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Karen D

Karen D
Karen is a Virtual Moderator and Class Assistant at The Chopping Block. Her mother was first-generation Italian and her grandparents lived nearby, so eating meals together was always a focus and holidays meant lots of people, courses, and “old country” traditions. This love of good food grew into a passion for cooking, and no matter where in the world she has traveled or lived, Karen has always found that food is what brings people together. She finds the best way to unwind and relax is to spend time cooking or baking, whether it’s trying something new or preparing a “tried and true” meal – her husband says she literally sings in the kitchen! At The Chopping Block, Karen enjoys sharing that joy with guests, hoping to spark that same love of cooking in their lives.

Recent Posts

Roasted Pears for Salads or Just Snacks

Last week was Thanksgiving and amidst all the “favorites” and “must haves” I usually like to slide in a little something fun and different. This year it was a salad with a whole roasted pear half ...

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Hot Steel Cut Oatmeal – Fast

Many see the onset of cooler weather as ringing in soup season – and count me as one of those many! But when my feet hit that cold floor first thing in the morning, soup isn’t on my mind as much as a ...

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A Lighter Eggplant Parmigiana

I love eggplant parmigiana, and with eggplants being in abundance this time of year, I’ve found myself absolutely craving the dish. However, I wanted a simpler preparation, something that didn’t ...

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Pretty and Easy Zucchini

Zucchini season is upon us once again, and I’d like to share with you my go-to ways to prepare it. It’s easy and versatile and the char on the zucchini makes it pretty enough to serve to company. It ...

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Easy Eggplant Involtini

My husband and I love eggplant, and I never tire of finding different ways to prepare it. “Involtini” translates to “rolls” or “little bundles,” and I think I’ve truly fallen in love with these ...

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Chocolate Pasta Anytime

Does this title leave you a little skeptical? Chocolate pasta? Pasta for dessert? Really? Well, when I first learned there was such a thing, it definitely left me wondering! It was Winter 2021, ...

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Rethinking Spaghetti Squash

To be perfectly candid, historically, I have not been a fan of spaghetti squash. Setting aside for a moment that it was not enough like real spaghetti to live up to its name, it always turned out too ...

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Did your Basil Bloom?

If your garden is looking anything like ours is at this point in the season, the herbs are beginning to wane and you’re quickly realizing the time has come to clip your herbs for the last time, ...

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Playing with Angel Food

I love angel food cake and when a client asked me to bake one for her birthday earlier in the summer, I couldn’t have been happier. She wanted all the trimmings – raspberries spilling over from the ...

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Perfectly Peel-able Eggs

I always feel like the need for peeled hard-boiled eggs seems to grow exponentially with the onset of Summer! My personal favorite ways to use them include sliced hard-boiled eggs in my picnic potato ...

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Most Recent Posts

Bite Into a Good Book: The Ultimate Summer Reading List for Foodies

  Each summer, with nightly lesson planning not consuming my time, I put reading on my to-do...Read more

An Intro to the Green Papaya Salad World

  It’s been a hot summer so far, and when the heat rolls in, my family craves something...Read more

Walleye Catch and Cook

I recently went on a canoeing trip in the boundary waters of northern Minnesota. In addition to all...Read more

Experience a Multi-Course Filipino-Cuban Tasting Menu

Bayan Ko, featuring a Filipino-Cuban fusion tasting menu, sits just outside of the Montrose brown...Read more

Mother Nature Outshines Wine Rules

Growing up in the countryside, I learned a healthy respect for weather. We had galoshes for rain,...Read more

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