Kimchi Gazpacho

The long weekend is almost here! Hallelujah! What are your plans for Memorial Day? Going out of town? Vacay trip? Staycation? With the weather now warming up, especially here in New York, where the past couple of days have risen up to the near 90's, I created a new recipe suited for the start to summer! Now that it's getting hotter and the fact that I love soup, I did my own twist on one of my favorite summer soups, gazpacho.

One of my favorite strolls through the city is at the Union Square Green Market. They have everything from jams & honey to fresh farmer's fruit & vegetables, to even flowers, cheese, bread and wine. The works! I love going with the boys for a little quality time along with getting the best produce to cook with! And what's more awesome? They always got new herbs and veggies to work with, such as chive blossoms and red scallions, both of which I have yet to experiment with! I even saw fiddleheads!

Kimchi Gazpacho

Serves 2-3

recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Ingredients:
3 c chopped tomatoes (peeled and seeded)
1/2 c kimchi with juice (chopped)
1/2 c Kirby cucumber (peeled and chopped)
1 large garlic clove, chopped
3 tbs rice wine
salt & pepper to taste
Chive blossoms & red scallions, for garnish, optional

Directions:

In a blender, puree tomatoes, kimchi, cucumber, and garlic. Add rice wine, salt, and pepper. Taste for accurate seasonings. Chill. Pour into bowl(s), garnish, and serve immediately.

Using staple ingredients within a gazpacho such as tomatoes, Kirby cucumbers, onion, and garlic, I incorporated some Napa cabbage kimchi to give this chilled soup a bit of heat. Gazpacho is simple to make. Takes less than twenty minutes to prep and complete. Waiting for the soup to chill is the hardest part! I hate waiting to eat! Ha ha!

I've been wanting to elevate my dishes to another level and have been working on better garnishing my plates. To me, garnishes are vital when completing the look of a meal. In this case, gazpacho would look pretty bland without any decorative gems on top! So instead of using chives or green onion, I went for something completely different and totally out of my normal 'comfort' cooking zone. Never have I tried chive flowers, but now I've got a feeling I'll be sprinkling these onto everything!

LOVE & XX'S

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Full Bloom in Central Park

WEARING: AGNES & DORA AUSTEN DRESS | STEVE MADDEN LUXE BLACK OPEN TOE PUMPS | 
FOREVER 21 BLACK BELT | NEW YORK & CO. FLORAL CLUTCH PURSE 

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Well, I've had quite the 'bumpy' morning! As what seemed to be the start to a great week from our last shoot, took it's downward fall earlier today. It's been drizzling rain in New York, but despite the gloomy weather, I took MaQ out for a rollerblading session. Overly cocky, I paid little to no attention to the slippery sidewalks and roads. Only about five minutes in, I was passing through at a crosswalk only to suddenly feel, by instinct, that one, I was going too fast with the wolfie pup (watching too much of GoT, perhaps?!) and two, that my balance was slightly off when taking a small hop off a ramp. Yup. I totally and completely fell flat on my ass (well, tailbone if we want to get really technical). I'm fine, but what I'm mostly left with is a bruised ego. I was so embarrassed! But, like a typical Spiegoski, I got up and brushed myself off and kept the F&CK going. Because that's what you gotta do. And yes, those figure skating days have trained me to be mentally strong. I guess it wasn't for nothing. Nothing is, am I right?

Now, let's talk about the dress. Because it's stunning. Because it's so comfortable. Because it's wedding season and this Austen Dress from Agnes & Dora is the PERFECT summer dress!  I love adding pieces to every season that can be staples in your closet, only to trickle down from these pieces with accessories and other styles of clothing. With this dress and my petite size, I wore a thick black belt from Forever 21 to give more of a Coca-Cola bottle figure. The belt definitely brings more shape to my teeny-tiny figure. To continue elongating my silhouette, I wore 5-inch heels from Steve Madden with an open-toe. This brings more height to a shortie like me. And lastly, to add a little sparkle to the look, I carried my New York & Co. floral clutch purse I've had since I was in college! I always try to preserve/keep sentimental pieces in my collection. It makes me feel special and is a reminder of who I am and where I come from. What are some of your favorite pieces like this in your closet? 

