Treat Yourself to a French Breakfast and Make a Clafoutis
The French dish called clafoutis (kla-foo-tee) sounds very complicated and intimidating, but it’s actually the opposite. Don’t be fooled by it’s fancy-sounding name! It’s a very ...
Grilling season is one of my favorite times at The Chopping Block. Who wouldn’t want to have a chef make food for you in one of our demonstration-style grilling classes like Italian Surf and Turf ...
I absolutely love fall and all the things that come with it – cooler temperatures, beautiful foliage, pumpkin patches and warm drinks, but I get most excited about everything apple!
If you love your Instant Pot and air fryer as much as I do, or even if you haven't even taken your appliances out of the box yet, today is a big day. Instantly Mediterranean by Emily Paster is here, ...
It is hard to believe that summer is winding down, and we are getting closer to fall. Fall is a beautiful time of year, and when you are in Chicago, you hope for a nice long fall season, because we ...
Every gardener and every friend of a gardener I know is currently faced with the dilemma of what to do with late summer's overflowing gardens. Zucchini as big as a football, copious amounts of ...
Butter Chicken: A Delicious Dinner in 3 Easy Steps
Butter chicken is one of those iconic dishes most people love to order at their favorite Indian restaurant, but would never dream about making from scratch. It’s too time consuming and involves so ...
When coming up with an idea for dinner or creating menus for classes, I always try and think of how to tie all of the ingredients together and nothing does that better than an awesome sauce. To me, ...
I love a good food trend, especially if it involves carbs. I jumped on the Garden Focaccia bandwagon as well as Pretzel Focaccia last summer, tested the no-churn ice cream trend a few years ago, ...
It is almost Delicata squash season! I have seen a couple of people on Instagram already start posting recipes using my favorite vegetable. Not sure why it has such a short season, but when I get ...
I really miss our annual, month-long vacation trips to the lovely, idyllic town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Soon after arriving, we always make it a habit of stopping in at one of our ...
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 ...
Watermelon-Tomato-Feta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
I absolutely love watermelon. It’s delicious and refreshing, and there’s just something about it that screams summer! I make every effort to eat, drink, and incorporate as much watermelon in my ...
Grilled Peach and Avocado Salsa: Your Next Go-To Summer Condiment
We’re so lucky to have neighbors that leave Michigan peaches at our doorstep! Because buying peaches at the grocery store can be such a gamble, and after being disappointed time after time I don’t ...
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. ...
My mom and I just got back from a trip to Michigan for a long weekend. One thing neither one of us had done before is pick blueberries so we quickly remedied that! They are one of our favorite fruits ...
During this pandemic just about everyone jumped on the bread bandwagon. I think learning how to make sourdough bread was basically everyone’s bucket list recipe during this time - so much so that ...
Growing up my mom always made something she called pull-apart garlic bread. It was pieces of bread dough covered in garlic butter, piled in a loaf or Bundt pan, and baked until golden brown. It was ...
Picnic Panna Cotta: A Refreshing, No-Bake Summer Dessert
I was recently tasked with bringing dessert to a family dinner, but with the hot weather beating down on us I immediately knew there was no way I was going to fire up my oven to bake anything. So I ...
If you have a fig tree (or access to one), you know the season is short and sweet. It's literally about two weeks during early July where I live in Florida. During those couple of weeks, anyone who ...
How odd to talk about apples now, right? We have an abundance of fresh Summer fruits and berries available, and I’m suggesting you cook with apples? But stick with me for a minute! What’s one of ...
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 ...
My dear friend Kathleen introduced me to stuffed grape leaves or Dolmas. She was a consummate entertainer; she really knew how to throw a fun party. She was an equally great cook; her food was ...
I am going to let you all in on a little secret which may probably shock you: I don’t love lobster like most folks. This may be an unpopular opinion, but that is where I stand! Lobster has always ...
Show of hands: how many of you go to the first few farmers markets of the summer and buy all the things, only to get home and wonder, now what do I do with all this vegetable bounty?! 🙋🏻♀️
Switch Up Flag Cake for Brownie Fruit Pizza this Fourth of July
For as long as I can remember, I’ve made a flag cake every Fourth of July, and it’s become an integral part of my summer holiday tradition. I often spent the Fourth of July on a Sebec Lake in Maine ...
