The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

Keeping it Simple: Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I was recently invited to a lavish potluck. The host requested that guests bring our best decadent dish along with a card describing the dish. As I read the invitation, my mind started working. ...

Baking and Building a Wedding Cake

I recently had the honor of making a wedding cake for a friend. I had creative control with the exception of the cake flavor, which had to be chocolate. I thumbed through my collection of recipes ...

One "Sweet" Birthday Cake

My birthday was last week, and one of my favorite things to do is to bake my own birthday cake! I get to make whatever I’m craving and it’s just plain fun for me. Sometimes eating it includes ...

Rigatoni Pie Alla Vodka: a Terrifying Challenge Conquered

I love taking on challenges in the kitchen, and they usually involve baking. But for at least two years I’ve been curious about the process of making a Rigatoni Pie.

When Inspiration Strikes: The Story of the Cannoli Cake

Have you ever had the urge to create a new and different dish but didn't have the foggiest idea of what to make? Or have you ever wondered how to put the seemingly random ingredients in your ...

5 Minute Mug Cakes

The holidays are synonymous with lots of delicious freshly baked goods. Pies, cakes, brownies, and of course, cookies all taste even more delicious when it's cold out and you want to just sit around ...

Pumpkin: More than just a Pie Filling

Pie? Sigh. Humans have been growing pumpkins for thousands of years, and we’ve been figuring out how to use them in our cooking for just as long. So why, I ask, WHY, is the pie the way that we most ...

Sugared Flowers for Mother’s Day

My wedding anniversary was a couple of weeks ago, and as my husband and I found ourselves looking through our wedding album we found a photo of our wedding cake. It made me smile, because I remember ...

Found in Translation

It’s interesting how family stories change in telling (and sometimes meaning) over time.

Tea Time: An Intermission for the Holiday Season

If you're like me, this time of year can get a little bit stressful. The hustle and bustle of cooking, baking, traveling, shopping, and working a full-time job can take a toll on one’s sanity. I ...