The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

Shelley

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.

Duck Egg Tagliatelle with Morel Mushrooms and Asparagus

Those of you that follow my blogs regularly know I love to forage for mushrooms. I have to write at least one blog a year on how to forage, clean and cook wild mushrooms. If you want to learn more ...

Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Pie

It's no secret that I am a rather lazy baker. When I do make the effort to bake, it is mostly for other people’s enjoyment, not necessarily my own. The first thing I baked all on my own was a pan of ...

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Rhubarb

As a general rule, I think people like to cook what they like to eat. The exception being you don’t really love sweets but your wife has a sweet tooth and your three kids can’t get enough cookies, so ...

How to Make English Muffins

My favorite style of English muffins is the sourdough kind, but that method is a bit involved. This is the recipe that you can use when you wake up in the morning, decide you want a fresh-baked ...

Aromatics from around the World: Mire Poix, Soffritto, Refogado, Holy Trinity

Growing up homesteading in Iowa in the 60’s and 70’s gave me tremendous exposure to fresh food. We didn’t really eat frozen or packaged food, in part because we couldn’t afford it but also because it ...

10 Tips for Sauce Making Part 3: Tomato Sauce

In part 3 of this series, we will focus on the third Mother Sauce: tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is one of the Mother Sauces that many people actually do make at home, and it's also one of the few ...

How to Properly Heat your Pan so Food Won't Stick

Let me tell you a story that may sound familiar. There was once a man who cooked a boneless skinless chicken breast. He put his skillet on the stove and turned the heat on. He added some oil and then ...

10 Tips for Making Sauces Part 2: Espagnole

In this series, we are exploring the classic French Sauces known as the “Mother Sauces:” Velouté, Bechamel, Espagnole, Hollandaise and Tomato. These base sauces are truly the fundamental sauces in ...

10 Tips for Making Sauces Part 1: Velouté

Leave it to the French to assert that there are really only five sauces, the Mother Sauces. The idea is that the five Mother Sauces are base sauces, and by adding additional flavorings or modifying ...

The Recipe for Real Chicago Style Giardiniera

Even if you are a Chicago native, you may not realize that Chicago has its own version of Giardiniera. My father-in-law who was born and raised in Chicago recently moved out west and went into shock ...

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Shelley

Recent Posts

Duck Egg Tagliatelle with Morel Mushrooms and Asparagus

Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Pie

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Rhubarb

How to Make English Muffins

Aromatics from around the World: Mire Poix, Soffritto, Refogado, Holy Trinity

10 Tips for Sauce Making Part 3: Tomato Sauce

How to Properly Heat your Pan so Food Won't Stick

10 Tips for Making Sauces Part 2: Espagnole

10 Tips for Making Sauces Part 1: Velouté

The Recipe for Real Chicago Style Giardiniera

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