photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski — photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Mei Lin Interview — More Than a Chef

June 22, 2016

When you think of Detroit, I’m sure one (or all) of these come to mind; Blue-collar, 8 Mile, Henry Ford & GM. Motown oldies. Eminem. Maybe Kid Rock? But how about a female Chinese chef? What most don’t know about the city I grew up in is its deep cultural melting pot and the results from that kind of diversity. And Mei Lin is certainly a by-product from this environment.

Even though growing up in Detroit city’s prominent multicultural population, the Asian community is scarce. As a young girl, I did get bullied and picked on, but I never let it have an affect on me. Neither did Mei. The most difficult part was relating to the other kids, especially during the stages of adolescence. Just think about the difference in each other’s lunch-boxes, let alone a new and unfamiliar culture. And then coming from very typical standard Asian traditions, our parents strongly urged us to go to school to become a successful doctor or lawyer, where the idea of social conformity was the last thing we wanted to do. The Motor City gives you an edge, a sort of inner intensity that’s been mentally building up through the years. Survival of the fittest, if you will. You’ll definitely develop a backbone. The 313 made us want to get out and see the rest of the world.

The winner of “Top Chef” Season 12, Mei grew working alongside her family-owned-and-operated restaurant (Kong Kow) outside of Detroit. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t want to become a chef until later, while in college. Initially going into pre-nursing, that pursuit came to a screeching halt when she saw the sight of actual human blood. Afterward, she enrolled in the culinary arts program at Schoolcraft College. Since then she has worked for some of the most respected chefs in the industry. Michael Symon (Roast), Marcus Samuelsson (C-House) and Eric Klein (Spago) are just to name a few. After spending time in Chicago and Las Vegas, she relocated to West Hollywood and joined Michael Voltaggio's opening team at ink. in Los Angeles, where she climbed the ranks to become his sous chef in three years. Ambitious, to say at the very least.

What rose her to stardom was her victory on “Top Chef”. And what’s even better? She had no intentions of even going on the show. If it weren’t for her friends, she may have never done it. And the best part of the whole experience was not just the knowledge gained and lessons learned - it was all about the camaraderie amongst the other contestants on the show. While watching her during the entire season, the competition was fierce but what was even more palpable was their mutual respect and trust towards one another. Mei has several tattoos, even a little piggy to commemorate their win during the restaurant episode, where she and a few other chefs created Four Pigs. Her most recent addition is a vibrant strawberry on her back arm, also in celebration to her final dish on the show, which in my opinion, sealed her fate.

Through the twenty-some odd years I’ve known Mei, she has continued to be such an inspiration. She is subtle, resilient and a force to be reckoned with. The ultimate badass. Her background is clear in her dishes, and her personality never fails to shine through in her flavors and plating. One of the finest artists in the kitchen, in my eyes, it never was an easy ride for the now-acclaimed chef. You should see all her ‘battle’ scars! During her downtime, when she’s not gallivanting around the world cooking and creating incredible dishes and meals, you can find her at a local L.A eatery or in the comfort of her own home, with a bowl of hot ramen or her favorite go-to comfort food, Hunan chicken. Unless she wants to amp up the wow-factor, she’ll slow cook you one of the best prime rib of your life. That is, if you can wait for nearly six hours.

For more info on Mei, go to her website.

Photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

LOVE & XX'S,

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Tuna Poke Bowl with Avocado Rose

June 18, 2016

I had my first real scare with MaQ. Since Thursday, my baby had not been feeling very well. He's been lethargic with little-to-no appetite. After consistent vomiting from yesterday morning up until the afternoon, his bile had gone from yellow to a rust-like color. I immediately freaked out -thinking it was possibly blood. But I stayed calm for MaQ, because panicking in front of him wasn't going to do any good. I called the vet and was able to get him in within the hour. They ran blood work, with thorough checks for everything, and even gave him some anti-vomit shots (which were NOT FUN. Poor baby was wailing in the room with the doctors - the shots are ginormous and fucking stung like a bitch... even gave him man boobs/injections were on the side of his shoulders.) It completely broke my heart to hear him in pain, even if only temporarily. Let's just say that I did not sleep well at all last night.

