The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Red Roux

When the cool air of Autumn arrives in Chicago, my wife often longs for her hometown of New Orleans. She misses the lively parades, the soulful jazz music, and most of all, the comforting food that ...

Many Uses of the Vacuum Sealer

Two common practices that are ingrained into you as a chef are save time and save dollars, without sacrificing quality, of course. Many commercial techniques and technologies have been made more ...

Welcome Fall with Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

Fall is right around the corner, and nothing is better than eating cozy meals on a chilly night. There is something so special about short ribs. They seem fancy, yet they are so simple and easy to ...

Grilling up the Sea

The allure of grilling seafood is a symphony of flavors that dances between the sea and the fire, captivating both the heart and the palate. I invite you to join me in my profound love affair with ...

Searching for Scallops

Just one of the perks of living in the Panhandle of Florida is the close proximity to bays where oysters and scallops are harvested. One of my favorite late summer activities is to go to Cape San ...

Diving into a Valid Tea Leaf Salad

Last month, I started to dive into the world of Burmese cooking. Have you tried my egg curry recipe yet? I got very excited to plummet gracefully from an elevated platform of knowledge with a ...

Wake Up Shake up

Okay, everybody I’ve got some really good news. Despite what all of the displays at grocery stores, hardware stores, big box retailers, and drug store chains have been peddling for the last two to ...

New Wines for Fall Classes at The Chopping Block

Way last century, the hip sommelier closed their out-going voicemail with “Leave your message at the tone. And in case of emergency, serve dry Rosè.” Back then, Rosè meant White Zinfandel, sugary ...

Deep into Quiche

In the realm of quiche discussions, there are those who begin with a clever quip about what Real Men eat, and then there’s me, who is more bothered by the perpetual resurfacing of that maxim than the ...

3-Ingredient Homemade Hot Sauce

This summer has been a great growing season for our habanero and jalafuego plants, and they have produced quite a bit of fruit. Fortunately, hot chilies are extremely versatile, but if you’re a chili ...

Lemon Posset: Newest Internet Fad

You know I love a good food trend like butter boards but have you seen the lemon custard that has been sweeping across the internet? For the past few months, I have seen different variations of ...

Cook Off Book

In case you haven’t realized yet, I write a lot of recipes—for clients, my newsletter, blogs, and for my own use. If I had to guess, I’ve written somewhere in the neighborhood of about 800 recipes ...

The Chopping Block’s Lincoln Square Location Changes Ownership

After 26 years of teaching people how to cook, The Chopping Block is changing ownership. Founder and Chef Shelley Young officially sold the Lincoln Square business to Executive Chef Lisa Counts ...

The Adventures of Grilling

The sizzling world of grilling can turn ordinary ingredients into extraordinary delights. If you've ever wondered why grilled food holds a special place in our hearts (and taste buds), join me on ...

Culinary Boot Camp as a Professional Training Tool

We always have a wide variety of students in each of our Culinary Boot Camp classes. From retirees who now have time to learn to cook to college students who want to get a jump start on life skills, ...

A Lighter Eggplant Parmigiana

I love eggplant parmigiana, and with eggplants being in abundance this time of year, I’ve found myself absolutely craving the dish. However, I wanted a simpler preparation, something that didn’t ...

Take a Hike

There has been a slow uptick in the last 15 years or so in people interested in finding wild edibles in the landscape around them. From my perspective, this stems from the trend of featuring wild ...

Copycat Luxardo Cherries

Cocktails are back in popularity and here to stay. Our cocktail classes and wine classes are proof of that - people love to drink but not just because of the effect of the alcohol. Our students love ...

Got Blueberries? Make Lemon Blueberry Buckle

Last year, I told you all about my annual girl’s trip to Maine with my mom. This year, since we were adding a baby, my daughter Scarlett, we decided to stay a bit closer to Chicago. We settled on New ...

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cast Iron Cookie

They say necessity is the mother of invention, now I know I didn’t invent the cast iron cookie, but I’d imagine whoever did was in a situation similar to my own: I don’t have a baking sheet.

Tangzhong: The Japanese Secret to the Fluffiest Bread

It was some years back… I was running a kitchen for a brewery on Chicago's Northside, where crafting savory dishes was my forte. Baking bread? Not my usual gig.

Butternut Squash Breakdown

When it comes to knife skills, one of the more difficult items to approach are dense gourds of awkward shapes and sizes. Today we will tackle and breakdown a large butternut squash and talk about ...

The Classic French 75 Cocktail

The French 75 cocktail is a fascinating and historic drink, with its origins dating all the way back to World War I. Discovering the history of this delightful concoction adds an interesting twist to ...

Let's Taco About It

Tacos, with their tantalizing blend of flavors and textures, have become a beloved staple in American cuisine. But these delicious handheld delights have a rich and diverse history that dates back ...

This Wine is a Mouthful

The wacky things people do to make wine never cease to amaze me. We pour herbs into it (for Vermouth). We bake it (Madeira). We encourage mold to grow on the grapes (Sauternes) and on the wine ...

