CLASSES
Learn how to cook virtually with The Chopping Block! Our chefs have been teaching people how to cook for the past 25 years and now we can bring our expertise virtually to anyone, anywhere. Get cooking in the comfort of your own kitchen with our virtual Demonstrations and Cook Along classes. Choose from:
Our Virtual Demonstration classes, via Zoom, are a fun opportunity to watch your chef in action. During class, your chef will teach you how to prepare the dishes while you observe and take notes. Our Zoom moderator will make sure your questions submitted through the chat option are answered during class. The recipe packet will be provided upon registration. Please note that some recipe steps may be prepared ahead due to the length of the class.
Our Virtual Cook Along classes, via Zoom, will have you and your chef cooking together in real time. We’ll provide you with the recipe packet and equipment list upon registration, so you’re prepared to get cooking, and when it’s over you’ll have a meal on the table! Our Zoom moderator will make sure your questions are answered live by the chef during class.
Please note: All virtual class sales are final. All virtual students will receive a recording of the class within 24 hours of the class that is able to viewed within one week. So, if you can't attend the class live, you can take it at your leisure anytime within those seven days.
Why is one wine lemony and refreshing, while another is chewy and meaty? Why does one wine complement shrimp and another a juicy T-bone? Join Advanced Sommelier, Mary Ross, virtually as she shows you how the answers lie in four simple variables that determine all wine flavors. Learn these variables to understand how all wine is the same and each wine – sometimes each bottle – unique. We’ll also explore wine history, wine chemistry, food pairings and practice professional tasting techniques. This class is a must for entry-level wine drinkers and a fun refresher for aficionados.
Friday, January 21, 2022 6:30pm CST
Join us virtually for classes inspired by our most popular series in the history of TCB, The Building Blocks, featuring the skills and techniques all home cooks should know. Each class is designed to teach you the fundamentals of how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen, cook delicious meals by opening your taste buds, and explore the basic science behind cooking. The skills covered in class will not only be very applicable to how you cook, but also stretch your knowledge in the kitchen and broaden your palate. Sign up for all nine courses or just the ones you like, but either way each week’s curriculum will provide you with a comprehensive and concise experience in order to build your level of confidence.
Saturday, January 22, 2022 10am CST
Celebrate the Year of the Tiger by learning how to prepare Chinese favorites in this virtual class. Join us from the comfort of your own kitchen as our chef leads a live, in-person Chinese New Year class at our Merchandise Mart location while you participate virtually at home. Watch and listen to all of the real-time action via Zoom while the chef teaches you how to prepare the delicious recipes. You’ll have the opportunity to ask the chef questions in Zoom through the chat pane with the help of our moderator. If you need a technique refresher after the class, you’ll have access to the video recording for 1 week so you can review the skills covered.
Friday, January 28, 2022 6:15pm CST
Join us virtually for classes inspired by our most popular series in the history of TCB, The Building Blocks, featuring the skills and techniques all home cooks should know. Each class is designed to teach you the fundamentals of how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen, cook delicious meals by opening your taste buds, and explore the basic science behind cooking. The skills covered in class will not only be very applicable to how you cook, but also stretch your knowledge in the kitchen and broaden your palate. Sign up for all nine courses or just the ones you like, but either way each week’s curriculum will provide you with a comprehensive and concise experience in order to build your level of confidence.
Saturday, January 29, 2022 10am CST
French macarons take a bit of finesse to get that...je ne sais quoi. Join us virtually in this 2-hour intensively interactive class as our expert pastry chef guides you through every step of the technique as you learn and practice how to make these elegant cookies filled with buttercream and jam.
Saturday, January 29, 2022 2pm CST
Learn how to prepare a variety of delicious Asian dumplings and fillings in this 2-hour intensively interactive virtual workshop. Join us from the comfort of your own home as our chef shows you just how creative you can be with using store-bought gyoza and wonton wrappers to create an assortment of dumpling favorites from appetizer to main course.
