The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

Erin P

Erin Patsiopoulos began her career as a chemist, but took a a few fun detours and ended up in the kitchen instead. After years as an Executive Pastry Chef in the luxury hotel industry, Erin has now found a new home as a Chef Instructor at The Chopping Block where she loves passing on her love of all things carbohydrate. As a full-time working mom of a toddler, Erin's latest ongoing kitchen adventures center on "getting that kid to eat!"

Are you ready to get Bread-y? Top Tools for the Home Baker

Cold weather outside means it’s time to wake up your oven and warm up with some fresh, homemade bread. Bread making can be intimidating, but with the right tools and a few helpful tips, you’ll be ...

Homemade Candied Nuts, a Christkindlmarket Classic

Chicago's Christkindlmarket is a wonderful tradition full of sights, smells, and flavors of the holidays. From ornaments, to toys, to the famous German Gluhwein, there's something for everyone. But ...

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 ...

Your New Favorite Fried Chicken

I am an absolute fiend for using leftovers. In fact, my mania for using every last bit of EVERYTHING in the kitchen has been known to make a few eyes roll around the house. But when I looked into the ...

Fresh Picked Sweets From the Garden

One of my favorite smells of summer is the sweet and pungent aroma of my herb garden on a hot afternoon, and one of my favorite challenges is finding ways to use every single clipping! If you're a ...

10 Tools to Transform Your Treats

Baking is a science and every scientist needs the right tools for the job. Here are ten basics that will take your baking game to the next level.

Traveling Toddler Treats

It's travel season, and last month, my family set out on one of the great trials of parenthood: taking a toddler on a plane. We asked for lots of advice before we left and the one common denominator ...

Living Large with Leftover Easter Candy

I've never been one to leave well enough alone; in my world there's always a way to make it bigger, better, and tastier. I attribute a lot of this mentality to growing up in a whole family full of ...

All Natural Easter Eggs

Growing up, the annual ritual of dying Easter eggs was a big deal in my family. Not content to simply dip boiled eggs in brightly colored dyes, we were constantly looking for ways to make new and ...

Last Minute Valentine Treats

When you are a pastry chef, the bar for edible Valentine's gifts is set pretty high. In years past, I've slaved over elaborately layered tortes, hand painted candies, and even a foot-wide fortune ...

Recipes	Ingredients
Cooking Techniques	Cookbooks & Tools
Food News	Local Spots
Travel	Wine
Vegetarian	Gluten-Free
Kids	Baking & Pastry
Boot Camp	Retail

Erin P

Recent Posts

Are you ready to get Bread-y? Top Tools for the Home Baker

Homemade Candied Nuts, a Christkindlmarket Classic

Greek Pastitsio: Not Your Typical Casserole

Your New Favorite Fried Chicken

Fresh Picked Sweets From the Garden

10 Tools to Transform Your Treats

Traveling Toddler Treats

Living Large with Leftover Easter Candy

All Natural Easter Eggs

Last Minute Valentine Treats

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