The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

New Cupcake Class: Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

I’m so lucky to work alongside such talented chefs and assistants at The Chopping Block. They give me inspiration, motivate me and teach me new things (culinary and otherwise). We are truly a team ...

Boost your Mood with Food

Have you ever gone through a period of time where you just don’t feel like cooking? You get stuck in a rut and find yourself going out to dinner, driving thru or ordering takeout way too much than ...

Playing with Angel Food

I love angel food cake and when a client asked me to bake one for her birthday earlier in the summer, I couldn’t have been happier. She wanted all the trimmings – raspberries spilling over from the ...

Old Fashioned Peach Cream Pie

When I moved to Southwest Michigan, I did it for several reasons, the number one being its close proximity to Chicago, where The Chopping Block is based. I love Chicago, but I also longed to live ...

A Pastry Revolution

In summer I am pretty much always looking for an excuse to have a nice little treat. To be honest, most of the year I am looking for an excuse to treat myself (and my wife, I suppose). Finished all ...

More Recipes for your Le Creuset Mini Cocottes

The number one question I get asked when I am on the retail floor at The Chopping Block is: What are these cute little Dutch oven thingies and how do you use them? If you are not familiar, cocottes ...

The Perfect Beginner’s Bread

Baking bread can be an intimidating undertaking for even an experienced home cook. There are so many new variables to consider, and vocabulary to master, not to mention all the different types of ...

A Tale of Two Frostings

Those of you who follow me on Instagram may know that last week was a total cake-a-palooza of a week for me! I had three cakes to bake: one for my niece’s baptism and two birthday cakes. To stay as ...

Grandma Ruby’s Peanut Butter Fingers

I think it is surprising that I haven’t written a million blogs about my grandmother Ruby, her recipes, her cooking and her garden. She was one of the most influential cooks of my childhood. Ruby ...

Triple Chocolate Pudding Pie

This pie isn’t for amateurs. This is a hard-core, chocolate-lover's dessert, so get ready for the ultimate chocolate experience. This pie utilizes three different types of chocolate including cocoa ...