The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

10 Tips for Summer Parties

Warm weather and perfect nights means it’s time to take your dinner party outside. Whether in the backyard, out on the deck or at the neighborhood park, a few simple tips will ensure an easy summer ...

3 Tips to Better Dinner Parties

There is nothing quite so enjoyable in this world as a good dinner party. Laughing, eating and drinking with friends is one of my favorite activities, and doing it in the comfort of a home rather ...

How to Throw a Fondue Party

Holiday parties can be stressful to host. Instead of choosing a cocktail party that requires lots of different appetizers to equal a full meal for your guests or even a well-planned dinner party, why ...

Why Dinner Parties Rule

Modern times seem to call for people always wanting to host a cocktail party. I get it: the vision of martini glasses clinking, and platters of all shapes and sizes holding perfectly manicured ...

A Perfect Night for Outdoor Dining

I'll admit that I’m not a huge fan of hot weather, but one of the things I do love about summer is being able to use my deck for outdoor dining. Eating a grilled turkey burger with corn on the cob ...

Brunch Board

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to entertain more often. Other than hosting major holidays, I don’t do much entertaining. Why not invite people over on a Friday night for pizza or a Sunday for ...

Say Cheese... Platters

One of my favorite things to do at The Chopping Block, besides teaching cooking classes of course, is making cheese platters. I know that it may seem like a weird thing to obsess over, but for some ...

Fun and Food-Friendly Party Wines

The party season is upon us and that means one thing: fun wines. I love discovering wines that turn every party into a great experience. Often, we go to parties without knowing what food will be ...

Make Space for Others: At the Heart of Hosting

After every meal at The Chopping Block when entree plates are cleared and dessert is dished, I can hear the intervals of conversation between family or friends and sometimes perfect strangers who ...

Easy Summer Entertaining

Once a week I get together with friends for food, drinks and silly reality shows. We all bring a dish to share, and I usually use it as an opportunity to try out a new recipe on my very patient ...