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
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, ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
Those of you who follow me on Instagram may know that last week was a total cake-a-palooza of a week for me! I had three cakes to bake: one for my niece’s baptism and two birthday cakes. To stay as ...
Happy New Year of the Tiger! I love when my blog posts coincide with the Chinese Lunar New Year. We lived in Beijing from 1997-2000, and this celebration remains close to our hearts. It was always a ...
The children in our lives go by many endearing names: kiddos, littles, munchkins – to name but a few! Whatever your choice is, they hold a special place in our hearts and whenever we have the chance ...
I have frequently talked about “taste memories” in previous blog posts: How the taste or aroma of something brings back memories from long ago. They often take me to a place or event with loved ones ...
It’s the end of Summer, and those vegetables and herbs we’ve been patiently waiting to reach their peak all season have finally done so - I love it! Our little balcony garden is literally ...
