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Category Archives: appetizer

Home Sweet Home & Tomato Salad with Basil Vin

13 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by Nicole Small in appetizer, brunch, dairy free, gluten free, healthy recipe, salad, salad dressing, summer, travel, vegetarian/vegan

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

appetizer, dairy free, europe, gluten free, healthy recipe, recipe, summer, travel, vegan, vegetarian

A little story about traveling the world + a recipe for a refreshing Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette.

Hi Hello! Wow, it has been a while, hasn’t it?! I took a break from blogging because I’ve been very busy this year! After leaving Israel I came home for a week to visit with family and friends before packing up again and traveling across some of Europe, an adventure that changed how I view life. Now I’m home and employed and super happy to be back in my kitchen. While I was traveling I experienced new foods and cultures and a crazy new way of life, and I’m excited to share a little bit about that chapter with you (and a recipe, of course!).

Fresh Summer Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

I initially went to Europe as an au pair. I arrived in Rome on an unseasonably warm and sunny day for February in Italy. 1/4 of my host family met me at the airport; a man named Mario. I was full of excitement and nerves, but I was mainly really happy to finally be in Italy. I had dreamt of visiting Italy my whole life; my parents and I lived there when I was a baby so I grew up hearing stories of small towns and gelato and pizza.

I was instantly mesmerized by the land; Italy is unlike any place I’ve ever been. The endless green and stark white of snow capped mountains with a wildly blue sky will forever be stamped into my memories.

Tsiporah Blog in Italy

A Scenic View in Italy

The events that followed both broke me and strengthened me, and they led to my greatest adventure so far: two months of solo travel through Europe. The au pair job didn’t work out. I’d love to say that the host family and I simply weren’t a match, but it was more than that. It’s quite a long story but more important is what followed, a magically transformative and healing time in my life.

With an enormous amount of support and love from friends and family near and far, I held my head high, booked a train ticket and packed my bags. In a span of two months I traveled through 20 cities in 8 different countries, an opportunity that may never have come my way had things worked out with the au pair family.

A lot of people along my path made me feel better about my circumstances. One man in Cinque Terre said it best; he was traveling with a companion from home who went to the same university as my sister, which sparked a two-hour long afternoon conversation overlooking the ocean, enjoying locally made white wine. He said to me “sometimes bad things happen in order to lead us to the good things in life,” and he was right.

Tsiporah Blog Travels to Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre: I came here to heal

I met dozens of people along the way who helped me and taught me, I saw sights and sat on beaches and experienced new cultures and different people. I struggled and grew and laughed and cried. And I experienced some of the best food of my life.

I’m happy to be back in the kitchen and I’m really looking forward to using some of my food knowledge and inspirations that came from my time abroad. I’ve gained a new appreciation of my home and its local offerings, though I’ll always dream of the colorful outdoor markets across Europe and in Israel. Even though summer temperatures in Phoenix average 100+, our farmers markets are still lively in the early morning, and they’re a welcome reminder of the markets from my travels. Eating abroad made me really respect eating locally, which I intend to carry on into my new life at home.

Mercato Centrale - Florence, Italy

Mercato Centrale – Florence, Italy

A good family friend gave me these tomatoes. They are gorgeous little gems bursting with sweetness and they were locally grown here in Arizona. All tomatoes should taste like this: so full of flavor and goodness, like summer dancing along your taste buds. I knew instantly what I wanted to make with them; a fresh and light tomato salad that I can’t get enough of, dressed with a simple basil vinaigrette that’s easy to whip up in a blender. I used three types of basil in my recipe so that I didn’t pick too many from any one plant in my garden, but you can use any type/combination of basil that you like.

Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Garden Fresh Basil + a recipe for Tomato Salad with Basil Vin | via Tsiporah Blog

Ingredients

1/2 lb local heirloom tomatoes
1 large handful of fresh basil
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Scant 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane or very finely chopped
1 tsp salt, or to taste
Fresh pepper, to taste

Directions

Cut your beautiful heirloom tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to your blender and blend on high until the basil pieces are as small as they’ll get (or until they’re completely blended into the dressing, my blender is just not that cool). Taste the basil vinaigrette for salt and pepper, and adjust to your preferences if you think it needs more/less acidity.

Lightly toss the tomatoes with the dressing. Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!

This dressing keeps in the refrigerator for a week and is also great as a salad dressing. I imagine it would be delicious as a chicken marinade as well.

Tomato Salad + Basil Vin | via Tsiporah Blog

Happy summer everyone, I’m so happy to be back in the blogging world. If you want to read more about my travels and see some photos I took, head on over to my travel blog here: Nicoblossom Travels. If you want to connect with me in other ways, check out the links below…

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Krua Thai – Restaurant Review

20 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by Nicole Small in appetizer, asian, gluten free, restaurant review

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

food, food blog, Phoenix, restaurant review

krua thai phoenix review

I’ve had a lot of Thai food, but Krua Thai is the restaurant that my family and I keep coming back to. The owners here are so sweet and the food is just divine. My Mom is in love with their Yellow Curry and I adore their Thai Sweet Basil. I always start out with their sweet Thai Iced Tea with just a splash of cream. If you go to Krua Thai for their lunch special you’ll get to enjoy fresh spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce as well as their daily soup. I would come to Krua Thai JUST for the soup!

Krua Thai Restaurant Review via Tsiporah Blog

Their soup is made daily and it is always a bit different, sometimes it has tofu, sometimes, rice noodles, but the broth is always refreshing and peppery. If you’re craving something sweet, Krua Thai’s coconut ice cream is amazing!

