Erica is a Class Assistant at The Chopping Block. A recent transplant from Los Angeles, where she ran a non-profit arts and music venue and cooked up a storm for all her guests, she now enjoys exploring Chicago’s many neighborhoods and incorporating her culinary finds into new recipes. A world traveler, Erica’s favorite way to get to know a new culture is through its food and her favorite thing about working at The Chopping Block is getting to share her love of exotic cuisine with her students.
Recent Posts
Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good
This recipe has been floating around my house for years. It’s from one of my favorite cookbooks, Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table. For some reason, I had never made it before recently, which ...
For many who love baking, homemade croissants represent a particularly challenging prospect. So for those of us that don’t even like to bake, croissants can be downright terrifying! And let’s just be ...
It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through the summer already. It seems like only a few weeks ago that that I was planting my herb and vegetable garden and eagerly awaiting the first tasty ...
The past few months have been a whirlwind of epic meals: birthday dinner at Le Bernadin; Nashville Hot Chicken at its birthplace, Prince’s; rabbit and truffles in a cave in Rome; and salsiccia ...
It’s barbecue season and, while I love grilling up a storm, sides are often my favorite part of a barbecue. Beans, greens, potato salads, and my personal favorite, mac & cheese are easy dishes to ...
I took a quick food tour through some Southern states sampling BBQ, shrimp Po’ Boys, grilled oysters, crawfish and beignets last week. Despite a bevy of delicious meals, the standout winner was a ...
I had the pleasure of revisiting one of my favorite restaurants, Le Bernardin in New York City, a few weeks ago. I’ve been lucky enough to have celebrated a few milestones tucked into its chairs or ...
Chowing Down(ton): A Downton Abbey Farewell Dinner
Last week, viewers all over the United States bid a fond farewell to one of England’s favorite TV families. The highs and lows of Lord and Lady Grantham and the Crawley family have entranced a large ...
Blood oranges are one of my favorite fruits. Their sweet and tangy flesh yields a distinctly vibrant juice and they are a great addition to salads, salsas and your snack drawer!
I love New Year’s Eve. I love the excitement as the clock strikes midnight around the world, and the anticipation as the new year heads steadily towards me in whatever time zone I may be in. Last ...