Biscochitos: Traditional New Mexican Cookies

My love of New Mexican food is no secret. I try to eat all of the chiles (New Mexico's state vegetable) each time I visit, and my recent trip was no exception. I enjoyed a delicious green chile ...

Fearless Egg Curry

If I were to ever utter any regrets about my life, it would be the years I wasted being a picky eater. My remorse comes into play when I think of the doors that I never opened when I’d be given the ...

The Internet Has a Croissant Problem

Our vast planet is home to many breads, all of them excellent. This is not to say, of course, that every loaf or example of bread is excellent. No, to be sure there are loaves of bread that I have ...

The Greatest Carnival Food

Earlier this week, I spent a day at the Great Amusement Park. I was honestly surprised at how few people over the age of 30 there were. Weren’t other parents taking their kids? I mean, don’t they ...

Pupusas: A Culinary Adventure

Writing a monthly blog is a great opportunity for me to further my culinary education. I really enjoy trying new recipes from different cultures in order to expand my knowledge, but also just because ...

DIY Stroopwafels

My very first encounter with Stroopwafels was on my flight to New Zealand eight years ago. I had never heard of such a snack before. So, when the flight attendant said peanuts or waffle, I jumped at ...

Squash All Summer

I am a novice gardener. This spring, after years of sitting on the waitlist, we finally got a note that our number was up for a small plot tucked away in the back corner of the park. I was giddy. We ...

Dan Dan Noodles Made Easy: Unraveling the Sichuan Magic

Virtual cooking classes offer a gateway to a world of culinary exploration, where you can learn how to cook and unlock your inner chef. In addition to the many delightful dishes you can learn to ...

Kvass: Sweet, Refreshing and Good for your Gut

By now we’ve all heard of the benefits of good bacteria in our body’s micro biome and the wonder it does for effective digestion and overall gut health. We’ve had the kombucha, the yogurt and the ...

Building a Better Kabob

Growing up, I spent summers at Sebec Lake visiting my grandparents and cousins. I remember sitting on the porch shucking corn and shelling peas, nightly boat rides, family dinners on the porch, and ...

Ditch the Potato Salad: 3 Easy Grilled Sides to Bring to your Next BBQ

The summer is far from over and with plenty of sunny days and warm weather ahead, we can expect plenty more barbeques and backyard bashes with friends and family in the next few months.

Strawberry Memories Inspire Mascarpone Cake

Strawberries must be one of the most popular fruits. It is a rare occasion when we have a student who says they don’t like strawberries. If we put a strawberry-focused recipe or class on our class ...

Is It Done Yet?

The most frequently asked question I get during our classes here at The Chopping Block is “How long should I cook this?” The students are usually referring to timing for cooking a meat or vegetable. ...

Pesto for your Basil Abundance

What do you do when you have an abundance of basil in your garden this time of year? You make pesto! Pesto is so versatile and can be used in so many different applications and recipes.

It's Raw! A Look at Raw Fish Dishes

Have you ever wondered how people in different parts of Asia enjoy raw fish in their cuisines? Raw fish is not only delicious and nutritious, but also has a long and rich history that reflects the ...

What You Don’t Know About Your Favorite Grapes

The grape is the most important aspect of any wine, accounting for over 95% of each wine’s chemistry and more-or-less deliciousness. So, the first step in learning wine is getting to know your ...

Back to Basics: Reading Recipes

Odds are if you are follow The Chopping Blog, you either like to cook, are looking for inspiration or are one of my relatives. There is an assumption that most of us reading these blogs are familiar ...

Pink Drink or Sultry Summer Strawberry Solution

We’ve come to the point in summer where strawberries are on the wane. This is always a melancholy time of year for me because in my opinion strawberries are one of the greatest treats that warm ...

Culinary Boot Camp with Friends

It's not uncommon for couples to take cooking classes together, from date nights to wine classes to Culinary Boot Camp. We even had a proposal midway through one of the 5-day classes a couple of ...

Couscous from Scratch

I was preparing a curry with a Moroccan leaning. Everyone’s Favorite Grocery Store had no couscous (?) except for pearled/Israeli couscous of which it had two kinds (?). I wanted fine couscous, so of ...

Falafel-Bulgur Burgers: A Mediterranean-Inspired Meat-Free Option

I love a charred juicy cheeseburger with all the fixin’s, but every once and a while it’s nice to have a healthy, meat-free alternative. Most people, when they think of vegetarian burger options, ...

Peschi Dolci: Sweet Peach Cookies

Growing up Sicilian, we knew how to party! It seemed every weekend we attended some sort of a special event or get together. I remember frequenting different banquet halls all throughout Illinois and ...

Embrace Freshness with Zucchini & Corn Pasta: Farmer's Market Delight

As summer rolls around, farmers markets come alive with vibrant displays of fresh produce. It's the perfect time to explore creative recipes that make the most of these locally grown ingredients.

How to Farmers’ Market

Fellow citizens of the Midwest, we have arrived. Summer is upon us, and so is the bounty of the legendary farmers’ markets. If you’re anything like me, you have them on your family Google calendar so ...

Sweet Scarlett’s Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

It’s summer and as far as I’m concerned, there’s no better time for all things strawberry rhubarb (my mom would agree!). I’ve picked strawberries for as long as I can remember. But I’m taking a break ...

