Shelley has been teaching people to cook since she opened The Chopping Block in 1997. She spent 17 years as a professional chef, working in busy restaurants and private homes but realized her calling was to get other people to cook. Shelley’s unique concept of a recreational cooking school, gourmet kitchen store and private event business provides Chicago with over 300 cooking classes and private events each month. Shelley loves to garden and entertain for family and friends in her Lincoln Square home.
Recent Posts
Perfectly Poached Fruit
A pear perfectly poached in red wine is one of the most elegant desserts I can think of. Top it off with a little Crème Anglaise and you have elevated the lowly pear into something almost regal. I’m ...
Ten or Maybe Even More Things You Don’t Know about Meatballs
There are a million meatball recipes available online. I’m sure most of them are pretty yummy, but I’m not here to tout the best meatball recipe. I’m here to tell you what you probably don’t know ...
How to clean mushrooms is a common question we get in our cooking classes, and it's one which over the course of my career has become a more complicated one to answer. When I opened The Chopping ...
Like so many people, I have family, friends and colleagues spread all around the country. During the holidays, I make it my personal mission to connect in some way with as many of them as I can. ...
With Thanksgiving around the corner, the sales of canned cream of mushroom soup are off the charts. In fact, 40% of the entire year's sales of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup are attributed to the ...
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between all of the onions you see at the grocery store? How does a white onion differ from a yellow onion? When should you use a red onion over a Vidalia ...
Sopa de Guias con Chochoynes: Oaxaca Squash Vine Soup & Masa Dumplings
I love to garden. I love the physicality of it, I love the beauty of it, the pruning, tending and watering. I love eating fresh produce that I grew myself, and “seed to table cooking” is incredibly ...
When I moved to Southwest Michigan, I did it for several reasons, the number one being its close proximity to Chicago, where The Chopping Block is based. I love Chicago, but I also longed to live in ...
If you are like me, you think peanut sauce makes everything better. When I eat spring rolls, I likely consume more peanut sauce than the then spring rolls themselves. I just can’t stop dipping my ...
As a chef, I am always interested in expanding my knowledge and craft of cooking. I like to challenge the way that I think about cooking and eating on a regular basis. I have been cooking a lot of ...
