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Category Archives: summer

Hotel Thrillist + Grilled Sea Bass with Jalapeno Citrus Beurre Blanc

30 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by Nicole Small in Autumn/Fall, Foodie Event, gluten free, recipe, summer

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Tags

autumn, cocktails, Culinary Event, Hotel Thrillist, Pool Party, Scottsdale, summer, Thrillist

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix was one of the highlights of my summer. Good food, tantalizing cocktails and great company made for a perfect weekend. Thrillist had everything on point, from the music and the vibe, to the entertainment (mermaids in the pool, drones potentially crashing into things, custom decor, etc.). It is actually difficult to sum it up in words because it was just that fun, but I will do my best.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix - cocktails

Hotel Thrillist

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Feast

For one night, 16 amazing local restaurants came together on the rooftop of the W Scottsdale to serve up some of their best dishes, including some special off-menu items. The W Wet Deck bars mixed Jack Fire with magic to make a sweet tea cocktail that tasted like autumn in a glass, even though the weekend made it feel like summer would never end in Arizona.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Feast - Autumn Cocktails

In my opinion the two winning restaurants were Gadzooks and Sumo Maya – not that it was a competition, but Gadzooks served a ridiculous taco. Starting with handmade half corn/half flour tortillas, they piled on tomatillo roasted chicken, sweet slaw, spicy-sweet cornbread, and drizzled creamy flavor-packed sauces on top and I just couldn’t tear myself away. But luckily I saved some room because we made it to Sumo Maya’s booth near the end of our evening, and OH man, maybe I’m just a sucker for sushi, but I couldn’t get enough. It didn’t hurt that there were flower petals on top.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Feast - Gadzooks Taco

Gadzooks Taco

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Feast - Tacos from Diego Pops

Diego Pops Tacos

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Feast - Sumo Maya

Sumo Maya

Some of my other favorites included Diego Pop’s, Tabasco’s chocolate fountain (!!!), Lolo’s Chicken and Waffles, and Snooze Eatery.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix

Hotel Thrillist Pool Party

For some reason I thought the good eats were reserved for Friday night only, but I was wrong. The chefs for the Hotel Thrillist Pool Party seriously delivered, serving up roasted pork bahn mi, boozy shaved ice, a DIY taco bar, sweet corn and crab bites – and – Grilled Sea Bass with Citrus Jalapeno Beurre Blanc (recipe below). I was completely enchanted by this grilled sea bass. The grill itself was somehow a cross between a mini smoker and a grill and I now need to figure out how to make one for myself, because this sea bass needs to be a regular thing at my house.

Hotel Thrillist - Grilled Sea Bass

I want to cook everything on that grill. It had pieces of wood sending smoke straight up into the fish like grilled heaven, but it was the sauce that completed it; creamy, vibrant, and impossibly silky. You have to taste it to believe it because words do not do it justice.

Hotel Thrillist Phoenix Pool Party - Sweet Crab Salads & Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Sweet Corn & Crab

On this day, the W Wet Deck bars mixed even better cocktails which I did not know was possible; I was so not a whiskey person but now I am? and I know I need to keep Jack Fire and Jack Honey on hand so that I can sip Autumn cocktails and (alcoholic) apple pie in a glass whenever I feel like it. These cocktails perfectly set the tone for the beginning of Fall and I’m excited to whip them up come Thanksgiving. Check out the recipes below for an easy Autumn cocktail & grilled Sea Bass. If Hotel Thrillist is featured in your city next year, you can’t miss it!

Fiery Smashed Apple Cocktail

1 ½ oz Jack Fire
1 oz sour mix
Fill with apple juice (chilled)
Build ingredients in order in a glass with no ice.

Chilean Seabass Skewers with Citrus Green Jalepeno Tabasco Beurre Blanc

Hotel Thrillist Sea Bass

1 1/4 lb Chilean Seabass (if not readily available, Salmon, Shrimp or even Scallops make a great substitute)
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 orange (Zested and Juiced)
1 lemon (Zested and Juiced)
1 lime (Zested and Juiced)
1 diced jalepeno
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2oz Green Jalepeno Tabasco
4 tbsp cold butter
Cilantro and/or micro greens, to garnish

Directions

Place milk, cream, garlic and Jalapeno together in a sauce pot and bring to a slight simmer. Remove from heat and strain. Add to the strained cream the zest and juice from the three types of citrus and return to the stove and reduce by half.

