Shelley has been teaching people to cook since she opened The Chopping Block in 1997. She spent 17 years as a professional chef, working in busy restaurants and private homes but realized her calling was to get other people to cook. Shelley’s unique concept of a recreational cooking school, gourmet kitchen store and private event business provides Chicago with over 300 cooking classes and private events each month. Shelley loves to garden and entertain for family and friends in her Lincoln Square home.
Recent Posts
Down-home Pot Roast
When I was growing up, my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents convened almost every Sunday night at my home for card night! There was no money, booze or foul language involved in these card games ...
Although my family grew up homesteading - canning and preserving most of what we ate - applesauce wasn’t in the lineup. I don’t know why, but we never ate applesauce. It's likely my father didn’t ...
I don’t think there is a season I look forward to more than summer. After a long cold winter, us Midwesterners long for warm weather and sunshine like a dog loves a bone. Without fail, by the time I ...
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 ...
Cocktails with the Most Aromatic Orgeat Syrup Ever
This is a great story of chef meets mixologist. I was recently teaching a virtual Trip to Hawaii cooking class on a warm August Saturday night. I noticed that one of my students was drinking a ...
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. ...
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 dough ...
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’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 ...
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 ...
