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
How to Cook a Steak Accurately
Cooking a steak is one of the most basic skills a cook can learn, and yet it is one that eludes even the best of cooks. Don’t feel bad if you haven’t mastered the art of steak cookery. How many times ...
Most people might think a chef would turn her nose up to hot dogs, but not this one! Hot dogs might seem like a low brow food to some, but I beg to differ. A hot dog is a Frankfurter, and a ...
Being from a little town in Iowa, I had no exposure to whole fresh artichokes growing up. I had never seen one, never eaten one and certainly never cooked one. I had tasted jarred and canned ...
I regularly make scones or biscuits for breakfast as a special treat. I love making these for so many reasons but especially because I think it is nearly impossible to find a good scone, or at least ...
Duck Egg Tagliatelle with Morel Mushrooms and Asparagus
Those of you that follow my blogs regularly know I love to forage for mushrooms. I have to write at least one blog a year on how to forage, clean and cook wild mushrooms. If you want to learn more ...
It's no secret that I am a rather lazy baker. When I do make the effort to bake, it is mostly for other people’s enjoyment, not necessarily my own. The first thing I baked all on my own was a pan of ...
As a general rule, I think people like to cook what they like to eat. The exception being you don’t really love sweets but your wife has a sweet tooth and your three kids can’t get enough cookies, so ...
My favorite style of English muffins is the sourdough kind, but that method is a bit involved. This is the recipe that you can use when you wake up in the morning, decide you want a fresh-baked ...
Aromatics from around the World: Mire Poix, Soffritto, Refogado, Holy Trinity
Growing up homesteading in Iowa in the 60’s and 70’s gave me tremendous exposure to fresh food. We didn’t really eat frozen or packaged food, in part because we couldn’t afford it but also because it ...
In part 3 of this series, we will focus on the third Mother Sauce: tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is one of the Mother Sauces that many people actually do make at home, and it's also one of the few ...