I’m not sure the return of fresh peas can match the excitement of the return of summer concerts, especially Chicago’s beloved Lollapalooza, but it is something to be celebrated. Pea shoots, pea ...
PRIDE. It is such a powerful word that means something different to everyone. When I hear that word, I feel it is a word of strength, honor and dignity. It is one of the best words to describe the ...
I’ve never been a huge fan of the summer months. Even as a kid, summer wasn’t my favorite time of year. All the other kids would be relishing summer months off from school. But, I couldn’t wait for ...
Summer officially starts this weekend, farmers markets are in full swing, and seasonal fruit is plentiful! A couple of weeks ago, we held a hands-on pie and tart class, and I had some leftover ...
I love to entertain, and since the world is starting to finally reopen, I’m really excited to get back to gathering together with friends and family to enjoy and share delicious food. One of my ...
June is when Summer kicks off and Mother Nature teases us from time-to-time with hot weather days. It gives us a reason to hang out at the beach and pull that grill out, as we celebrate Pride ...
Until I was seven years old, I lived on a small homestead - my grandparents lived on one side and my great grandparents on the other. We grew sweet corn, my grandparents grew green beans, my great ...
If a sci-fi movie and a high school biology class had a child, it’d be tempeh. It sort of looks like a brain and involves fermentation (a process that is just as complex as a brain’s), but don’t ...
A Go-To Summer Salad: Mexican Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
My family and I love Mexican food, and it’s something we enjoy at least twice a week. Because it’s our go-to cuisine when cooking at home, and because there are so many different ways to express ...
“Biz, why are you making soup – it's summertime?!” I know I might get asked that question, but truth of the matter is that I love soup 365 days a year.
Grilling season is in full swing at The Chopping Block, and one of my favorite grilling classes is New Orleans Brunch on the Grill. We make Cajun grilled shrimp skewers with remoulade, BBQ baked ...
Seeing as I’ve got less than ninety days to rock a wedding dress, I’m really making an effort to make healthier eating choices and up my exercise. Luckily, I’m a veggie lover, so eating vegetables ...
Strawberry season leaves me swooning! I can’t help it. For me, it’s the sign that Summer has really, truly arrived… and with it, all the fresh and wonderful foods that the season brings. With this ...
I want to let you all in on a not-so-secret confession: I am a chocoholic! They say a day without chocolate is like day with no sunshine, but I wouldn’t know because I eat a bit of chocolate every ...
Who doesn’t love empanadas? They are the perfect size hand-held treat, and can be sweet or savory depending on what mood you’re in. Savory empanadas can be filled with meat, seafood, cheese or ...
As life slowly returns to some semblance of what it was like in 'before times', I've been thinking back over the past year. Most of it was pretty awful thanks to the pandemic, but there were a few ...
The first sighting of a robin. The vivid green on the grass after it rains. A redbud tree bursting with blooms. All of these things help remind us that we are in a new season of the year and it makes ...
I absolutely love burgers. I mean, what’s not to love? Earlier this year, I successfully waited in a line to get free Big Macs for a year, so if that doesn’t prove my love of burgers, what will?
We officially kicked off grilling season last Wednesday with a hands-on grilling class on Cinco de Mayo. On Saturday, we had our first demonstration class on the Lincoln Square patio with one of ...
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 ...
Spring has arrived and with it comes one of my favorite vegetables: asparagus! While asparagus is luckily usually found year-round in grocery stores, like most produce, it has a peak season. You ...
My mom worked full-time and between work and taking care of four kids, it didn’t leave a whole lot of time for baking. We didn’t have a lot of money, so buying premade cakes and cookies was not an ...
I'm a sucker for quiche on any menu. When I'm traveling, I always seek out the best bakery in town to try their quiche. Paired with a green salad tossed with a bright vinaigrette, quiche is the ...
I remember first trying brandade when I was in culinary school and experiencing a moment of euphoria. Brandade is a Mediterranean dip consisting of pureed potatoes, salt cod, garlic and olive oil, ...