Sunday, January 30, 2022 3pm CST
Join us for some great juice! No, we’re not talking about grape juice, although we will taste delicious wines! Join Advanced Sommelier, Mary Ross, in this virtual class as we talk about juicy bits of scandal that rocked the wine world (some still rocking!) and how that influences what we’re drinking today. We’ll practice tasting techniques worthy of a Master while enjoying five international wines that illustrate the discussion.
Friday, February 4, 2022 6:30pm CST
Join us virtually for classes inspired by our most popular series in the history of TCB, The Building Blocks, featuring the skills and techniques all home cooks should know. Each class is designed to teach you the fundamentals of how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen, cook delicious meals by opening your taste buds, and explore the basic science behind cooking. The skills covered in class will not only be very applicable to how you cook, but also stretch your knowledge in the kitchen and broaden your palate. Sign up for all nine courses or just the ones you like, but either way each week’s curriculum will provide you with a comprehensive and concise experience in order to build your level of confidence.
Saturday, February 5, 2022 10am CST
Did you get an Instant Pot over the holidays? Or have you had one for a while that you don’t use often enough? Our new virtual plant-based Instant Pot class features vegetarian and gluten-free recipes that can also be modified for vegans. Food writer and cookbook author Emily Paster shares healthy and delicious recipes adapted from her latest cookbook Instantly Mediterranean. You may think pressure cooking is only suited for large, tough cuts of meat, but Emily’s plant-forward dishes focus on cooking legumes, vegetables, stews and custards in the multi-cooker.
Sunday, February 6, 2022 10am CST
Join us virtually for classes inspired by our most popular series in the history of TCB, The Building Blocks, featuring the skills and techniques all home cooks should know. Each class is designed to teach you the fundamentals of how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen, cook delicious meals by opening your taste buds, and explore the basic science behind cooking. The skills covered in class will not only be very applicable to how you cook, but also stretch your knowledge in the kitchen and broaden your palate. Sign up for all nine courses or just the ones you like, but either way each week’s curriculum will provide you with a comprehensive and concise experience in order to build your level of confidence.
Saturday, February 12, 2022 10am CST
Join us for a virtual cooking class as you either cook along with our Chopping Block Chef in real time, or watch as a demonstration as our chef teaches you how to make irresistible chocolate desserts via Zoom.
Saturday, February 12, 2022 2pm CST
Join us for a virtual cooking class as you either cook along with our Chopping Block Chef in real time, or watch as a demonstration as our chef teaches you how to make irresistible chocolate desserts via Zoom.
Sunday, February 13, 2022 11am CST
Join us for a virtual cooking class as you either cook along with our Chopping Block Chef in real time, or watch as a demonstration as our chef teaches you how to make irresistible chocolate desserts via Zoom.
Sunday, February 13, 2022 2pm CST
Join us for a virtual cooking class as you either cook along with our Chopping Block Chef in real time, or watch as a demonstration as our chef teaches you how to make irresistible chocolate desserts via Zoom.
Monday, February 14, 2022 6pm CST
Join us from the comfort of your own kitchen as our chef leads a live, in-person sushi class at our Merchandise Mart location while you participate virtually at home. Watch and listen to all of the real-time action via Zoom while the chef teaches you the process of preparing and seasoning the rice, making maki rolls and nigiri, and reviews sushi vocabulary, essential tools and ingredients. You’ll have the opportunity to ask the chef questions in Zoom through the chat pane with the help of our moderator. If you need a maki-rolling refresher after the class, you’ll have access to the video recording for 1 week so you can review the skills covered.
Friday, February 18, 2022 6:45pm CST
Join us virtually for classes inspired by our most popular series in the history of TCB, The Building Blocks, featuring the skills and techniques all home cooks should know. Each class is designed to teach you the fundamentals of how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen, cook delicious meals by opening your taste buds, and explore the basic science behind cooking. The skills covered in class will not only be very applicable to how you cook, but also stretch your knowledge in the kitchen and broaden your palate. Sign up for all nine courses or just the ones you like, but either way each week’s curriculum will provide you with a comprehensive and concise experience in order to build your level of confidence.
