The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

Kate S

Kate is the General Manager of The Chopping Block at the Merchandise Mart. Originally from the East Coast, she moved to Chicago 8 years ago and loves the strong food culture of the city. She loves entertaining for friends, trying new restaurants, and cooking (of course). Her friends know not to eat until she's snapped a picture of any dish! She credits her mom and grandmothers for getting her interested in cooking at an early age. Her most utilized tool in the kitchen is the recipe book her late grandmother left her. Kate also enjoys traveling and is on a mission to visit each baseball stadium in America, but even then she's really there to sample the local food!

Apricot Upside Down Cake

My fiancé loves pineapple upside down cake. Don’t get me wrong, I like pineapple upside down cake, but it strikes me as a little outdated, and in need of a revamp! One of my favorite summer flavors ...

Spicy Corn, Bacon and Candied Jalapeno Dip

I raided the refrigerator at our Lincoln Square store last Sunday in the hopes of coming up with a creative and delicious tasting for all of our guests to enjoy as they shopped. I found a few ears of ...

Hasselback Chicken

In the past few weeks, I’ve been making an effort to eat more protein and less carbohydrates. Chicken breast is one of my favorite proteins because it’s lean and so versatile. It can be cooked ...

Stuffed Crust Pizza Dip

My French Onion Dip was a hit last month when my friends joined me for the Super Bowl, so when it came time to start watching March Madness, I knew I had to come up with a dip that would be the ...

Winning French Onion Dip

Football is a big deal in my house. Sundays are spent in sweatpants, cozied up on the couch, yelling at the TV, and enjoying delicious food to go along with the games (this is an all-day affair after ...

Show True Love with Beef Wellington

I always have a hard time deciding what to make for a holiday meal. For weeks, I think about how I can top the year before, what should stay, what should go, and what I can make that will impress my ...

Rugelach for all of the Holidays

I’ve always loved the holiday season. I grew up in a household that celebrated Christmas and Hannukah, so the month of December was always fun! There was lots of good food and friends and family to ...

Apple Extravaganza

Every September, I convince my girlfriends to go apple picking, and until we go and eat half a dozen (fine, sometimes a dozen) cider donuts in the car, it never really feels like fall. There’s ...

It’s Getting (Nashville) Hot In Here!

Nashville has been on my list of places to go for a while. Between the food scene and the music scene, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. So when my friend and I found some cheap plane tickets, we ...

This Coffee Cake is Bananas

I recently was faced with an abundance of overripe bananas, and while my go-to in this situation is usually my mom’s banana bread, I was inspired by Banana’s Foster, another of my favorite banana ...