A Love Letter to Aquafaba

Finding ways to minimize waste in the kitchen is not only great for the environment, but it can be great for your wallet too. As a chef, some of these small changes can really make a difference in ...

Pretty and Easy Zucchini

Zucchini season is upon us once again, and I’d like to share with you my go-to ways to prepare it. It’s easy and versatile and the char on the zucchini makes it pretty enough to serve to company. It ...

The Best Ways to Cool Off This Summer

Summer is here, temperatures are rising, and we are all scrambling for something cold to cool us off. Frozen desserts fly off the shelves at our grocery stores, but why not make some yourself at ...

From Scratch Barbeque Sauce

I have come to notice that many of the barbeque sauce recipes I’ve come across online consist of mainly a few ingredients. They’ll contain basic condiments, some sugar, and a couple of spices. These ...

Key Lime Pie for the Summer Dessert Win

Summer is all about having fun and enjoying good food. And what better way to do that than with an easy, delicious recipe for any occasion? One of my favorite desserts for the season is Key Lime Pie!

Worthwhile Herbs With Which You May Be Unfamiliar

Herbs are among the most important ingredients in cooking. Choosing the right varieties and amounts of herbs for a particular dish can mean the difference between a meal that’s just okay, and one ...

French Cooking Techniques: A Guide for Home Cooks

Do you love French cuisine, but feel intimidated by the complex recipes and fancy terms? Do you want to learn how to cook like a pro, using simple and easy methods that will transform your dishes?

Wine Cocktails are Perfect for Summer

Imagine a recent wine shopping excursion. Whether in a grocery store, a boutique wine shop or chain outlet, if you’re most places in the U.S., your choices include wines from around the world, in ...

Butchering Beef Revisited: Old Meat

If you read my previous post on breaking down a forequarter of beef you may recall that we put some pieces into a ramshackle dry aging chamber so that they could age for a bit before we cut them. ...

Low Country Boil Meets The Midwest

The beginning of summer is probably one of the most challenging times for me when it comes to meal preparation. My days are overwhelmed adjusting to the change of routine that inevitably comes with ...

Beef Jerky Three Ways - What's the Winner?

Whether you're on a road trip, hiking in the mountains, or just need a quick protein boost, beef jerky is the perfect snack to satisfy your hunger and keep you going. It's a great source of protein, ...

Preserve Rhubarb with Mostardo

During the growing season, there are some crops I’m happy to see arrive at local markets. I buy them and serve a nice meal incorporating them or featuring them. Zucchini, for one. Then there are ...

Restaurant Redemption: Grilled Salmon Caesar Salad

A couple months ago my husband and I set out to see the funk band Lettuce, and grabbed a bite to eat beforehand. I didn’t want to be bogged down by a heavy meal and I love salads with a protein, so I ...

Stuffed Fresno Chiles: A Versatile Filling for Your Next Party

It all started with me needing to clean out my fridge. I had Fresno chilis that were about to go bad, ground beef that was starting to oxidize… what was I going to do? I have had stuffed peppers on ...

The Joys of Cheating

My grandma is a legendary pie crust maker. She knows her way around a canister of Crisco like nobody else, and the flakiness she gets in her pie crust is unmatched. I have her recipe, but mine never ...

Zucchini Pie (aka Mock Apple Pie)

Zucchini season is just around the corner and with that comes the inevitable mass quantities of it. If you are a gardener, you know exactly what I am talking about. Us gardeners are coupled with the ...

Grill your Salsa this Season

I make salsa year-round, but there is something so much more enjoyable about making and eating it when the weather is warmer. As it gets nicer out, grilling becomes an option and one of the first ...

Global Grilling with Galbi

It’s grilling season, finally! The weather in Chicago has vastly improved within the last week which inspired me to clean up my deck over Memorial Day weekend so that I could officially enjoy my ...

Very Good Masa Harina, and a Simple Tortilla Technique

Hey folks, have you ever tasted the difference between a typical grocery store corn tortilla, and one made fresh in your kitchen? If you live in Chicago then maybe you haven’t, because why would you? ...

Get to Know Your Spring Fruits and Veggies

It is officially Spring! Farmers markets are reopening and grocery stores are stocking our favorite fresh spring fruits and vegetables. The hot weather has arrived, and we can take this opportunity ...

Cold Pressed Juice - Is it Worth It?

I recently started cold press juicing and with all the wonderful benefits I have experienced, I thought I would share why I think it is worth the hype.

How to Build your own Recipes

Once you’ve honed a few keys techniques and have had success executing some delicious or more elaborate recipes at home, it’s time you start building some of your own tasty creations! This is how you ...

A Catalog of Worthwhile Food Establishments in NYC

Living in upstate New York has many benefits, but a rollicking and vibrant food scene is definitely not among them. No matter where in upstate you might reside, I can pretty much guarantee your ...

A Simply Delicious Lesson in Tarts

Tarts are one of the most versatile and delightful desserts you can make at home. They are easy to prepare, elegant to serve, and can be filled with almost anything you like. But do you know where ...

