The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

Picking Stew Meats Made Simple

When the weather outside is frightful and your belly craves something delightful…. That may not be an award-winning version of the song, but the concept of hunkering down in the cold months and ...

Kitchen Sink Cooking of Comfort Food

Winter hit us right in the face with over 16 inches of snow in two days. It had been somewhat of a mild winter here in Chicago, but not anymore!

The Quest for Fried Chicken, Southern Illinois Style

Fried chicken is one of my favorite comfort foods: crispy, juicy, savory, mouth watering, fried chicken. I have distinct memories of when my mother would make fried chicken in her cast iron skillet. ...

Cheesy Comfort

As the weather starts to warm up, time is running out for decadent winter comfort foods. You know the ones I’m talking about: braised short ribs, slow roasted pork shoulder, etc. As much as I love ...

So Co Roots

You are thinking one of two things right now: either having a drink of Southern Comfort and lime or "Yes! Another blog about comfort food!" I know it seems as if we are a little obsessed these days ...

Creature Comforts

Comfort food is a broad term which symbolizes tradition, nostalgia and a sentimental feeling of warmth. Everyone has a different idea of what comfort food is to them. For some, their favorite comfort ...

The Chopping Block Classics: Revolutionized

Tonight’s dinner was Fried Chicken, Potato Salad and Apple Pie. I know you must think I have fallen off of the healthy eating bandwagon, but I assure you my friends this is NOT the case. I recently ...

For the Love of Meat

Spaghetti Western

In its heyday from 1880 to 1920, Ellis Island greeted about 12 million immigrants to America. Spaghetti and meatballs was not one of them. Though derived from the Sicilian dish called polpette, which ...

The Comfort of Smoked Paprika

This is the time of year when I begin approaching the winter blues. It’s gray outside for days on end, the snow is all muddy and slushed from tire grit, and it seems that spring is an eternity away.