The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

What’s Your Favorite Black Food?

Black food is all the rage right now, from bread made with charcoal to inky cocktails. With Halloween right around the corner, I couldn’t resist stirring up something a little “darker” than my usual ...

Why You Should Try this Deep Dish Pizza Right Now

I have lived in Chicago all of my life. I grew up eating Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, and eating from plenty of other deep-dish pizza places. I want to emphasize that I have a bottomless love for ...

Keto Q&A

I’m sure by now the vast majority of people have at least heard of using the Ketogenic diet, or Keto for short, as a means to lose weight. I have had several clients tell me that they have friends or ...

Food Comics: Slow Cooker Bolognese

We are pleased to introduce Food Comics from The Chopping Block where our resident Cartoonist Tom O'Brien illustrates his cooking adventures. Here, he shows you how to make a Bolognese sauce in your ...

My Garganelli Pasta Journey

Making pasta has always been fun for me. I love making filled pastas like ravioli and tortellini, and I enjoy experimenting with different flavors of gnocchi. There are the noodle-shaped pastas ...

Beef Stew Weather is Coming

One of my favorite dishes my mom made growing up was beef stew. Beef was on our table at least two nights a week, if not more. That’s probably where my love of beef stems from, however I have a twin ...

Easy Homemade Tomato Paste

I got a little ambitious at the farmer’s market the other week and bought a lot of end of season tomatoes at a great price. The week got away from me, and I found myself with a lot of the tomatoes ...

Not your Mama’s Meatballs

As we head into the cooler months, my mind begins to dream about all of the yummy comfort foods. Whether its one of the many French classics I love to make such as Coq au Vin or Beef Bourguignon, a ...

A Culinary Adventure in Mexico

For years now, I’ve written blogs about my love for the city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I’ve written about the food, culture, restaurants, chefs, places to visit, as well as some of the ...

Savor Summer with Peach Basil Bread

Like a lot of you, I’m really trying to hold on to those last few days of summer. I’m still enjoying the harvest from the garden on my deck, eating outside whenever I have the opportunity and going ...