However, the results from the blood work came back this morning and he's as healthy as can be! Looks like he caught a stomach bug or maybe ate something that didn't agree with him. But I'm 100% careful with what he consumes and he's not the type of dog to go off scavenging for scraps through the streets of New York (GROSS). So I'm still not exactly sure what caused him to be sick. Regardless, I am just so thankful my baby is okay. It's the very first time in almost 4-years of being together, he's gotten quite sick. I'd never seen him not act like himself, and quite frankly, this incident had me reeling! Always follow your instincts, it's better to be safe than sorry, and with all the craziness of the world, it's been an eventful couple of days. (So, apologies for being MIA and not being as active on social media.) I am in need of recuperating with MaQ.

DOWNLOAD RECIPE

Tuna Poke Bowl with Avocado Rose

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

Serves 1 Salad

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ponzu sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 ounces sushi grade tuna, diced in large chunks
½ mango, diced in large chunks or made into mango balls
½ cup store-bought seaweed salad
2 cups loosely packed spring lettuce mix
1 avocado, sliced & rolled into a rose
A sprinkle of black sesame seeds

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk the vegetable oil, ponzu sauce and sesame oil until well blended.
Add the tuna, mango and seaweed salad to a bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon or so of the dressing. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and stir to coat.
In a different bowl, coat the spring lettuce mix with the rest of the dressing. Top with the tuna mixture. Create an avocado rose and place in center. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

I made a vibrant dish to cheer us up from the scare. There's nothing like a home-cooked meal or a bowl of delicious fresh ingredients to make you feel better. One of my favorite things to eat during the summer is poke bowls. I love a meal where you can variate between common ingredients and elevate it to something more sophisticated. That's what I've been loving from Secret Squirrel Food, an awesome Dubai food blogger who began the 'avocado rose' trend. Karen has created roses with numerous types of fruits and vegetables, from cucumber, tomatoes, to blueberries and even kiwi, she is innovative and promotes healthy-eating along the way. I love her positive vibe and her authenticity. You should check out her videos, great stuff!

So I placed an avocado rose as a part of the plating for this dish. I even made mango balls, from a melon ball scooper to give it a more aesthetic appeal, even putting one in the very center of the rose, to contrast with the green, yellow, and even purple from the bowl. What do you guys think? Doesn't it look so cute and pretty? I had a hard time devouring it because of it's beautiful appearance! But trust me, it was absolutely awesome. A great, light, healthy summer dish to have on repeat to your diet.

LOVE & XX'S,

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Leek, Mushroom and Gruyère Quiche

June 5, 2016

It's a rainy Sunday in New York City this morning and there's nothing better than brunching it up at home from time to time. I love, love, LOVE, to cook, especially when it has anything to do with eggs and/or breakfast/brunch. Over the past couple of years, I've made more of an effort to healthier eating and honing in on my cooking skills. One of my all-time favorite go-to brunch meals is quiche. What I love about quiche is not just the delicious combination of flaky crust with creamy, cheesy eggs, but the fact that it can be eaten during any meal, even dinner! Quiche is the perfect addition to any meal, whether morning, afternoon, or at night, it can be enjoyed whenever! It's also a great and quick leftover meal. Always a plus in my hungry book. ;)

DOWNLOAD RECIPE

Leek, Mushroom and Gruyère Quiche

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

9” prepared pie crust

for the filling
2 small leeks, trimmed, washed, and thoroughly cleaned
2 cups sliced mushrooms, brushed clean with stems removed
2 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup whole milk
1 cup Gruyère, grated
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay out the pie crust in a 9” pie plate and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Adjust oven's temperature to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and sauté for 7 minutes, or until the leeks are slightly translucent and have browned on the edges. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have released some of their juices.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs, sour cream, and milk in a medium bowl. Add the sauteed vegetables (minus any released water), and stir. Add the Gruyère and stir. Place the quiche shell onto a rimmed baking sheet, gently pour the egg mixture into the shell. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or just until the quiche has set up in the center.

Cool for 15 minutes, slice, and serve.

What's also great about quiche is it can be made through all seasons. During the colder parts of the year, I love creating more hearty quiches. However, my favorite time of the year to make quiche is through the spring and summer seasons. I love accompanying quiche with a light mesclun salad, with tomatoes, red scallion, and balsamic vinaigrette. Did you know that these types of mesclun salads were originated in Provence, France? My love for leafy, greeny salads is derived from working at a coffee shop while in college, where they made the most delicious sandwiches paired with mesclun salads. What I loved most in their salads were their pickled red onion and mushrooms. Total, mind-blowing deliciousness.

