THE CHOPPING BLOCK – CHEF PROFILES
Shelley Young
Shelley
Young Founder/Chef Growing up in a small Iowa town may not be the
setting that conjures up images of gastronomy, but the influence
of an Iowa upbringing has helped shape Shelley's cooking and teaching
style.
Shelley spent her youth surrounded by the vivid colors and flavors of the freshest fruits, vegetables, poultry and fish. Memories of summers spent putting up beans, corn, & tomatoes, afternoons pitting sour cherries for pie or hunting wild morel mushrooms with giant hefty garbage bags, and catching fresh catfish on a weekend camping trip created Shelley's appreciation for fresh, unfussy, flavorful food.
Shelley's straightforward style is illustrated by her heartfelt belief that cooking is easy, and anybody can do it. All anybody needs is a few tricks and tips, a handful of well tested recipes, and some time saving cooking tools, all of which Shelley offers at the Chopping Block with sincerity and humility.
Shelley holds a degree in the Culinary Arts from Des Moines Area Community College, and has taken many cooking classes from international experts, including Spice Inc. and Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans, and an intensive program in authentic Mexican cuisine at The Red Cabbage Cafe in Puerto Vallarta.
In San Diego, Shelley was the chef from 1987-1994 at Charlie's Grill, a TS Enterprises establishment known for preparing the freshest seafood and local produce. After moving to Chicago in 1994, she became chef at the now defunct Cafe du Midi, a groovy Bucktown Bistro with a Mediterranean twist. She spent some great years (1995-1998) as private chef for a fantastic local couple, and then created the Chopping Block, which opened its doors in April of 1997.