The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

The Future of the Food Market

This is my family’s grocery store in Springfield, IL circa 1934. Those ambitious, hard-working young men in the picture are four of my great-uncles, struggling to run a Depression-era business ...

A Chef's Moving Checklist

So, as the saying goes, life happens while you’re making other plans. I was all set to write a follow up to my blog The Only Four Knives You Need in Your Kitchen. And then life happened, and we moved ...

Le Creuset Mini-Cocotte Recipe: Gruyere Mac & Cheese with Crispy Bacon

Last September, I wrote about the colorful round mini-cocottes from Le Creuset that we carry at The Chopping Block. Like ramekins, mini-cocottes are perfect for cooking individual portions, but you ...

A Chef’s Tour of Lyon, France: Part 2

Since my first blog post on Lyon last December, I’ve had a lot of questions on where to find the best kitchenware and the differences between American and French cookware stores.

We Won Big at the Oscars of Housewares Retailing

Last Saturday night, The Chopping Block received an award that is the equivalent of winning an Oscar in the housewares retailing industry. It was the final step in a long journey of applications, ...

Truffle Honey and Truffle Salt: Two of our Favorite Foods

If you've ever stepped through the doors of The Chopping Block, you've probably sampled our famous popcorn and other fresh delicious treats featuring Truffled Salt. We sure do love this stuff ...

Science Says Drink 8 Cups of Water(Melon) a Day, Right?

I’ve been in full-on summer mode for weeks now and between boozy popsicles, frozés and too many barbecues, I’m feeling a little parched. That’s why I was delighted to find that I could have my ...

Why Popcorn is the Best Snack

If you've been to The Chopping Block, you know we love to sample out the products we carry in our retail stores. We usually offer a variety of popcorn with different seasonings such as our famous ...

Give the Gift of Cooking with Gift Cards

As you start to think about your holiday gift list, you may be overwhelmed trying to come up the perfect present. Maybe you know someone's favorite store, but have no idea what to pick out within it. ...

The Building Blocks of Cooking: Tools and Equipment

In the first part of the Building Blocks of Cooking series, we covered essential spices, vinegars and oils that home cooks should have in their pantries. This month, we'll highlight kitchen tools and ...

Stumped on What to Get Dad? Our Father's Day Gift Guide can Help

Buying a Father's Day gift can be hard. If your dad is like my dad, he pretty much has everything he needs. And if he doesn't, he just goes out and buys it for himself. When we do find what we think ...

Real Customer Service: Is it a Thing of the Past?

As part of the retail team at The Chopping Block, servicing our customers is the main focus of my job. Providing our customers with excellent service, education and great gourmet kitchen products is ...

You Benefit by Giving the Gift of Cooking

You may have heard we're planning a party tomorrow. DNAinfo Chicago even put out a freebie alert this week (be sure to listen to the interview) about The Chopping Block Classic. This free food and ...