Krua Thai Restaurant Review via Tsiporah Blog

Thai Iced Tea, Spring Rolls & Yellow Curry with chicken

Krua Thai also has some great appetizers, including a Crispy Tofu which is served with a sweet and sour garlic sauce. Their Yellow Curry is the best I’ve ever had, a perfect balance of sweet, spicy and savory, jeweled with carrots, onions, as well as potatoes that melt in your mouth. The Thai Sweet Basil is equally overwhelming in flavor; it has green beans, bell peppers and onions in a sweet and spicy sauce with delicate thai basil leaves throughout. The Thai basil perfumes the dish with an enticing aroma. We also love their Thai iced tea.

Krua Thai was on the Phoenix Best of the Valley for 2012 best Thai food, and we definitely agree!

Krua thai phoenix lunch special

Krua Thai lunch special – Thai Basil with Chicken and a spring roll with sweet and sour sauce

Krua Thai Restaurant Information

Website: http://kruathaicuisine.com
Hours: M-F Lunch 11am-3pm, Dinner 5-9pm. Saturday Noon-9pm. Sunday Closed.
Location: 1601 E Bell Rd # A11, Phoenix, AZ 85022
Phone: (602) 971-4988
Pricing: Lunch Special $7-9, Dinner $9-14

Restaurant Review Phoenix

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Apple, Brie and Fig Crostini

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by Nicole Small in appetizer, Holidays, recipe, Thanksgiving

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

appetizer, appetizer recipe, apple, autumn, brie, cheese, fall, fig, food, food blog, food blogger, holiday, holidays, recipe, recipe blog, thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipe

My favorite time of the year is Autumn, with the promise of brisk mornings, crackling fires, and dinner parties. It means Thanksgiving is growing near, my favorite holiday spent among loved ones from near and far. I adore having the whole family together in the kitchen, sharing, laughing, cooking. I am so grateful that this year most of my Dad’s family can travel to Arizona to celebrate the holiday with us.

My family typically enjoys many of the same Thanksgiving dishes every year, but we often like to shake it up a bit- especially with the appetizers. Sunset Magazine is our favorite source of inspiration, but we often draw insight from other origins as well, including restaurants and favorite dishes.

Easy Thanksgiving Appetizer

One of my most favorite appetizers is the crostini. Similar to bruschetta in style, a crostini can don any topping, and the possibilities are endless. One of my favorite places in Phoenix has the best bruschetta with a myriad of toppings to choose from, and the most inspiring to me is their brie with apples and fig preserves. My family also adores it, so I decided to bring it home, into our kitchen, to share with our out of town guests.

The idea behind this sweet and satisfying appetizer is simple, but the flavors are huge. It can be made for a festive dinner appetizer or as a weekday snack; either way it is equally special and delicious. These disappear very quickly in our home, especially with family and friends hanging around on the holidays. I hope that you and your loved ones enjoy just as much as we do!

Apple, Brie and Fig Crostini

Makes 18-25 Crostinis, Depending on length of baguette

Ingredients

1 baguette
2 Granny smith apples
1/2 a small round of soft brie (we like Alouette Baby Brie)
Fig Preserves
Olive oil
Fresh black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch slices, brush with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven, turning once, until lightly golden brown. Remove toasts from the oven and let cool.

Thinly slice the apples and set aside. Slice the brie into pieces to fit each toast. When the toasts have cooled enough to handle, spread each one with fig jam, layer on a slice or two of brie, and one to two slices of apple to cover. Drizzle each one with a small amount of olive oil, and finish with freshly cracked pepper.

Apple Brie Fig Crostini

Enjoy! Expect more Autumn and Thanksgiving-inspired recipes to follow as the season and holiday approach us.

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Roasted Grapes

08 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by Nicole Small in appetizer, dessert, Holidays, roasted, Thanksgiving, vegetarian/vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

appetizer, appetizer recipe, autumn, baked, dairy free, dessert, dessert recipe, fall, food, food blog, food blogger, fruit, gluten free, grapes, holiday, holidays, recipe, recipe blog, recipe blogger, roasted, thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipe, vegan, vegetarian

Grapes have to be one of my favorite fruits. We buy huge bags of grapes at my house, and it is always a shame if they go to waste. Instead of letting that happen, I made this simple recipe based on one that I saw in Sunset magazine. I have seen a few recipes for roasted grapes but always thought it sounded kind of weird. Hot grapes? With cheese? Yes! You must try it. They could not be easier or more delicious, I have to admit that I seriously underestimated this idea for way too long!

Roasted Grapes Recipe

Roasted Grapes Recipe via Tsiporah Blog

These are best served with a baguette because the juices are to die for. Sop up some juices, spread a little soft cheese like brie or goat cheese, and top with these succulent roasted grapes. We were all fawning over these delicious little morsels last night, I can’t wait to make them again!

Roasted Grapes

Ingredients

1 to 2 cups of red or black grapes, stems removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried or fresh rosemary
Salt & Fresh Pepper

To serve:

Soft cheese, like brie or goat cheese
Toasted baguette slices

Roasted Grapes Recipe

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle some olive oil on the grapes with the rosemary and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Be sure that the grapes are evenly coated. Place grapes in a baking dish or on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, toss the grapes, and roast for 8 more minutes. Enjoy with soft cheese and toasty baguette slices. Enjoy!

Roasted Grapes Recipe for Thanksgiving or Holiday Appetizers

Just a note- we made a small amount because we were skeptical. Next time I’m going to double or triple this recipe! You can also add some balsamic vinegar, like Sunset’s recipe calls for. I’m thinking easy Thanksgiving appetizer, what do you think?!

What is the most unlikely yet delicious treat that you have stumbled upon? Let me know in the comments…

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