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  • The Chopping Blog

The Perfect Recipe for Picnic Fare under the Stars

Some friends and I recently went to a free concert at Chicago’s beautiful Millennium Park. The forecast was for a gorgeous night with great picnicking weather! It was a perfect night for laying down ...

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Gone Fishing: How to Grill and Fry Fish

When I was a little girl, my father would often take my siblings and I fishing during the summer. We usually would go to my Uncle Paul’s pond in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Uncle Paul had a catfish bait ...

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Back to School: Clean Eating Edition

I’ve always been a total learning junkie. Even back in the day I was a Class A nerd, taking classes like Etymology and Philosophy in addition to my usual high school course load. I’ve continued my ...

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How to Make Sushi at Home

Just because I am a chef doesn’t mean that I am absolutely comfortable preparing every type of food. For instance, I certainly cannot claim to be an expert when it comes to making sushi.

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The Power of Parmesan Cheese

Just recently in a class I was teaching at The Chopping Block, a question was asked about how to finish a risotto without parmesan. To which I responded, why wouldn’t you want to finish your risotto ...

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Greek-Inspired Picnic Fare

What do you do when you discover a small patch of sandy beach on the shores of Lake Michigan that looks essentially untouched? You channel memories of your favorite beaches in the world and begin ...

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Let's Call it Toad in a Hole for Brunch

Back in seventh grade home economics class, I learned a classic way to prepare eggs: dropped into a piece of bread with a hole in it on a frying pan! Over the years, I have learned from various ...

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Professional Chefs Make Mistakes Too

When I talk to home cooks, many share with me that they are afraid of trying things in the kitchen because they will make a mistake. They are worried they will create a “disaster” of some sort and ...

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The Building Blocks of Cooking: Spices, Vinegars and Oils

Is your pantry stocked well so that you are set up for success in the kitchen? Or do you find yourself running to the store for last-minute ingredients all of the time? If you are a newer home cook ...

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Easy Summer Entertaining

Once a week I get together with friends for food, drinks and silly reality shows. We all bring a dish to share, and I usually use it as an opportunity to try out a new recipe on my very patient ...

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Four Ways to Enjoy Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of my most cherished summer produce items. I always advocate eating, cooking and using seasonal ingredients at their prime. In my opinion, it should be a crime to sell tomatoes in ...

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Homemade for Sale

Do you make the best blueberry jam on the block? Have a cheese straw secret that is requested anytime you attend a party? Are your pickled peppers the talk of the town?

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Outdoor Dining and Drinks in Chicago

Almost nothing says “Chicago Summer” more than enjoying an outdoor beverage (and considering my last two blogs have been about hot dogs and my CSA box – it’s pretty apparent that anything summer ...

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Imperfect Produce Makes Perfect Frozen Treats

Professional chefs have a lot of rules they live by. Three of the most famous are probably:

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Throwing an Excellent Wedding Party on a Budget

I wrote about weddings a while back, but that was before I had officially announced my upcoming nuptials to my family. Now six months later, my partner and I are well into the swing of planning ...

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You Can Teach an Old Dog New Kitchen Tricks

I’ve been cooking and barbequing for 40 years and have tons of experience. So even as a new member of The Chopping Block’s team, I was skeptical that I might learn something new in a recent hands-on ...

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Barbequed Ribs: Low and Slow

When I was young and had just graduated from culinary school, I took a job as a corporate executive chef, and I was a little cocky. One of my first things I had to make was barbequed ribs. I did it ...

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Pina Coladas and Mai Tais Make for a Great Cocktail Party

This past Independence Day weekend was finally a taste of summer weather – sunny days and cool nights. What better way to take advantage of time off and great weather than a cocktail party on the ...

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How to Chill Wine Properly

If you have ever come to one of my wine classes at The Chopping Block, you know that I insist on wine being served at the right temperature, a temperature where the flavors and aromas can shine.

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Canning Cheats

If you have a friend with a fig tree, you likely have been gifted bags of figs from time to time. Last weekend, I was the lucky recipient of an extremely large bag of figs from friends. I kept the ...

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Gifting and Using Moroccan Tagines

Instead of using a traditional registry for their recent wedding, my friends advised their friends and family to give used kitchen supplies as gifts. While scouring the kitchen in search of a ...

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New Craft Spirits Program Serves Vodka Perfect for Moscow Mules

I know it's not grammatically correct, but it's a solid question: how do you vodka? I like to vodka cheap, strong, with soda water and maybe a little bit of citrus. Perhaps you like to vodka with ...

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The Protein Myth

If you were to pick up a fitness magazine or stop by your local gym, you’d likely hear mention of the latest health crisis in America: WE NEED MORE PROTEIN.

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