The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

How to Make Ghee

Before we get into making ghee, let's discuss what it is, what it is not and why we use it. I want to start by saying what ghee is not, which is clarified butter. Ghee is made using different a few ...

Stop Using Unsalted Butter

Conventional wisdom tells us a lot of things when it comes to cooking: searing meat seals in the juices, salt your water to make it boil faster, don’t cut raw meat on a wooden cutting board, add oil ...

A Grown-Up Version of a Childhood Favorite: Buttered Noodles

Like many of you, I sometimes struggle to cook at home. It's easier to order out or heat up a frozen meal. But cooking for yourself can be just as convenient as ordering Postmates for the fifth night ...

Recalling a Few Cookie Memories of My Youth

I’ve touched on some of the fondest food memories of my youth in a number of my blogs. Those memories for me, like a lot of us, begin with meals and desserts prepared by our mothers and ...

Understanding Butter and Making Brown Butter

Let's talk about butter. Is there anything like it? Rich, smooth, salty, or sweet, there is nothing as satisfyingly decadent. Butter sometimes gets a bad reputation, but I think that when used ...

A Delicious Moldy Cheese Butter

Cheese is known for many things including taste, mouthfeel, texture, and smell. Each cheese has its own specific flavors, some are mild and some are extremely pungent. One of the most flavorful ...

A Better Butter

Years ago I visited a friend living in Ireland. We spent days bumping down country roads in broken-down buses, drank gallons of cider, and hours drying out our rain-soaked everything. I loved the ...

A Tale of Three Crumbles

Making fresh fruit crumbles has become an obsession for me. I love developing the dessert with rich, fresh, luscious flavors from seasonal fruits. With the addition of just a few good flavorings, ...

Potatoes Anna Redux

“You like potato and I like potahto You like tomato and I like tomahto Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto. Let's call the whole thing off…”

Monster Craving

I don’t consider myself to be a baker, but I can make a pretty mean cookie. One of my ‘go to’ recipes is actually gluten free. That doesn’t mean that it’s healthy, but it does mean I can share them ...