The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

How to Make Crispy Crunchy Fish Tacos Everyone Will Love

I spent a lot of time teaching our kids and teens camps this summer, and my favorite experience is seeing a young cook enjoy something they didn’t think they liked. This was the case when the teens ...

Let's Taco About It

Tacos, with their tantalizing blend of flavors and textures, have become a beloved staple in American cuisine. But these delicious handheld delights have a rich and diverse history that dates back ...

My Top Five Mexican Cookbooks

Whenever students ask me what my favorite regional cuisine is I always say that its impossible to choose a favorite because blah blah blah… but the real answer is Mexican food. Mexican food is ...

After a Long Absence, a Chef Returns to San Miguel

I’ve been traveling to the lovely colonial city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for 13 years now, and with each trip, something remarkable happens. That’s the magic of San Miguel, which you always ...

Proustian Guava Jam

As a professional chef, and all around human person, I have tasted a lot of pastries in my life. They are pretty much all amazing, but there is one that I tasted recently that will live in my memory ...

Travel to Mexico with The Chopping Block

After fun and delicious culinary adventures in France and Italy, it’s time to head south to another fabulous food enthusiast destination: Mexico!

A Chef’s Travels Through San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: Food and Faces

If you read my blogs, you know I love to write about my travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I’ve been traveling to San Miguel de Allende for 11 years now, and usually for at least a month each ...

The Latest Chapter of a Chef’s Travels: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

I’ve been traveling to the quaint city of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico for quite a few years. Whenever we visit, we always rent the exact same house that’s located close to the city’s historic ...

The Continuation of A Chef’s Travels Through San Miguel de Allende

Every year, for an entire month I travel to one of the most charming, beautiful and quaint colonial cities in Mexico, San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato. For those who have read my ...

Espe What?

Espelette. Pronounced es-pa-let, this little pepper from the southern region of France is one of my favorite ingredients and I dare say, a secret weapon in my arsenal of cooking tricks. Although this ...