The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

Take Summer Up a Notch with Fish

It’s finally summer, the season for all sorts of celebrations. If for no other reason than I-just-want-to-feel-like-myself-again, I think livin’ it up a little and getting a bit fancy “just ...

Green Bombs of Kale, Spinach, Chard and Other Leafy Greens

Are you one of those people who sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box eagerly in the winter and then, when deliveries start, you are dismayed by piles of kale, chard and spinach?

Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Aioli

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 ...

How to Make a Lattice Pie

Has your baking streak ended now the country is beginning to reopen and stay at home orders are being lifted? If you've been like so many of us over the past few months of quarantine, you've been ...

Ethel's Daughter: Quarantine Sourdough Bread Baking

Bread is a very important food in my German culture. In fact, we eat bread with almost every meal in Germany. I count myself fortunate to live near a great bakery called Phlour, a family-owned ...

How to Make Mouth-Watering BBQ Chicken

One of my family’s absolute favorite, finger-lickin’ dinners consists of BBQ chicken, baked beans, braised collard greens and cornbread. This meal is the ultimate plate of soul food and leaves us ...

Simple Sheet Pan Paella

Everyone I know is suffering from quarantine fatigue, and you may be too. But there have been a few upsides to this forced exile. We have returned to the kitchen to make many more meals at home ...

Want to Live to be 100? Cook the Right Foods

If you’re like me, your cookbooks are getting a workout during these stay-at-home days. I find it’s easier to keep busy and refrain from wallowing when engaged in physical tasks. Of course cooking ...

Chocolate Hazelnut Espresso Dacquoise

You may be asking yourself: “Dacquoise, what the heck is a Dacquoise?” In laymen’s terms, a dacquoise is a decadent classic French dessert made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue, espresso ...

Your New Signature Summer Cocktail

Most everyone has a signature something: a signature scent, a color that looks great on you, a move unique to you when dancing or sprinting down the court for a layup. I have a Signature Cocktail. ...