The Chopping Block Cooking Blog (5)

Make Mexican Shrimp Cocktail This Weekend

The first time I ever experienced coctel de camarones (Mexican shrimp cocktail) was 21 years ago when my husband and I drove all the way from Chicago to Ensenada, Mexico on the Baja peninsula. Talk ...

Sheet Pan Dinners are Easy to Make and Clean Up

If you are on social media, you are likely familiar with popular cooking trends such as simple sheet pan dinners, and the viral baked feta dish that really took off recently. I personally love ...

Whole Wheat Pita Bread, Step by Step

My first experience with pita bread was 40 or more years ago in the small Midwestern town from where I am from. I don’t exactly remember what was in the pita, but I do remember thinking pita ...

Sous Vide 101

I am so excited to announce that The Chopping Block is finally offering a sous vide cooking class! It never really made sense for us in the past to offer this type of class in person due to the ...

Mini Quiches for Easter Brunch

Easter weekend is almost here. This year is flying by so far for me. How is it April already? I’ve been asked on my Instagram page “Biz, do you have any Easter recipes?” And I literally don’t have ...

Building Blocks: Past and Present

When I first started working at The Chopping Block nineteen years ago, I was an assistant to our chefs (aka dishwasher) for cooking classes at our original location in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Some of ...

How to Make and Use Preserved Lemons

My first exposure to preserved lemons was when I worked at Café du Midi some 25 years ago. Café du Midi was a very special place to work, not just because of its amazing Mediterranean-influenced ...

Yes, You Can Make Gyros at Home

When we think of gyros, most of us imagine a slowly spinning, glistening cone of delicious meat waiting to be shaved and nestled in a fresh pita or piled on top of a salad. It’s savory, juicy, full ...

Candied Orange Slices

For those of you who don’t know, we announce a cooking challenge each week in The Chopping Block's private Facebook group. If you aren't already a member, it’s a great way to connect with others ...

Here Comes the Sunchoke Tart

You know, for a minute there I thought we might never see each other again. It has been over a year since my last blog post was published on The Chopping Blog, and what a year it has been. We’ve ...