The Chopping Block Cooking Blog (5)

Skinny Pizza Dough Bagels

Over the years so many people have asked me “Biz, when are you going to write a cookbook?” My answer? “When someone pays me to write one!”

The Best Homemade Pizza I've Ever Made

When a chef friend of mine recently told me about his latest adventures in making homemade pizza thanks to a book called The Elements of Pizza, I knew I had to give this dough with a very long ...

Techniques for Making Challah

Even though I have been working in the food industry for over half of my life, I still have so much to learn about making bread. Other than spending a unit on breads in culinary school (which was ...

Move Over Fondue, Raclette is Where it's At

I love a good fondue party just as much as anyone. Dipping a multitude of food into melted cheese, hot oil or rich chocolate is a fun and interactive dinner with friends. But there's another cheesy ...

Birria Tacos

If you ask my fiancé what he’d like for dinner, you’ll always get the same two answers – sloppy joes or tacos. I need more variety in my life, but luckily, I too, love tacos, so I enjoy ...

Cream of the Crop Custards

I remember my custards class standing out while getting my Baking and Pastry degree at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago many years ago. It was a very early morning class and within minutes of starting, ...

Homemade Oreo Cookies will Remind you of your Childhood

I love researching recipes! If you were to look at my email inbox folder, you would find hundreds of saved recipes. Most have become like old friends that I just can’t seem to let go, and I’m ...

Sweet Potatoes are not Boring

It's that time again for everyone to commit to healthy foods and exercise. Lots of people are amped about getting on the self-betterment train and go all in with meal prep, special workouts and ...

Ultra-Crispy Baked French Fries

What is it about a crispy potato that is so appealing? Do potatoes really have that much flavor all on their own? A good olive oil is extremely tasty, but the oil we traditionally cook French fries ...

Totally Tubular Tots

The title of this blog isn't just a throwback to the 80’s, it's a deep dive into one of my favorite root vegetables: the potato. This tuber can be utilized in a multitude of different ways, which ...