I'm a sucker for quiche on any menu. When I'm traveling, I always seek out the best bakery in town to try their quiche. Paired with a green salad tossed with a bright vinaigrette, quiche is the ...
Growing up, were you the kid who helped your mom in the kitchen or did you just show up to the table when it was time to eat? If I had to pick one, it was definitely showing up to eat. However, I ...
If you’re local to Chicago, you know about Mother Nature’s wild mood swings when it comes to spring weather. One day it’s 75 degrees and sunny, and the next day it’s snowing. Despite the fluctuating ...
I remember first trying brandade when I was in culinary school and experiencing a moment of euphoria. Brandade is a Mediterranean dip consisting of pureed potatoes, salt cod, garlic and olive oil, ...
April is a special month at The Chopping Block because we celebrate our birthday (24 this year!) as well as our Executive Chef Lisa Counts’ work anniversary. With nearly 20 years in the culinary ...
I graduated from culinary school in 1986, and one of the essential cooking skills I learned was how to cook rice. Cooking rice was formula driven which made it incredibly simple to understand and ...
Burnt Basque Cheesecake: A Cheesecake Like No Other
For several months now, I’ve been toying with the idea of baking a Burnt Basque Cheesecake. The idea was first brought to my attention by my partner Fernando, who stumbled upon the recipe and thought ...
We are finally past the spring of deception and third winter which means we are inching ever closer to True Spring here in Chicago. That means that even though there is still snow in the forecast, ...
Even though Chicago has stayed stubbornly chilly over the last few days, the buds on the trees and the sun in the sky are hopeful reminders that someday, summer will be here. With farmers’ market ...
I’m passionate about a lot of foods – flats over drums when it comes to wings, smooth over crunchy if debating peanut butter, cheese curds over mozzarella sticks when I’m digging into fried cheese, ...