Saturday, February 19, 2022 10am CST
Join us for our most popular class… virtually! Join our Chopping Block Chef in real time for a chopping session that’ll have you mincing, slicing, and dicing vegetables and herbs like a pro via Zoom. Knife care, selection, sharpening and honing are also covered. You’ll be able to hear and see everything the chef is doing in class, but also have the opportunity to ask questions in Zoom through the chat pane with the help of our chef/moderator. If you need a refresher after the class, you’ll have access to the video recording for 1 week so you can review the skills covered.
Saturday, February 19, 2022 2pm CST
Learn how to make a variety of pasta shapes from scratch in this virtual class. Join our chef for a 2-hour intensively interactive virtual class from the comfort of your own home as we walk you through the technique on how to prepare homemade pasta dough from scratch in real time. We’ll then use the pasta dough to prepare several shaped pastas and one filled pasta. By the end of class, you’ll have a variety of pastas you can use right away or freeze for later use. Bonus sauce recipes will be included in the packet.
Sunday, February 20, 2022 3pm CST
Single Vineyard Exposé: Understanding Wine Through Soil
We constantly talk about terroir, a sense of place that encompasses the grape-growing environment, in regards to wine and winemaking, but what does that really mean and why is it important? Join Sommelier, Christophe Bakunas, in this virtual class as he uncovers how and why wine-growing geography, climate, elevation and soil truly effect the nuances in wine. Christophe will deep-dive into why one variety of grape that grows in volcanic soil taste totally different than that same variety gown in clay or silty soil. To gain a full understanding of how this impacts wine, we’ll compare and contrast wines of the same grape varietal from small, single vineyards vs. larger vineyards that blend various terroirs found in the same region. A side-by-side tasting will illuminate how regionality and soil play a huge role as we explore 6 wines (3 of which are from single vineyards) from 3 different regions during class.
Friday, February 25, 2022 6:30pm CST
Join us virtually for classes inspired by our most popular series in the history of TCB, The Building Blocks, featuring the skills and techniques all home cooks should know. Each class is designed to teach you the fundamentals of how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen, cook delicious meals by opening your taste buds, and explore the basic science behind cooking. The skills covered in class will not only be very applicable to how you cook, but also stretch your knowledge in the kitchen and broaden your palate. Sign up for all nine courses or just the ones you like, but either way each week’s curriculum will provide you with a comprehensive and concise experience in order to build your level of confidence.
Saturday, February 26, 2022 10am CST
Join us virtually from the comfort of your own home as our chef leads a live, in-person Flavor Dynamics class at our Merchandise Mart location. Watch, listen and participate via Zoom to all of the real-time action in our kitchen while our chef explores the five basic tastes and guides you on how to make successful flavor combinations. You’ll be able to hear and see the chef interacting with the students, but also have the opportunity to ask questions in Zoom through the chat pane with the help of our moderator. Upon signup, you’ll receive the list of ingredients needed to virtually participate in the class. If you need a refresher after the class, you’ll have access to the video recording for 1 week so you can review the skills covered.
Saturday, February 26, 2022 2pm CST
Paczkis (Poonch-Keys), yeast dough, fried donuts often filled with jams and creams, are a Fat Tuesday tradition that are enjoyed before pre-Easter fasting begins. Be a part of this delicious tradition in the comfort of your own home by learning how to make these pastries from scratch in this intensely interactive 2-hour virtual workshop.
Sunday, February 27, 2022 11am CST
Join us virtually for classes inspired by our most popular series in the history of TCB, The Building Blocks, featuring the skills and techniques all home cooks should know. Each class is designed to teach you the fundamentals of how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen, cook delicious meals by opening your taste buds, and explore the basic science behind cooking. The skills covered in class will not only be very applicable to how you cook, but also stretch your knowledge in the kitchen and broaden your palate. Sign up for all nine courses or just the ones you like, but either way each week’s curriculum will provide you with a comprehensive and concise experience in order to build your level of confidence.
Saturday, March 5, 2022 10am CST