Burnt Basque Cheesecake: A Cheesecake Like No Other
For several months now, I’ve been toying with the idea of baking a Burnt Basque Cheesecake. The idea was first brought to my attention by my partner Fernando, who stumbled upon the recipe and ...
I’m passionate about a lot of foods – flats over drums when it comes to wings, smooth over crunchy if debating peanut butter, cheese curds over mozzarella sticks when I’m digging into fried cheese, ...
I am one of those people who gets super pumped with every season changing. I love the sunshine in the summer, the color wheel of fall, the peacefulness of a winter snow and the regeneration that ...
There is nothing more special to me than perfectly light, fluffy, pillowy gnocchi! Sometimes that texture can be hard to achieve, though. I know I have eaten my fair share of dense and tough ...
The first time I ever experienced coctel de camarones (Mexican shrimp cocktail) was 21 years ago when my husband and I drove all the way from Chicago to Ensenada, Mexico on the Baja peninsula. Talk ...
If you are on social media, you are likely familiar with popular cooking trends such as simple sheet pan dinners, and the viral baked feta dish that really took off recently. I personally love ...
My first experience with pita bread was 40 or more years ago in the small Midwestern town from where I am from. I don’t exactly remember what was in the pita, but I do remember thinking pita ...
Easter weekend is almost here. This year is flying by so far for me. How is it April already? I’ve been asked on my Instagram page “Biz, do you have any Easter recipes?” And I literally don’t have ...
When we think of gyros, most of us imagine a slowly spinning, glistening cone of delicious meat waiting to be shaved and nestled in a fresh pita or piled on top of a salad. It’s savory, juicy, full ...
You know, for a minute there I thought we might never see each other again. It has been over a year since my last blog post was published on The Chopping Blog, and what a year it has been. We’ve ...
Fires, Family and Food: Celebrating Women's History Month
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we honor the women who have placed a stamp on history and acknowledge today’s trailblazers who are known to break barriers. The moment someone says a woman ...
Most of us are fortunate to be able to enjoy all types of citrus all year long. You may not know this, but citrus season is actually during winter. Citrus is the perfect little pick me up to get ...
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! By the time you are reading this blog, you probably already have your corned beef and cabbage cooking, your green shirt pressed and maybe a pint or two in the fridge. If you ...
What’s better than a delicious fudgy brownie? A triple boozy brownie, of course! When I studied abroad 15 years ago, I spent a weekend in Dublin, Ireland. It was a beautiful place with friendly ...
I love working with shrimp because they are very accessible, versatile, simple and quick to prepare, high in protein and omega 3s, low in fat, and most importantly… delicious! I always have a bag ...
We are starting to see warmer temps and the snow melting in Chicagoland, and I can smell the spring weather right around the corner. For whatever reason, spring season makes me think of pie!
Once we are able to safely travel again, New Orleans is at the top of my list, specifically for Jazz Fest which is hopefully happening in the fall. Not only does this city have the most amazing ...
If you frequent social media, specifically TikTok, chances are that you’ve seen the viral baked feta pasta. I absolutely love one dish wonders, as I call them, where you essentially create an entire ...
As I look out my window, it is hard to believe that spring is around the corner. There is about two feet of snow in my yard, and snow shoes are the ideal footwear for the trek from my home to ...
We’ve all been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, but what about the COVID-15 (or even 20) weight gain? It’s obviously been a stressful year, and to top that, it’s been cold and snowy for many, ...
When I want to learn, teach, or write about a new culinary technique, I tend to go down various rabbit holes of online research, cookbooks, recipe testing, and trial and error to figure out how to ...
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 ...
There is classic saying that you always remember your first. Does that phrase ring true for you? I thought of that today because this is my first “official” blog post for The Chopping Block, and I ...
I had so many food issues as a kid. Most of them are behind me now, except when it comes to coconut. I have to admit to still holding on to my strong dislike for it. As hard as I’ve tried, its ...
My fiancé touts himself as the superior gift giver in our relationship, and I really can’t argue his point. His gifts are thoughtful, practical and luckily for me, are often geared towards my love ...
When we think about ribs, we typically associate them with a low and slow cooking process. This cooking technique is appropriate for a slab because the gentle, long cook time breaks down the tough ...