Enjoy the World's Best Rosè

Check out this fun video depicting world-wide wine consumption:

Frozen Assets: Proper Freezer Usage

As someone who loves to cook, I also love to freeze food. Even typing that sentence seems like an odd thing to write but there is a pleasure in finding a special ingredient or making a favorite dish ...

Trees: Not Just for Fruit Anymore

The spring is a unique time of year for gathering edible goodies from the landscape. While there may not be as much growing as in the height of summer, there are a great many wild plants that only ...

How to Use Harissa or How Can You Not Use Harissa?

I've had a hankering for harissa lately. The spicy and aromatic chile paste that is widely used in Middle Eastern and North African cooking adds a kick of spice to any meal, from soups and stews to ...

Crostini from the Grill

As Chicago's Spring seems to be redefined as alternating bursts of frost and scorch, I’m trying to take advantage of the occasional gorgeous night. This means grilling. Last Tuesday, I hit up the ...

Treat Mom to an Elegant Brunch this Mother’s Day

Did you forget to make brunch reservations this Mother’s Day? Don’t worry, because you’re going to learn how to make an impressive restaurant-quality brunch that will have the special mom in your ...

Sautéing 101

I was recently interviewed for a Mashed.com article discussing the most common mistakes home cooks make when sautéing and it got me thinking of all of the techniques we teach at The Chopping Block, ...

4 Ways to Turn a Can of Beans into Dinner

If you’ve spoken to me at all, ever, in the entire course of my adult life, you know that I feel a deep, passionate love for beans. I always tell my husband that if there's a can of beans in the ...

Asparagus Every Which Way but Steamed, Roasted or Grilled

It is that time of year again: asparagus season! Perhaps this time of year has lost some of its luster, some of its connection with the long-awaited Spring in the Midwest, since we can get asparagus ...

Place Your Bets on Derby Day Hot Browns

The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports is coming up this Saturday, May 6th! It’s the Kentucky Derby – an annual horse race held in Louisville, Kentucky at historic Churchill Downs. While I’ve never been ...

Taco Tuesday Vegetarian Style

Incorporating more vegetarian meals into my rotation is something I always try to do, especially as we enter Chicago’s warmer season. I won’t lie, getting all of my servings of vegetables in hasn’t ...

Dessert for One Please

I always want something sweet after dinner to complete my meal and to satisfy my sweet tooth. There are many times that there is no dessert in the house to get me that sweet satisfaction. But I ...

Butchering Beef for Fun and Profit

As you may have noticed, meat prices seem to be getting higher and higher. Every time I go to the grocery store now it seems like it becomes less and less feasible to buy meat (commodity beef shank ...

Beans in the Raw

A popular question that I get from many home cooks is whether or not it's worth it to take the time to soak and prepare beans from raw instead of just using canned beans. Canned beans are a wonderful ...

Rosé Sangria: A Perfect Springtime Drink

As the temperatures start to rise and the flowers begin to bloom, it's the perfect time to enjoy a refreshing and light cocktail. Sangria is an ideal springtime drink that's sure to impress your ...

What Makes a Sandwich a Sandwich?

A sandwich is a simple and versatile dish that can be made with almost any combination of ingredients. But what makes a sandwich a sandwich? Is it the bread? The filling? The shape? The origin? The ...

Which Wineglass Is Right for Me?

Guests know they’re in for a good time when they arrive to The Chopping Block for a wine class and see an array of glasses – whites, reds, flutes, sometimes even copitas and coupes – glittering and ...

A Taste of Greece at Home

When I left Greece last fall, I came home with a suitcase full of Greek ingredients. What better way to put them to use than to cook for my travel partner on that trip Cheryl and her life partner ...

Crispy Rice Advice

The best part of being a home cook is challenging yourself. We try new foods, exciting techniques and reinvent restaurant classics. Some processes take multiple attempts but then there is a magic ...

The Sugarbush Chronicles Part III: Evaporation Station

At the end of the previous installment of The Sugarbush Chronicles, we had collected a good amount of sap and were putting it through a reverse osmosis system to increase the sugar content of the sap ...

Vegetarian Chili

I’ve established a couple of blog themes but the most prevalent is utilizing what I have available. Once again, I am beginning with the vegetables I prepped in a recent Knife Skills class (as I did ...

Spring Green Superfood Salad

Nine times out of ten, my lunches consist of a vegetable and/or grain salad topped with protein. I know that may sound boring, but trust me when I say it’s delicious and full of variety. It’s a ...

Easy Eggplant Involtini

My husband and I love eggplant, and I never tire of finding different ways to prepare it. “Involtini” translates to “rolls” or “little bundles,” and I think I’ve truly fallen in love with these ...

4 Kitchen Tools You Need to Become a Better Cook

I’m so thrilled to be back with The Chopping Block’s fabulous blog team yet again! During my hiatus, I’ve been taking lots of pictures of food and cooking up a storm as per usual. Since the last time ...

How to Make Authentic German Krapfen

Every once in a while, I get a call for help from my dear friend Carol Himmel and when she calls, I jump. Carol is always helping others, donating her time, energy, resources and attention so when ...