Once reduced, remove from heat and add Greem Jalapeno Tabasco and 4 tbsp butter. Whisk together untill butter is completely melted.

Cut fish into 1×1 cubes and place 4 pieces on a skewer.
Place skewers onto a hot grill and cook both sides till cooked through (about 3 minutes per side)

Generously coat skewers with Beurre Blanc sauce and top with chopped cilantro and/or micro greens.
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Heirloom Tomato Salad & Herbs de Provence Vinaigrette

02 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by Nicole Small in dairy free, easy recipe, gluten free, healthy recipe, recipe, salad, salad dressing, summer, tomato, vegetarian/vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

dairy free, food, food blog, gluten free, healthy, healthy recipe, recipe, recipe blog, summer, summer recipe, tomato, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

05-06-19

A mid-summer heirloom tomato salad with fresh fava beans, basil, and an herbs de provence vinaigrette. 

The morning air carries a thick, warm, heady breeze from the night before, and all the plants seemed refreshed. Those are my favorite mornings in the summer; post-monsoon, the air vibrates with energy, nurturing our garden and our hearts. The wind buzzes with seeds of change, and I feel it.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Herbes De Provence Vinaigrette Ingredients

Tomatoes are bursting in the farmers markets, and the smell of them is exactly what tomatoes should smell like. Earthy and vibrant, I knew these tomatoes needed just a touch of a light vinaigrette to really shine. I paired them with fresh fava beans and thinly sliced red onion for a bit of a bite and texture. I dare say, this is the perfect summer salad.

Click here to view the full recipe on my new blog, Nourishing Wild.

Herbes de Provence Summer Tomato Salad

red onions in a serving dish

Herbes de Provence

Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad

Click here to view the full recipe on my new blog, Nourishing Wild.

IMG_4956

Enjoy!

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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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Grilled Romaine Salad

15 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by Nicole Small in gluten free, grilled, salad, salad dressing, summer, vegetarian/vegan

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Tags

food, food blog, food blogger, gluten free, healthy recipe, recipe, recipe blog, recipe blogger, summer, vegetarian

One time while I was in California with my Mom and my sister we visited a nice restaurant right on the beach. My Mom ordered a grilled romaine salad, which I imediately wrote off as one of the grossest things I had heard of. But when her salad came, piled high with goodies and a creamy cilantro dressing, I was super jealous. She let me taste it and I regretted my order and wished I had gotten the salad, too. Since then, Grilled Romaine Salads have become a favorite summer dinner. They are so satisfying and flavorful in a way that normal salads just can’t match!

Wilted Romaine Salad Recipe via Tsiporah Blog

Grilled Romaine Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

1 romaine heart per person, halved
2 ears of corn
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tbsp white onion, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 oz goat cheese (or any other soft cheese that you like)
1 tbsp sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp minced jalapeno (optional)
1/2 bunch of cilantro, washed and roughly chopped
Bacon, cooked & crumbled (optional)
Olive oil, 1/4 cup for dressing plus extra for grilling
Salt & Pepper

Grilled Romaine Salad Recipe via Tsiporah Blog

Directions

Heat your grill to medium-high. Halve each romaine heart and rub with olive oil. Husk each ear of corn and rub with olive oil. Salt and pepper both the corn and the romaine. Wrap each ear of corn separately in a sheet of aluminum foil. Grill the corn first; it will take longer to cook. Turn it often so that one side doesn’t burn.

Meanwhile, chop the red onion and tomato and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the soft cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, minced garlic & onion, and cilantro. You can also add minced jalapeno if you want your dressing to be spicy. Blend until smooth and then stream in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Romaine via Tsiporah Blog

Grill the romaine first face-down just long enough to get char marks and to lightly wilt the lettuce. Then flip the romaine and grill on the other side for about a minute. Remove to a plate and set aside. Remove the corn from the foil and cut the kernels off of the cob.

Summer Grilling Recipes via Tsiporah Blog

To assemble, spoon cilantro dressing over the romaine and top with tomato, red onion, corn kernels and bacon (optional). Serve with a lime wedge.

Grilled Romaine Salad Recipe via Tsiporah Blog

Enjoy!

Ps- the perfect dessert to go with this is grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream (you can even see them grilling in the picture above). I’ll be sharing that recipe this weekend!

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