You can’t get very far in America without running into a donut shop. We have embraced the history of this dessert found all over the world and made it into our own. Of course, doughnuts as we know ...
When a chef friend of mine recently told me about his latest adventures in making homemade pizza thanks to a book called The Elements of Pizza, I knew I had to give this dough with a very long ...
Even though I have been working in the food industry for over half of my life, I still have so much to learn about making bread. Other than spending a unit on breads in culinary school (which was ...
If you ask my fiancé what he’d like for dinner, you’ll always get the same two answers – sloppy joes or tacos. I need more variety in my life, but luckily, I too, love tacos, so I enjoy ...
I remember my custards class standing out while getting my Baking and Pastry degree at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago many years ago. It was a very early morning class and within minutes of starting, ...
Homemade Oreo Cookies will Remind you of your Childhood
I love researching recipes! If you were to look at my email inbox folder, you would find hundreds of saved recipes. Most have become like old friends that I just can’t seem to let go, and I’m ...
What is it about a crispy potato that is so appealing? Do potatoes really have that much flavor all on their own? A good olive oil is extremely tasty, but the oil we traditionally cook French fries ...
The title of this blog isn't just a throwback to the 80’s, it's a deep dive into one of my favorite root vegetables: the potato. This tuber can be utilized in a multitude of different ways, which ...
We've been missing out on a lot of our favorite events over the past year, including one that's very special to me - the Christkindlmarket in Chicago. I'm sure most of you are probably familiar ...
I was tasked with making dinner the other night, and had absolutely no idea what to prepare. I had fresh salmon to work with, which was a step in the right direction, but when I opened my fridge ...
Garlic Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Blueberry Balsamic Sauce
Fourteen years ago, as a junior in college, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to spend the semester abroad, and chose to go to Florence, Italy. I immediately fell in love with the people, the ...
I love making lasagna, and it has been a Christmas tradition in our house for as long as I can remember. For Christmas Eve, we always celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes, but on Christmas day, ...
I am not the biggest dessert fan in the world, but I do love dessert for breakfast. I especially love donuts for breakfast and even more, when they are extremely fresh, warm and just out of the fryer.
This rich chocolate pudding will surely satisfy all of your chocolate cravings. Made with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry and fridge, this is a simple recipe and easy to make. ...
I live alone. But even when my family lived with me, I still mostly ate alone because of a few reasons. First, our schedules were different. Before quarantine and working from home, I had a ...
Being from the South, I've had lots of Chicken and Dumplings in my life. Everyone has their preference of how to make this dish, especially the dumplings. Some people like super thin noodles while ...
I dream about pasta on a regular basis. No joke! It’s seriously the food my dreams are made of, and I could easily eat it every day. I restrain myself from doing so, but I do try and work it into ...
I love surprises, so Secret Santa exchanges are right up my alley. It used to be that you wrote your “wish list” on a piece of paper, or had no wish list at all and hoped your Santa knew you well ...
One of the things I love most about cooking is serving other people my food. I love to see people enjoying what I have created and hopefully inspire them to make something of their own. It brings ...
I love peanuts and peanut-y dishes: Kung Pow Chicken, peanut sauce, peanut butter cups, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter pie and of course, peanut brittle. I always loved the taste of peanut ...
Back in the early days of The Chopping Block 20+ years ago, I was working on holiday curriculum with my fellow Chef Instructor Lisa Futterman. We thought a candy class was a no brainer, after all, ...
The kids are out of school for the holidays, and some of you are taking a break from work this week even if that means just staying out of your home office this year. With all of this extra time on ...
As the winter chill sets in and the schedules seem to get endlessly busier, I find myself looking for ways to satisfy my rich food itch. To make something that fits the need normally takes a good ...
In my last blog, I mentioned how during these months of lockdowns (self-imposed and otherwise), I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with recipes. Several of them have been inspired by the fact ...
Like it or not, it is fruitcake season. In Germany, we have Stollen, which a fruit bread of nuts, spices, and dried or candied fruit coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and Lebkuchen, which ...