Holiday Baking Traditions

Growing up in a Sicilian household, we had numerous different holiday traditions. In my family, we had Feast of the Seven Dishes for Christmas Eve, Zeppole for St. Joseph’s Day, lentils for New ...

Carrot and Coconut Soup

The Midwest will just not let its grip off this cold weather, and while I enjoy soup 365 days a year, I also want something light and spring-like this time of year.

Less Common Kitchen Knives and Their Diverse Uses

Knives are arguably the most essential kitchen tool any cook will use. Even more so than pots, pans or even a stove. There are plenty of dishes made without the application of any heat, but dishes ...

Love Thy Le Creuset and this Curried Chickpea Stew

Le Creuset cookware is an investment, but it will someday become an heirloom for your family or friends! Whether you have just one piece or a whole set, we’ll go over some tips for keeping your ...

5 Ways to Jazz Up Instant Ramen Noodles

When I was a kid, I used to think the world of ramen was strictly chicken or beef-flavored noodles. Ramen was one of my favorite meals growing up, and it still is today. The difference is that I've ...

Classic Potatoes Anna Gets a Simpler Makeover

Cuisine doesn't get any more classical French than Potatoes Anna. This was one of the recipes included in Auguste Escoffier's cookbook published in 1902 and named "Pommes de Terre Anna." If you ...

The Sugarbush Chronicles Part II: Osmosis Jones

When last we spoke, my friend Derek and I had just finished running the lines for our sugar bush, and had just started collecting sap. Since then there have been a number of developments. A few days ...

What’s For Dinner?

It’s an age-old important question: what’s for dinner? Maybe you’re only feeding yourself, or maybe you’ve got a roommate, partner, or kids to consider when making your decision. Most nights I cook a ...

A Perfect Cheesecake Every Time

Classic cheesecake has always been one of my favorite go to desserts. This recipe is silky smooth, rich, tangy and simply delicious.

The Art of Neapolitan Pizza

Neapolitan pizza is more than just a delicious dish. It's a culinary tradition that dates back to ancient times and reflects the culture and identity of Naples, Italy. In this blog post, I will ...

My Top Five Mexican Cookbooks

Whenever students ask me what my favorite regional cuisine is I always say that its impossible to choose a favorite because blah blah blah… but the real answer is Mexican food. Mexican food is ...

Macaroni and Cheese: Reinventing the Reuben

Whether we are Irish or not, it's that special time in March where a lot of us celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Plans are made with friends, green is part of our wardrobe, and we look forward to some of ...

Find Joy in Decluttering Wine

From our home screens to entire rooms to our entire lives, decluttering is a trend that’s taken hold. But judging by all the people who tell me “I have so much wine sitting around,” it’s time for ...

Live on Island Time with this Caribbean Cornbread

Being from the South, I'm no stranger to cornbread. Whether it's the Jiffy box mix I grew up on or even homemade from scratch, I've had some pretty dry, flavorless cornbread over the course of my ...

The Sugarbush Chronicles Part I

There are a lot of different sweeteners out there. Some are simply sweet with very little of their own flavor like granulated sugar, while others have a strong character and flavor of their own like ...

A Meatball for Every Meal: Breakfast Meatballs

Did you know there is a day of the year devoted to meatballs? Why yes there is, so happy National Meatball Day! According the most reliable resource in the world (aka the Internet), March 9th is ...

Savory Donuts

Apparently fried dough is the element that binds all of humanity together. I will, without fact-checking, state that every civilization has such an item as a cornerstone of their culinary repertoire. ...

How to Make Amazing Arancini

I was recently watching Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy where Stanley travels to the island of Sicily and enjoys many mouth-watering regional specialties. One of the dishes that’s talked about in ...

Perfectly Poached Fruit

A pear perfectly poached in red wine is one of the most elegant desserts I can think of. Top it off with a little Crème Anglaise and you have elevated the lowly pear into something almost regal. I’m ...

Love it or Hate it - Part 2

It’s time for another round of my favorite series: Love it or hate it! What foods do you love that no one else does? What foods do you have a deep distain for? This is a hot topic in all of my ...

Garlicky Creamy Hummus

Hummus is such a versatile item to meal prep and this garlic-packed version is absolutely delicious! Hummus is the perfect vegetarian snack to dip with veggies, pita chips, or a creamy spread to use ...

Rad Raclette Repast

It seems like all my blog posts in winter are about how you should take the opportunity to treat yourself during these dark gloomy months. If the weather can’t help raise your morale, then maybe a ...

Quick and Easy Pasta Dishes after a Long Day

If you are anything like me, after I get home from a long day at work or school, I don’t want to do anything but lay down and sleep. I also want to have a good, rewarding meal after all the work I’ve ...

Instant Pot Tamales

The Instant Pot makes foods that traditionally take a long time to cook achievable in a shorter window of time - Black Bean Soup, ribs, cooking a whole chicken, even proofing dough all take less time ...

Making Sense of Cooking Fats

The world of cooking fats and oils (which are one and the same) can be as simplistic or as complex as you make it. Utilizing fat for cooking has many advantages, but overuse of fats can make a dish ...

