The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

Lasagna: A Look Between the Layers

I love making lasagna, and it has been a Christmas tradition in our house for as long as I can remember. For Christmas Eve, we always celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes, but on Christmas day, ...

Ragú Bolognese: The Ultimate Sunday Supper

I dream about pasta on a regular basis. No joke! It’s seriously the food my dreams are made of, and I could easily eat it every day. I restrain myself from doing so, but I do try and work it into ...

Mac n' Cheese Made Easy

As the winter chill sets in and the schedules seem to get endlessly busier, I find myself looking for ways to satisfy my rich food itch. To make something that fits the need normally takes a good ...

Perfectly Al Dente Pasta in the Instant Pot

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Instant Pot. But when I recently started seeing recipe after recipe online to cook pasta in it, I was skeptical. How could the machine that miraculously ...

Let's Get Squashed

One of the best things about fall being in full swing is the multitude of squash options that become available to spice up our recipe repertoire as the weather gets cooler. Of course, there’s ...

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 ...

5-Ingredient Roasted Yellow Tomato Sauce

Welcome back to another blog post featuring our home-grown tomatoes! Earlier this month I made a delicious Onion-Tomato Jam that was fabulous on toasted sourdough bread with a sprinkling of goat ...

Caulifredo: A Cheater's Guide to Almost Alfredo and Pesto

Like a lot of other people over the past few months, I’ve chosen to rely on a delivery service for my shopping. Normally, I love to go to the grocery store. I love the colors of the produce, the ...

Duck Egg Tagliatelle with Morel Mushrooms and Asparagus

Those of you that follow my blogs regularly know I love to forage for mushrooms. I have to write at least one blog a year on how to forage, clean and cook wild mushrooms. If you want to learn more ...

Pasta Doesn't Always Have to Be Perfect

There's nothing more comforting right now than a big plate of pasta. That's why we chose Cacio e Pepe, the popular pasta dish which means "cheese and pepper" in Italian, for our first Cook Along ...