Coming up on the blog this week: a new food/cooking recipe that I'm totally excited to share with you! I'll also be doing another cocktail recipe as well, so stay tuned! There's a lot of upcoming stories/posts in the next few months that I cannot wait to just share with you guys, but to tell them, relive them, and to experience them with you all. Until next time, enjoy the editorial video I made from this look down below! Please don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

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

The concrete jungle is in full bloom! Here is my sixth editorial video, shot in Central Park, New York City, New York. This week's video is inspired by chic, Parisian, style and springtime in New York, which to me, is the ultimate, most romantic time of the year in the city.

To shop the look, please continue below.

LOVE & XX'S

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Everyday Makeup Tutorial

Photos © Suzanne Spiegoski, 2016.

Hi, everyone! Happy Friday! I'm back with another post, weekly video included, and I'm focusing on my everyday makeup! I wanted to show you guys that I do NOT wake up looking like this and it does take a little bit of 'grooming' before I head out the door (unless it's a rollerblade sesh with MaQ).

To be honest, I was hesitant, at first, to show my face to the world without any makeup on, but the reason why I did this is to, one, step out of my comfort zone, and two, to show you a different part of my everyday lifestyle. I'm all about 'sharing the wealth' and 'tricks of the trade.' Nothing is more off-putting than a woman who isn't about this. Prime example? When you complement a woman on something she's wearing and you ask her where she got it from; her answer? 'Uh, gee, I don't really know. It was a gift.' Nice talkin' to ya. Buh-bye.

So today I'm sharing my everyday makeup look and some tips/tricks along the way! Lately, before applying any makeup on, I wash my face with coconut oil. I'll have to do a post on the wonders of coconut oil because it's not only used as a butter substitute but more especially as a beauty regiment! After thoroughly cleansing my face, I apply an ultra moisturizing cream from Kiehl's and then a primer from Hourglass.

Once that sets in after about a minute, I begin with color correcting and foundation. I know a lot of women start with eye makeup, but I do that later, especially with everyday wear. With a Beauty Blender, I apply a BB cream from the Body Shop to even out my skin tone. It's got a really great light coverage with a sheer tint to it. I don't normally use heavier liquid foundation for everyday makeup because my skin is super sensitive and a combination of oily and dry, so I try to keep the coverage to a minimum to let my skin breathe. I use a green color corrector from the Sephora Collection to cover breakouts and acne scars. I continue by buffing in the green with the Beauty Blender, only then using a more high-coverage kind of concealer from Anastasia Beverly Hills. Right now, I'm using a warmer tan-colored concealer in 1.5 because being out and about so much now that the weather's been better, my skin color is starting to change. I again put the concealer over where I put the green corrector on my face, including a little bit under my eyes. Goodbye, dark circles! I then like to use a brightener from Benefit under my eyes down to my dimples, forming a triangular shape. This continues to help with any color correcting.

The next step is contouring. I use L'Oréal Infallible Pro Contour Palette in Medium. The brush that comes with the palette is amazing and really efficient in getting all the contouring in the right place! With my bareMinerals face brush, I complete the contouring with a little bit of blush. I use a coral/peach color from Cargo in Laguna. My last two steps to finish applying face makeup is a creamier highlighter from Benefit called Watt's Up. It's the best highlighter. EVER. Lastly, to set everything in, I use a perfecting powder from New York Color with a No. 2 face brush from Hourglass.

