The Chopping Block Cooking Blog

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 ...

Ali's Famous Coffee Cake is a Friend Maker

Long ago, I had just moved to a far-away town where I knew almost no one. Once the unpacking was nearly finished, I sat for a minute in the front window and wondered how and when I might make new ...

Summer Sides to Center Stage

You’ve heard the description, “the table was sagging under the weight its food”? This phrase is usually attributable to Thanksgiving dinner or summer barbecues, and conjures up the delights of ...

How to Make a Lattice Pie

Has your baking streak ended now the country is beginning to reopen and stay at home orders are being lifted? If you've been like so many of us over the past few months of quarantine, you've been ...

Your New Signature Summer Cocktail

Most everyone has a signature something: a signature scent, a color that looks great on you, a move unique to you when dancing or sprinting down the court for a layup. I have a Signature Cocktail. ...

Too Many Tomatoes, Onions and Squash? Try a Tian

Another Summer is coming to a close and, if you live in the Midwest like me, your garden is probably exploding with veggies. But by this time, you’ve eaten a dozen BLT’s, you’ve canned so many ...

Canning Boot Camp: The Next Step of Preservation

We did a lot of canning growing up. All four of us kids helped out: pitting cherries, snapping beans and shucking corn. My dad did the planting, and we all helped tend the gardens while my mom did ...

Fresh Creamed Corn: The Ultimate Summer Experience

You know that old saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover"? Well, I feel like that saying could easily apply to this recipe. I admit that the visual of the final dish may inspire you to jump to ...

Watermelon Wonders

My favorite summertime fruit is watermelon and with the recent heat wave, I have plenty in my fridge. Between breakfast, lunch and dinner, I think I have eaten the equivalent of one and a half ...

Grilled Ratatouille

Lots of people have summer gardens, and there is nothing more satisfying than eating the fruits of your labor for dinner. I often find myself with a lot of odds and ends in my refrigerator: a ...