I used to love when my mom would buy Reddi-Whip when I was a kid; it was such a fun treat to eat right out of the can. It wasn’t until I grew up and went to culinary school that I started to whip ...
When I first started my adventures in mushroom cultivation, I buried my head in every book on mycology and watched every video YouYube could provide me on mushroom growing. I was able to pick up ...
I’m generally not a fan of cold weather. It’s uncomfortable and managing the layers of clothing is a nuisance. However, I have four decades of successfully coping with Midwest winter, and I’m not ...
I don’t think there is a season I look forward to more than summer. After a long cold winter, us Midwesterners long for warm weather and sunshine like a dog loves a bone. Without fail, by the time I ...
It’s the end of Summer, and those vegetables and herbs we’ve been patiently waiting to reach their peak all season have finally done so - I love it! Our little balcony garden is literally ...
When I think of fried foods I am immediately transported to when I was a kid. The nostalgia of carnivals and fairground funnel cakes, deep fried Twinkies, anything deep fried on a stick really ...
I love farmers markets. Not only do you get access to the best tasting, seasonal produce picked at its peak of flavor, but it has traveled just a short time between the farm and market to get to ...
I started cooking in restaurants when I was fourteen. My mom was able to land me a job at MP’s Chicken where the only items on the menu were fried chicken, coleslaw, French fries and honey buns. ...
Frozen phyllo dough is a great time saver: you can create appetizers, pastries and desserts without having to make the dough. Traditionally, phyllo dough is made by stretching a flour-and-water ...
When I went shopping last weekend, pork tenderloin was on sale so I decided to pick up a couple. I had no idea what I was going to do with them at the time, but after some serious brainstorming, I ...
I graduated from culinary school in 1986, and one of the essential cooking skills I learned was how to cook rice. Cooking rice was formula driven which made it incredibly simple to understand and ...
Over the 24 years The Chopping Block has been open, we've seen a lot of people find love in our kitchens. I know of several couples who met during a cooking class who are still together today. Former ...
I am so excited to announce that The Chopping Block is finally offering a sous vide cooking class! It never really made sense for us in the past to offer this type of class in person due to the ...
When I first started working at The Chopping Block nineteen years ago, I was an assistant to our chefs (aka dishwasher) for cooking classes at our original location in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Some of ...
For those of you who don’t know, we announce a cooking challenge each week in The Chopping Block's private Facebook group. If you aren't already a member, it’s a great way to connect with others ...
Before I write a blog, I like to see what videos, recipes and overall content is available online. I was surprised to find how little information there is on popping popcorn, especially since I ...
I absolutely love moderating our virtual classes. It’s been so much fun for me to see The Chopping Block's virtual business evolve over the past year. What I love most about our virtual classes is ...
Risotto is always a popular dish in our cooking classes, and I love making it for dinner parties and giving tips to my friends. Knowing how to make a good risotto is something I think every home cook ...