The quiche I made consists of button mushrooms, leeks, and Gruyère cheese. I normally make a spinach and mushroom quiche with feta cheese, but I wanted something a little more in tune with the spring/quickly-approaching into summer - season. Plus, who doesn't like Gruyère cheese?! It tastes a lot like Swiss cheese but stronger. It really complemented well with the leek and mushroom combo. And I always like to mix in tomato with egg. These together is heaven in my mouth! What's your favorite pairing with eggs? Avocado? Salsa? Just good ole' cheese? Lastly, I usually make my own crust, but it's Sunday, it's raining cats & dogs, and I'm feeling slightly too cozy to have rolled out some dough this morning. Ha ha! But the store bought kind, is always a good substitute, should you be feeling like I am. #LazySunday Enjoy!

LOVE & XX'S,

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When Bloggers Do Dumbo

June 3, 2016

WEARING: MOTO RIPPED MOM SHORTS | BASIC MEDALLION BANDANA | 
ARTIFACT NECKLACE | EXPRESS DENIM VEST | ALDO BUGIANO STUDDED ANKLE BOOTIES | 
RAY-BAN CLUBMASTERS | SEPCOEUR PARIS SUEDE DRAWSTRING BAG

Happy Friday! Last weekend, I met up with two other New York bloggers, Nataliya from Style Tomes & Andrea from Pretty Proper Quaint, to venture a day in Brooklyn. I love to meet like-minded bloggers from the city and do photo shoots. It's a great way to interact and engage with fellow bloggers. And, I'm all about learning and growing, which nevertheless will take place when getting to know others in your field and spending the day with them. Can you believe that I've never visited the Brooklyn Bridge Park since living here for over a decade?! It just goes to show that New York City is filled with endless amounts of adventure and fun.

We stopped at Jane's Carousel for a youthful outing. For $2, you can feel l like a kid again. Besides, you're never too old to go for a spin! And it's a great location for a photo shoot. Whether it's for your kids or a casual photo-op, I find this place to be whimsical and full of laughter and smiles. My kind of energy! We also visited Brooklyn-based artist Deborah Kass's Yo/Oy sculpture, which is a wonderful addition to New York's public art. I love to see anything that has to do with art, especially street art and graffiti. On the way back to the city, I suggest we take the East River Ferry, as this is also something I've never done! What's great about this form of transportation is you hop from Brooklyn, to Queens, to Manhattan, and even Governor's Island when in season. And bonus... you can take your dog with you! Can't wait to do it again with MaQ next time!

Coming up on the blog this week, a fusion recipe of a popular summer cocktail from the tropics (getting excited for me and my hubby's 10-yr dating anniversary trip!!!), a newfound love for a skincare product (with a giveaway so keep an eye out!), and a favorite quiche recipe, perfect for the weekend brunch! Stay tuned! :)

LOVE & XX'S

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I Put a Spell on You

May 12, 2016

WEARING: CALVIN KLEIN MODERN COTTON LOGO BRALETTE & BIKINI |
NORDSTROM RACK TRIM FIT COTTON DRESS SHIRT

Hey, everyone! Happy Friday Eve (Thank goodness, if you've had anything like the week I've had!) With New York City's weather this past week being extremely uncooperative, I wasn't able to shoot outdoors in the rain. So, instead, we shot indoors and did a very different take on our weekly editorial videos! Yay! I wanted to do something with much more mood, a little bit of film noir, but a little bit of glamour/boudoir. And the result? A bedroom shoot, with what I normally wear on a casual Sunday at home.

Since I'm a lover of film & movies, I've been wanting to expand the tone and feeling of our videos. Just to give a better all-around theme and to make them cohesive. I like to think of this video this week as a rainy day kind of concept shoot, incorporating sexuality and desire. But not in an over-the-top sensual way. Let me know what you guys think! I love, love, LOVE hearing from our readers, still need to catch up on replying to each and every one of you! (Don't think I've forgotten about ya!)

When it came to adding music to the shoot, I had trouble picking out a song this time! In case you didn't already know, I do ALL of the edits for every shoot, video and photos included. Anyway, I went with Nina Simone's, "I Put a Spell on You" because it's romantic yet quite emotional. How can you not love, Nina Simone, anyhow?!

photos + videography by Gilles Decamps | director, editing, styling, hair + makeup by Suzanne Spiegoski

Since it's been raining nonstop this week here in New York City (today was the first sunny day in what felt like weeks), we did a rainy day editorial series and shot indoors! I'm expanding more into moods and tones, and not just fashion. Trying to capture more feeling and sensibility.

To shop the look, please continue below.

Music:

+ARTIST: Nina Simone

+SONG: I Put a Spell on You