The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

Sopa de Guias con Chochoynes: Oaxaca Squash Vine Soup with Masa Dumplings

I love to garden. I love the physicality of it, I love the beauty of it, the pruning, tending and watering. I love eating fresh produce that I grew myself, and “seed to table cooking” is incredibly ...

Corn-struction Season

As someone who blogs, one of my favorite things to do is peruse restaurant menus to notice food trends. We’ve all seen how one ingredient snowballs into a plethora of options for diners. Kale ...

Soups are the Key to Season Transitions

It is hard to believe that summer is winding down, and we are getting closer to fall. Fall is a beautiful time of year, and when you are in Chicago, you hope for a nice long fall season, because we ...

Savor Summer with Pickled Corn Relish

If you’ve read some of my other blogs, then you know I enjoy preserving summer produce this time of year. All the greatest produce is in season right now, and I feel like I have a duty to can and ...

Farmers Market Fritters

Show of hands: how many of you go to the first few farmers markets of the summer and buy all the things, only to get home and wonder, now what do I do with all this vegetable bounty?! 🙋🏻‍♀️

A Go-To Summer Salad: Mexican Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad

My family and I love Mexican food, and it’s something we enjoy at least twice a week. Because it’s our go-to cuisine when cooking at home, and because there are so many different ways to express ...

Summer Corn Bisque

“Biz, why are you making soup – it's summertime?!” I know I might get asked that question, but truth of the matter is that I love soup 365 days a year.

Woman of Black Excellence Writes Cookbook During Pandemic

In honor of Black History Month, when it comes to the world of food, we take the time to recognize those who made a mark in history ranging from inventors to chefs to restauranteurs to grocers. ...

It's Still Summer so Take Advantage of Tomatoes

I get that some people simply can't wait for the last minute of Labor Day to end so that they can unofficially welcome fall by breaking out their Ugg boots, sweaters and pumpkin-spice everything. But ...

Happy Birthday Julia!

Just after finishing my culinary school training, I attended a food professionals’ conference in New York. At one of the lectures, the seat next to mine remained empty until a very tall woman ...