Chocolate Chip Browned Butter Cookies

There is nothing like a homemade chocolate chip cookie. Over the years, I have made many chocolate chip cookie recipes, which are all generally very similar. As a chef, I'm always looking for ...

The History of Pasta and How to Cook It

As a professional chef, I have always been fascinated by the history and evolution of different culinary traditions. One such tradition that has captured my interest is the history of pasta. This ...

Sheet Pan Pancake

Fat Tuesday is coming up in just a few days! If you aren’t familiar, Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, and is a big part of Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) and Carnival celebrations.

The Pastabilities of Pasta Shape Substitutions

Besides blogging, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to moderate some of our popular virtual cooking classes. If you haven’t taken one yet, they are a fun opportunity to cook together with one of our ...

Which Type of Wine is Best? It’s Up to You!

“It’s so cheap!” is the first thing people say about wine while travelling in Europe, and “It’s so delicious!”

Chocolate Pasta Anytime

Does this title leave you a little skeptical? Chocolate pasta? Pasta for dessert? Really? Well, when I first learned there was such a thing, it definitely left me wondering! It was Winter 2021, ...

Hor Fun is More Fun

The idea of making something at home that is normally bought ready-made from the store can be very romantic. Its nice to think that the extra freshness, and added “made with love” energy that comes ...

Stay Indoors and Eat Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

One of the top joys of living in a city is the option to walk down the street and find amazing sandwiches. My current obsession is the Vietnamese sandwich, the Banh Mi. I enjoy them so much I need to ...

Vegetarian Hoppin' John

It’s hard to pass up the good protein source of classic beans ‘n rice, and a great variation on the combo is the Southern dish Hoppin’ John. Featuring black-eyed peas, a favorite New Year good luck ...

Passion Fruit Tart: Ignite Your Passion this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start Googling which chocolate dessert to prepare for your loved ones, right? Chocolate is a pretty sexy and delicious ingredient ...

Ten or Maybe Even More Things You Don’t Know about Meatballs

There are a million meatball recipes available online. I’m sure most of them are pretty yummy, but I’m not here to tout the best meatball recipe. I’m here to tell you what you probably don’t know ...

Homemade SpaghettiOs

If there is one dish that brings me right back to childhood, it’s canned SpaghettiOs. My mom would never buy it though, and I get that it was probably not the healthiest thing we could eat, but she ...

Love It or Hate It - Part 1

We all have that one food whether from our childhood or a bad dining experience that we just can’t stand. It could be a texture issue, a smell, how it was presented, or just a preconceived notion ...

From Chicago to Florida via Goldbelly

I first learned about Goldbelly a few years ago when I was given a gift certificate for the holidays. If you aren't yet familiar with Goldbelly, it's an e-commerce platform that connects people with ...

Do Yourself a Favor and Buy Fancy Chocolate

I definitely understand why people buy the cheapest, or maybe even more frequently, the second cheapest chocolate at the grocery store for baking. The price difference between that and the really ...

Top Tools for any Kitchen

As a chef instructor at The Chopping Block, I work with hundreds of home cooks all with varying levels of comfort in the kitchen. My goal and hope is to identify where they can find an edge to help ...

Homemade Egg Rolls

The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year is upon us, which got me in the mood to make some of my favorite Chinese dishes. Egg rolls are the quintessential Chinese takeout food, but did you know they ...

Pozole Pointers

Despite its relatively simple appearance, there are centuries of tradition and unique flavor combinations packed into a simple Mexican dish. From endless varieties of fresh and dried chilies like ...

Five Great Pastry/Baking Books for Beginners

I’ve been getting some good traction on these book roundups, and maybe if I can make the case that the book collection can be routed into a productive outlet, I’ll be allowed to continue to purchase ...

Homemade Biscoff Cookies

My husband and I love to travel, but as we all know, the destination is often a lot more enjoyable than the journey itself, especially if the travel involves a flight which can mean delays, lost ...

From Retro to Current Crab Canapes

As a food blogger, I start each year perusing articles online about food trend predictions. A talented chef may create one dish that steamrolls into the meal everyone wants to recreate. We find ...

That’s a Good Question

As every teacher knows, if one student has a question, then undoubtedly other students have the same question but are too embarrassed to ask. Here are questions from my recent How to Bluff Your Way ...

New Choices in Seafood for the New Year

I’m writing this blog from Sarasota, Florida, where I’m fortunate enough to be spending a week with my family away from the Chicago winter. I’ve spent an occasional short week down here throughout my ...

Hand Pulled Noodles for Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is coming up fast, and though many cultures have and still do celebrate a lunar new year of some kind, in the U.S. it has largely become associated with Chinese culture and typically ...

Naan, Your Next Bread Adventure

Are you comfortable making tortillas, pizza or even loaves of bread? I have a new bread adventure for you that's actually quite simple. Behold an amazing pillowy, soft naan recipe that is likely to ...

Pho in Minutes Not Hours

What's the first dish that comes to mind when you think of Vietnamese food? It's likely Pho, the national dish of Vietnam, and which is sold everywhere there from nice restaurants to street corners. ...

