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
Homemade Pizza in 20 Minutes
Yes, you heard that right - fresh homemade pizza, start to finish in 20 minutes. For most of us, that is faster than you can order delivery, a whole lot faster! Now that I think of it, it may be as ...
I think it is surprising that I haven’t written a million blogs about my grandmother Ruby, her recipes, her cooking and her garden. She was one of the most influential cooks of my childhood. Ruby was ...
Growing up during the 70’s in a small Iowa town didn’t really expose me to much in the way of Chinese food. My mom made a few attempts at cooking Chinese food, mostly inspired by the “Chinese” ...
Hair of the Dog is such a strange expression. If you have ever wondered where the expression came from, I am sure you are not alone. It comes from a seemingly nonsensical English method of treating a ...
I do not know who the heck Mrs. Miller is, but I do know she created one amazing chocolate cake recipe. Although this recipe is credited to Mrs. Miller, in my heart and mind, it is a Charlotte ...
When I was growing up, my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents convened almost every Sunday night at my home for card night! There was no money, booze or foul language involved in these card games ...
Although my family grew up homesteading - canning and preserving most of what we ate - applesauce wasn’t in the lineup. I don’t know why, but we never ate applesauce. It's likely my father didn’t ...
I don’t think there is a season I look forward to more than summer. After a long cold winter, us Midwesterners long for warm weather and sunshine like a dog loves a bone. Without fail, by the time I ...
Every gardener and every friend of a gardener I know is currently faced with the dilemma of what to do with late summer's overflowing gardens. Zucchini as big as a football, copious amounts of ...
Cocktails with the Most Aromatic Orgeat Syrup Ever
This is a great story of chef meets mixologist. I was recently teaching a virtual Trip to Hawaii cooking class on a warm August Saturday night. I noticed that one of my students was drinking a ...
