The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

What to Do with Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and although things may have looked differently this year, there are some things that remain the same: leftovers! All month long, The Chopping Block has hosted a ...

How to Make Pickled Ginger

I have had an idea for a book called “Pickled Ginger” for years. No, it’s not a cookbook and nor does it really have much connection with cooking at all. The idea stemmed from my own experience ...

A Different Thanksgiving Table

There are likely to be some empty seats around your Thanksgiving table this year, or even a computer at the head with your family members joining via Zoom. Health officials have urged people not to ...

Old-Fashioned Egg Noodles

When I was younger, I would hang out in the kitchen with my grandma, who was always cooking up a big pot of food. Even though it was just her and her sweetie at home, she still cooked for a small ...

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars: Your New Holiday Favorite

With the Thanksgiving holiday just a few days away, I think we’re all taking a step back to re-evaluate what things might look like this year. Many of us are cooking for a smaller number of people, ...

The Great Lemony Escape

From time to time a nice change up or escape is always nice, and due to current events, travel is not the best choice in my opinion. My lovely wife got the baking bug this weekend, and she found a ...

Cozy up to a Bowl of Soup this Season

If you live in Chicago like me, you have to admit we have been pretty lucky with the weather so far this fall. That's been great news for all of the outdoor grilling classes we've hosted on our ...

Delving into the Simplicity of Snacking Cakes

I know I’m not alone on this, but for the past several months while on a self-imposed (and at times, a state-imposed) lockdown, I spent a lot of time experimenting with recipes. It all began with ...

Achieve your Culinary Goals with Private Lessons

Have you ever wanted to learn how to cook or bake something specific? Perhaps you were inspired by The Great British Bake Off so you watched some how-to videos on YouTube then experimented with ...

Vanilla Bean Scones

My daughter and son-in-law go to Starbuck’s at least once a day. Sometimes twice! When they lived with me, they would always ask me if I wanted anything, and usually I said no (that’s the frugal ...