Almost Guilt-Free Alfredo Sauce

Talk about guilty pleasures! Alfredo sauce, especially tossed with fettuccine, is what my dreams are made of. This smooth and silky cream sauce that effortlessly coats al dente pasta is so comforting ...

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts

I did something different to celebrate New Year Eve's this year and to be honest, it blows my mind that I've never thought to do this before. Instead of going out and fighting the crowds and paying ...

How To Clean Mushrooms

How to clean mushrooms is a common question we get in our cooking classes, and it's one which over the course of my career has become a more complicated one to answer. When I opened The Chopping ...

Olives - Love ‘em or Leave ‘em?

One of the things that always intrigues me when I am teaching our cooking classes are foods that people either love or hate to eat. There aren’t many foods that I dislike, and I will always try ...

Ditch your Dieting Rules

Happy 2023! Last year at this time, I declared “This is the year I am going to lose weight!” - which is exactly what I did every January 1st for the past several years.

Over-the-Top Piecaken from Scratch

I first heard about piecaken a few years ago, but it always seemed like way too much dessert to me. (Spoiler alert: it still is!) If you are unfamiliar with this dish, the original is three types of ...

Amazing Carbonara in Roughly 15 Minutes

Carbonara is one of my wife’s favorite pasta dishes, and I’m happy to make it for her whenever she requests it because unlike some of her other common requests it doesn’t take multiple days to ...

A First Step to Gluten-Free Baking

Gluten-free baking is terrifying. Most people who have to or choose to eat gluten-free have all had something GF and awful - overpriced, tiny compared to its glutenous counterparts, and so, so ...

Rethinking Spaghetti Squash

To be perfectly candid, historically, I have not been a fan of spaghetti squash. Setting aside for a moment that it was not enough like real spaghetti to live up to its name, it always turned out too ...

Gift Spicy Garlic Chili Crisp

Over the years, chili oil has become a condiment that I can't live without, and it's even better when it's homemade. This chili crisp is easy to make, perfect for spooning over just about anything ...

Top Ten Fancy Chef Books for the Fancy Cook in Your Life

If you’re one of those among us who celebrates one of the winter gift giving holidays that terminate near the end of December then by the time this post comes out you will technically still have some ...

How Egg Whites Transform Cocktails

Over the last year, I’ve begun to explore the world of alcoholic beverages and how those flavors/techniques can be used in other mediums. I’ve discovered many amazing things while also tasting some ...

A Legendary Cheese to Warm up your Winter

It can hardly be denied at this point that winter is upon us. Where I live in upstate New York, we have just gotten our first winter storm warning (make sure you have plenty of flashlights, ...

Cranberry Nantucket Pie

It’s baking season, and one of my favorite seasonal flavors is cranberry. It’s perfect all fall and winter long and pairs great with pumpkin and orange which I also love. After Thanksgiving, I came ...

Holidays Have Gone to The Dogs

Everyone celebrates this time of year differently. Large families are gearing up for the annual gathering at a family home. People plan meals with their special friends. Some folks just enjoy sitting ...

Tips for Handling Holidays with Celiac Disease

I knew it was a mistake. But the artisanal beer my dining companion had ordered smelled so good! One teensy sip couldn’t do any harm, right? Wrong! Not because I was driving, not because I’m not of ...

Expand your Technique and Child’s Palate with Dal

Looking to expand your child’s palate? Well, kudos to you, we understand this is not always an easy task. Masoor Dal is a dish that has a wonderful balance of both new and familiar flavors. This ...

Make Christmas Manicotti This Holiday Season

I’m a pasta fanatic. I can eat it any time of day in any way, shape or form. I have to restrain myself from always blogging about pasta (and always eating it!), but it’s time once again for another ...

Using Meat as Seasoning Agent, Part 3

This is another installment of a favorite topic of mine: reducing meat consumption without fully discarding its unchallengeable, unique contributions to cuisine. This post also follows in the ...

Festive Holiday Parties with a Punch

Like so many people, I have family, friends and colleagues spread all around the country. During the holidays, I make it my personal mission to connect in some way with as many of them as I can. ...

Cook Like a Tuscan, Again

We have been bringing food and wine lovers to Tuscany, Italy with Onward Travel since 2018, and we are pleased to be able to do it again next year. Our Cook Like a Tuscan 2023 tours have just ...

Bushwacker Cocktail

Does anything hit the spot better than a frozen drink on a hot day? I don’t think so! I have had my fair share of tropical pina coladas, daquiris, frozé, and frozen margaritas during the summer. ...

Cherry Cheese Danishes for an Easy Holiday Breakfast

One of my favorite childhood memories was going to church on Sunday and attending the coffee hour hosted by one of the parishioners after the service. I was probably 8 or 9 years old, and she had ...

Duck Confit is Easy, Actually: Part Two

Welcome back to another exciting installment the story of how to make your own duck confit. In my previous post, we walked through the simple steps required to get your duck leg confit to the point ...

Whipped Goat Cheese with Warm Bacon and Dates

I'm excited to share this fun, festive and delicious appetizer that will start your holiday parties off right: creamy whipped goat cheese topped with a caramelized mixture of rosemary, honey, spiced ...