This holiday is most likely going to look different to everyone this year. There may have been job loss this year, and most of us are planning smaller family get togethers. But one great thing about ...
Several years ago, I decided that we should try to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our lifestyle. I had heard the concept “Meatless Monday” and thought it would be a fun way to remember to ...
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Instant Pot. But when I recently started seeing recipe after recipe online to cook pasta in it, I was skeptical. How could the machine that miraculously ...
On a recent grocery run, I came across an orange tomato-like fruit, the persimmon. As a self-proclaimed “foodie,” I love finding foods that I’ve never tried. I’ve seen persimmons plenty of times ...
One of my favorite warming winter recipes is Coq au Vin, or chicken braised in wine. I think Coq au Vin is to chicken what Beef Bourguignon is to beef. It takes an ingredient as simple as chicken ...
Mexican Tortilla Soup: Your New Go-To Soup This Winter
After feasting on Thanksgiving leftovers all weekend, my palate was in need of some new and exciting flavors. I was also looking for a creative way to use up the turkey stock we made with our ...
At the beginning of the year, Cuba was on my list of places to travel in 2020. Thanks to the pandemic, it’ll have to remain on my list (which is growing as the months pass) a bit longer. I ...
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and although things may have looked differently this year, there are some things that remain the same: leftovers! All month long, The Chopping Block has hosted a ...
I have had an idea for a book called “Pickled Ginger” for years. No, it’s not a cookbook and nor does it really have much connection with cooking at all. The idea stemmed from my own experience ...
There are likely to be some empty seats around your Thanksgiving table this year, or even a computer at the head with your family members joining via Zoom. Health officials have urged people not to ...
When I was younger, I would hang out in the kitchen with my grandma, who was always cooking up a big pot of food. Even though it was just her and her sweetie at home, she still cooked for a small ...
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars: Your New Holiday Favorite
With the Thanksgiving holiday just a few days away, I think we’re all taking a step back to re-evaluate what things might look like this year. Many of us are cooking for a smaller number of people, ...
If you live in Chicago like me, you have to admit we have been pretty lucky with the weather so far this fall. That's been great news for all of the outdoor grilling classes we've hosted on our ...
I know I’m not alone on this, but for the past several months while on a self-imposed (and at times, a state-imposed) lockdown, I spent a lot of time experimenting with recipes. It all began with ...
My daughter and son-in-law go to Starbuck’s at least once a day. Sometimes twice! When they lived with me, they would always ask me if I wanted anything, and usually I said no (that’s the frugal ...
I love squash – roasted, sautéed, sweet, savory, in a pie, and in risotto. While this risotto is absolutely delicious, it is unlike most traditional risotto recipes. Here we are using pearled ...
I have never been obsessed like some people are with pumpkin spiced lattes, pies, candles and other things of that nature. Don’t get me wrong; I love those flavors all year round, and pumpkin pie ...
When I was a kid, I always knew that we were getting close to Thanksgiving once I smelled my mom’s Orange Cranberry Bread. As the reigning Chopping Block Queen of Quick Breads, I decided that ...
I celebrated my 18th anniversary at The Chopping Block this past Monday. 18 years! That means that: I am old. I have been involved in 18 different Customer Appreciation Days over my time at this ...
I’ll do just about anything to get my kids to eat spinach. Things are obviously a bit crazy in the world right now, and it can be such a battle these days to consistently get veggies in their diet, ...
Every time I visit my sister and brother-in-law in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I insist on eating as many dishes with chilies as possible. I say to them all of the time, "I have to eat all of the chilies!" ...
Toward the end of summer, I had a unique opportunity to help a friend who keeps bees harvest their honey. It was a very special day for me as I have a real interest in keeping bees and this was my ...
The crisp fall weather has been great lately. Leaving off the furnace, and letting the cool, gentle breeze blow in through the windows has been so refreshing. And then yesterday, it snowed. Talk ...
One of the best things about fall being in full swing is the multitude of squash options that become available to spice up our recipe repertoire as the weather gets cooler. Of course, there’s ...
I know I’m a bit late to the party, but I just started watching the Great British Baking show, and I’m absolutely enamored with it. I’m on collection 3, and it’s down to just 4 contestants. Eeek! ...
