Don't Miss These July Classes:
Upcoming August Classes:
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Mark Your Calendar
Get up close and personal with Chicago Chef Rick Tramanto during his cooking demonstration and book signing. For $45, you’ll get his new cookbook "Steak with Friends" (valued at $35) plus tastings of his Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak and Chorizo & Rock Shrimp Risotto. Click here to join us for this special evening on Friday, August 20 at the Mart.
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Just 60 to Go:
Our Facebook family rocks! Now, you can spread the word to win. Ask your friends to "like" our page and once we reach 2000 fans, we'll randomly draw a winner for FREE cooking classes.
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Stuff We're Into
Music lovers can get their fill of good grub at Chow Town at Lollapalooza this year. Led by Culinary Director and Chicago Chef Graham Elliot Bowles, the annual music fest will feature some of our favorite local food stars: Big Star, Kuma's Corner, Sunda and The Southern.
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Bob Coscarelli
Chicago Home + Garden
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Dear Friends of The Chopping Block,
I love cooking in my kitchen. That’s probably not a surprise to you as my mission is to get people cooking at home. But I prefer cooking in my kitchen over going out to eat any night. My newly remodeled kitchen was designed by Susan Fredman and Aimee Nemeckay of Susan Fredman Design Group. Susan is a long-time friend so we embarked on this project as a team. My kitchen design is not only functional for a chef who loves to entertain but also aesthetically pleasing. Chicago Home and Garden Magazine recently stopped by for a visit. Read the story here.
 Want to know my must-haves for my kitchen? Here’s a few of my Favorite Things, which of course are all available at The Chopping Block.
I recently used my kitchen to entertain a senior team from Treacy Marketing Group. The evening was a silent auction prize from a fundraiser for Designs for Dignity. After a day-long strategic brainstorming session, the group enjoyed a dinner of Truffled, Deviled Eggs with Poached Shrimp, Black Bean Fritters with Pepper Jelly and Tomato Mayo, Farm Egg Fettuccine with Tomatoes, Peas, Basil, Cream and Pave Henri Cheese, Grilled Artichokes with Tarragon Aioli and Barbequed Hanger Steak with Three Bean Salad. English Trifle rounded out the meal. Check out my recipe here.
Happy Cooking!
Shelley Young, Founder
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 Wooden it be Nice
We're knocking on wood in August! That means all cutting boards from John Boos, Epicurean and Totally Bamboo, as well as wooden utensils such as spoons, serving pieces and salad hands are 20% off. All special order butcher blocks and kitchen islands from John Boos are discounted, as well as knife blocks and wine storage crates. If it's made of wood, it's on sale! |
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Grilling Sale Burns On
Our Sizzling Hot Grilling Sale will soon die down, so make sure to save big on grilling tools and accessories before the end of the month. Spice up any BBQ with these favorite products.
Chili Pepper Grilling Set $19.95 (pic) Keep your peppers upright on the grill so that cheese and other fillings stay inside instead of spilling out. |
Smoking Can Trio $7.95 (pic) This easy and economical way to get apple, hickory and mesquite smoke flavoring into your food lasts longer than traditional wood chips. |
Food Loop Flame $18.00 (pic) Get rid of burnt kitchen string and toothpicks! This flexible food loop is heat resistant up to 675 degrees and works on the grill, stovetop, oven, microwave and freezer. |
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Put your Palate to Work
 Tasting wine can be a science. In fact, Sommeliers use a systematic wine-tasting grid to assess different characteristics of wine. Practice tasting like the pros as Wine Goddess Diana Hamann leads you through a fun lesson through that same tasting grid. Click here to sign up.
Does the task of ordering wine at a restaurant leave you wanting to settle for take-out? We'll show you how to navigate even the most confusing of lists to give you confidence in your choice. Make your reservation here.
Want more? Check out all of our August wine classes. |
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Into the Frying Pan
Zbigniew Bzdak
Chicago Tribune
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The Chicago Tribune recently followed a mother and daughter team through our Culinary Boot Camp as they whisked, butchered and tasted their way to culinary enlightenment. They were looking to pick up a few skills, but what they found was that once you learn a few basics, cooking is easy. Read the article here.
Just a handful of spots remain in our August Boot Camp. Click here to enlist.
Want to take it to the next level? Check out our Advanced Culinary Boot Camp for an even more intense week of cooking. |
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Young Chefs Get Cooking
 Our Lincoln Square kitchen has been filled with bright smiles and young faces all summer, but there’s just one month left of our Kids and Teen Camps. All six camp offerings focus on organization, safety and teamwork in the kitchen. Your child will learn family-friendly recipes and solid cooking skills. Want to see how hands-on our camps are? Check out our newest video.
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There are few fruits that come in such a wide range of colors as the juicy, sweet tasting plum. In fact, over 100 varieties of this stone fruit are available in the United States alone. Plums are ripe and ready to eat when they yield to gentle pressure. You can also purchase firm plums and ripen at home at room temperature. This recipe mixes warm spices with the sweet fruit for a delicious dessert!