To complete my everyday look, I fill in my brows with an eyebrow palette from the Sephora Collection. I've had it for years and it's the only brow product I use with it comes to perfecting my eyebrows. Sadly, they no longer carry it, hence the no-link. :( I also use a little bit of liquid eyeliner to open up my eyes a bit with L'Oréal's Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner in Carbon Black 591. To brighten the lower lids of my eyes, I use the Naked 2 from Urban Decay in the color 'Verve', which is a wonderful silvery-metallic tone. I never use black eyeliner around the entire eye because it makes your eyes look smaller! BIG no-no! Try using a white color base for the bottom of your eyes to give it that extra pop. For my mascara, I use the Lash Domination by bareMinerals. It's small and compact, and great for travel use. I always curl my lashes with my trusty eyelash curler from Sally Hansen. And last but not least, my lipstick from Almay. Its color is, 'teaberry', but I've had this for so many years, they no longer make it. I love the color so much because it's kind of nude but kind of peachy. It's a great color for my lips as I like to keep my everyday lipstick pretty neutral.

You can watch the full tutorial on my YouTube Channel. (Click down below to start watching!) And please feel free to leave a comment to let me know what you thought about this tutorial! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to see more weekly videos! Thanks for stopping by. We hope you have a killer weekend!

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videography, director, editing, styling, hair + makeup by Suzanne Spiegoski

Today's video is my very first makeup tutorial focusing on everyday wear. Check down below for shopping links to products. I hope you enjoy this makeup tutorial! xo.

LOVE & XX'S

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Green with Envy

Happy Monday! I'm starting the week off with a bang and getting rid of those Monday Blues, pronto! Did you see last night's episode of Game of Thrones? If not, it's cool. I'm not going to give away any spoilers but I am going to talk about one of my favorite characters on the show, however, and how she came to be the inspiration behind this drink!

When I think of dragons, and more so, the Mother of Dragons, the first color that comes to mind is green. You'd think I'd go with a red, an orange; anything fiery. Passionate. But there's something cold and earthy about Khaleesi. She is a force to be reckoned with. AND she makes mistakes, regardless of what and who she's made up of. That's real, and the color green, to me, has a tranquil feeling but at the same time, there's something powerful within the palette of green. And that she is. Tell me a woman who watches GoT that you know of who isn't a little envious of her life. She's got pet dragons, for Pete's sake!

Cocktail recipe + photos by © Suzanne Spiegoski

Green with Envy

Ingredients:

2 oz cucumber, roughly chopped
A sprig of basil
1.5 oz Korean Soju
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz Limoncello
Sprite or club soda
Extra cucumber for garnish

Directions:

In a juicer, press cucumber and basil.
Shake ingredients together (EXCEPT carbonated drinks) with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with cucumber rose and top with limoncello and Sprite/club soda.

Mostly consisted of cucumber, then basil, lemon, Korean soju and a mixture of carbonated drinks, the Green with Envy cocktail is subtly sweet and refreshingly cool. Perfect for warmer weather. Have you heard of Secret Squirrel Food? She is an amazing food blogger based in Dubai who's been trendsetting the 'avocado rose' while also playing up on different fruits and vegetables incorporating the same style of plating like with the avocado. When I made my first avocado rose, it was so beautiful, that I didn't want to eat it! So as a final touch to my cucumber garnish, I recreated a miniature version of a cucumber rose Secret Squirrel Food did on her blog. At first, I thought it'd look super cute, like a water lily pad, within the drink, but then I figured it would be too big and in the way.

Which is why it's teeny-tiny and in my opinion, a nice modest touch to the cocktail. Especially when in a martini glass, the garnish should remain sleek and sophisticated just like the glass. What's your favorite drink in a martini glass? A classic martini? Gin or vodka? Maybe a Vesper like James Bond? I'd love to hear your favorites! Leave your comments down below. Thanks for reading! As always, you can download the recipe from the click-on button. And you can also find me on Yummly and foodgawker.

LOVE & XX'S

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

I Put a Spell on You

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

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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?!

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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

LOVE & XX'S,

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