For a Pescatarian Party, Make Salmon Coulibiac

When both of your siblings are vegetarians/pescatarians, it makes menu planning for holidays like Thanksgiving a challenge. The traditional turkey and ham don't work as entrée options when the whole ...

Easy Healthy Dumplings Children Can Make

As an educator, I am constantly looking for recipes that are easy to execute, fun and delicious!

Make your Own Cream of Mushroom Soup

With Thanksgiving around the corner, the sales of canned cream of mushroom soup are off the charts. In fact, 40% of the entire year's sales of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup are attributed to the ...

Duck Confit is Easy, Actually: Part One

In my experience, many people tend to think of French food as "fancy" food. It's true that a lot of classic French preparations are complex or labor intensive, and it's easy to think that because of ...

Hosting A Friendsgiving to Remember

Friendsgiving is one of my absolute favorite holiday traditions around the Thanksgiving holiday. I’ve been organizing Friendsgiving with my group of friends for over ten years, and we look forward to ...

Try a Mashed Potato Board for Thanksgiving Leftovers

As we hit this midpoint of November, most people either know where they are going for Thanksgiving and what menu will be prepared for the big day. We’ve all probably clicked on every recipe online ...

I Never Knew I Liked…

I never knew I liked rice. Then I discovered authentic Indian cuisine with its basmati and jasmine rice, quite a contrast to the glop served up in 1950’s America when I was raised. Next, I discovered ...

Thai Take Out at Home

My family loves Thai food, and whenever we order takeout or dine-in, we pretty much such stick to our favorites. We always order the fresh spring rolls, green papaya salad, a curry of some sort, Pad ...

Butcher Block Time

Throughout my whole life in kitchens, there has always been one thing I’ve wanted to own. It wasn’t a sharp knife, fancy equipment, or even custom-engraved diamond plated knife steal that also ...

The Best Dish for Clearing Out Your Fridge: Fried Rice

Fried rice has a lot going for it. It's fast, it can be made with just about any set of ingredients, it's cheap to make, and—above all—it's totally delicious when made well. Unfortunately, I find ...

Devilishly Good Eggs

When I think of deviled eggs I usually think of picnics, barbeques and Easter. They are one of the most versatile snacks or appetizers that I can think of and have always screamed Americana to me. ...

Healthy Chicken Bake

I’ve had my food blog for just over 14 years, and one of the questions I get asked a lot is to lighten up a recipe or favorite family dish. Recently a woman reached out to me and asked if I could ...

Find your Adventure in Culinary Boot Camp

Machelle Lind's Culinary Boot Camp class in May 2022 was a unique one. She traveled from Duluth, Minnesota to take the class and met a slew of different types of home cooks: an emergency room doctor ...

How to Make Vanilla Extract

Vanilla has become very expensive in the past few years due to vanilla beans being difficult to grow. This flowering plant is incredibly labor intensive. Climate change plays a huge role in these ...

What Onion to Use for What Recipe?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between all of the onions you see at the grocery store? How does a white onion differ from a yellow onion? When should you use a red onion over a Vidalia ...

Green Tomato Chutney

The time has finally come for most of us in the northern U.S. to harvest the last of what we can from our summer garden. Personally I pushed it as far as I could (to the extreme detriment of our ...

Apple Whiskey-Glazed Turkey Apple Cheddar Meatballs

I recently spent a girl’s weekend in Galena with one of my best friends, Julianne. I had never been before and enjoyed soaking in the small-town vibes, quaint shops along main street, the country ...

A Little Butter (Over) Board

The interesting phenomena about food bloggers is we have contrasting takes on different trends. Last month, I was all excited to post a blog on butter boards. This trend recently took off and put ...

Take the Guesswork (and Panic Shopping) out of Holiday Wine

It may be early for holiday cooking or even the naughty-or-nice list, but there’s one thing you can get off your to-do list now – at that’s wine.

How to Eat an Actual Pumpkin

Depending on the time you are reading this article, you may have noticed fall brings in a restructuring of the grocery store. Large sections have been refitted from summer enjoyments like soft drinks ...

Learn How to Make Chicken Marsala Like a Pro

Chicken Marsala is one of those special dishes that seems only possible to enjoy in a restaurant prepared by a chef, but that’s definitely not the case. Not only is it an approachable recipe to make ...

Did your Basil Bloom?

If your garden is looking anything like ours is at this point in the season, the herbs are beginning to wane and you’re quickly realizing the time has come to clip your herbs for the last time, ...

Cold Cherry Soup

When the final days of warm weather begin to alternate with autumn chill, it makes you appreciate that warmer weather, and celebrate it. I’ll do a casual survey, thinking of all of the summer ...

Cold Cooking Gives Us Ceviche

When you hear the word “cooking” what comes to mind first? Is it the clicking of the stovetop as you turn on the flame? The smoky smell of the grill as you hear the sizzle of the food touch the ...

The Best Home Deep Fryer is Your Wok

That’s right, more wok content. If you’re a devotee of The Chopping Blog, you may be familiar with my previous work regarding the most versatile pan (that should be) in your kitchen: the wok. In my ...

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