The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

Garlic Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Blueberry Balsamic Sauce

Fourteen years ago, as a junior in college, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to spend the semester abroad, and chose to go to Florence, Italy. I immediately fell in love with the people, the ...

Try Something En"Thai"cing like Lamb Laab

I rang in New Year's Eve at one of the world’s best restaurants, Eleven Madison Park in New York. It was a dreamy dinner of elegant plating, impeccable service and subtle perfection. The food ...

Killer Kebabs on a Homemade Hibachi

When I moved to Chicago last summer, I found myself for the first time in my life with a lovely big back porch. I quickly developed an insatiable urge to grill meats, but had no grill to grill them ...

Take Matters Into Your Own Hands with our New Guide to Home Butchery

The meat case is one of the most confusing areas of the supermarket. You likely need the butcher's help deciphering the labels and identifying various cuts of meat in order to know what you are ...

Greek Pastitsio: Not Your Typical Casserole

I love a good casserole - layers of tasty goodness coming together to make a meal that fills the stomach and soothes the soul. Now, Pastitsio isn't like any of the quick weeknight meals I enjoyed as ...

Chinese Hot Pot: Wintery Warmth

Spring officially started a week ago, yet one glance at the frozen tundra that is Chicago, and you’d think it was February. That means my brain is stuck on foods that foster wintery warmth, rather ...

Weightier Winter Wines

Winter weight. No, I’m not talking about the inevitable expansion of your waistline from being stuck inside during this brutal Chicago weather. I’m talking about the natural trend of drinking fuller ...

Slow and Low

Earlier this month, I wondered where winter was. Now that it's here, I'm ready to enjoy some of my favorite comfort foods made by slow roasting and braising. In Chicago we call this thickening our ...

School of Rock meets Good Eats

Last week was an exciting Iron Chef in Teen Camp and once again, the ambition level was set to a new standard. We also had a special guest judge: my older sister Sara from Buffalo, New York, who has ...

What Do a Thousand Dollars Taste Like?

A few weeks ago, my coworker ever-so-casually called me into his office with a wine question. He told me that someone had given him a bottle of wine, and that Google had told him it was expensive. ...