The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

Old Italian's Braciole

For many years, I cooked numerous dinners for a dear friend I fondly called The Old Italian. His cooking prowess was limited to pour-over coffee - lots and lots of coffee all day long – and to the ...

Time to Turn to Comfort Food Like Lasagna

It seems that everything eventually comes full circle. All of the things I enjoyed as I child have gained popularity in the last five years or so. All of the toys I was so fond of when I was a kid ...

Shrimp Diavolo: The Perfect Weeknight Meal

This recipe is packed with flavor and uses very simple cooking techniques. Shrimp Diavolo is a classic, slightly spicy Italian dish (where you control the heat by determining how much chili ...

Fall Risotto

I had never heard of risotto until I met my late husband who is half Italian. I can say that now, because he wished he was 100% Italian (his father was born in Florence, Italy) but his Mom was born ...

My Garganelli Pasta Journey

Making pasta has always been fun for me. I love making filled pastas like ravioli and tortellini, and I enjoy experimenting with different flavors of gnocchi. There are the noodle-shaped pastas ...

Not your Mama’s Meatballs

As we head into the cooler months, my mind begins to dream about all of the yummy comfort foods. Whether its one of the many French classics I love to make such as Coq au Vin or Beef Bourguignon, a ...

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.

A Cooking Project for You and your Kids

Over the holidays, my girlfriend's daughter Amelia had a school project in which she was assigned to make a traditional dish. The students picked a country randomly from a hat and then had to ...

Grits vs Polenta: A Match of Equal Deliciousness

When I broke in my new kitchen a few weeks ago with a dinner party for friends, the star of the show was my Asiago cheese grits with fresh herbs. Just recently, my good friend Dan Smith of The ...

How to Cook with Pancetta

Now that you know how to make pancetta, I wanted to provide a few tips on cooking with it and recipes that highlight those techniques. Although pancetta is edible in the same way bacon is, its high ...