish of chicken braised with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and optionally garlic. What are we talkin' bout here, optional?! I LOVE garlic so hell YES you best put those bad boys in with the rest of the ingredients! So what's the Korean twist? Kimchi? Nope. I used a spicy red pepper paste called gochujang. It's a staple paste in Korean cuisine and I thought the already-complex flavors would be killer-good in this dish. And with old school mashed potatoes? Oh YAY.

What's the secret to the most delicious mashed potatoes of your life? Butter, milk, and salt. That's it. I make sure to really boil the bejeezus out of the potatoes and make sure they're Idaho! I feel like this is the starchiest potatoes and are perfect for mashing. I know I'm sure I've mentioned it before but you guys have no idea how much I LOVE mashed potatoes. I always tell people if I were deserted on an island and only had one choice of food to live off on, it'd be just that. And I'd die a happy woman. HA HA HA! BUTTTTTTT, (enter sad face) I've discovered after experimenting for a few months, that the more dairy products I consume, the more my skin breakouts! Also, did you know that eating more dairy also dries your scalp, leading to dandruff and other skin issues? A good substitute is chicken or vegetable broth, if you want to opt out on the milk in the potatoes.

Stay tuned for a new post coming up on the blog featuring an amazing NYC-based ethical luxury handbag brand that I had the pleasure of working with! Can't wait to share with you guys our photo shoot! It snowed that day and we had lots of fun taking photos in the Financial District of Manhattan. Soon to come, have a great Friday, friends! For more recipes, check them down below. :)