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A Chef’s Travels Through San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
I love traveling. As a chef, it gives me inspiration for my greatest passion: cooking. Every year, I journey to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. My trip always begins with dropping off luggage at the...
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Taking the Tradition out of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but it seems to be so stressful for so many people. It’s their first time cooking. They are trying to impress so and so. Somebody is a vegan. Managing to make all...
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Soup’s On
Whether we like it or not, winter is approaching quickly. Here in Chicago, it seems to come way too early and last way too long. So with that, we find ourselves coping by finding the silver linings,...
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Why You Should Always Have a Camera When You Cook
When you have a dinner party and you have to write a blog a few days later, you might want to have a camera nearby to take photos of that gorgeous and delicious meal that you just prepared. However, I...
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I Know a Guy (A Fish Tale)
I love seafood; nothing makes me happier than fresh oysters, grilled whole fish or every kind of Shrimp Bubba ever mentioned! Having grown up in South Carolina, I became accustomed to a certain level...
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Feeling Pudgy? Salad to the Rescue
If you’re anything like me, the last thing you want to eat on a cold winter’s day is salad. Unfortunately, my pants seem to be shrinking by the day, so I thought I would share an awesome recipe. This...
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Celery Root: An Ugly but Beautiful Vegetable
On the outside, celery root, also known as celeriac, is unmistakably ugly. But the knobby root vegetable has an inner beauty that is worth discovering. The root of the celery...
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Most Valuable Ingredient: Chickpeas
There’s nothing less appealing at a summer barbecue than a table full of heavy, mayo-based salads. Don’t get me wrong, I love potato salad as much as the next Southerner. But the food sanitarian in me...
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That’s Peachy: The Sequel
It’s that time of the year again. As we head into summer, peach season begins! The almighty peach is back. I declared my love for the peach last summer. Now that it has returned, so has my inspiration....
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Charred Summer Salad
Q: How do you get more flavor from your vegetables if you’re not allowed to have a grill on your apartment balcony? A: You char them in a cast iron skillet or fire roast them on the stove top! I...
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Discovering Napa
With that title, I am sure you are thinking that I am going to write about Napa Valley, a favorite wine region in northern California, and one of the loveliest places to visit. So sorry to disappoint...
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Love & Garlic
There was a time in my not so distant past when I hated garlic. The pungent smell and taste made me run for the hills whenever I detected the bulb in a dish – especially if it was in raw form. And...
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An Apology to Gazpacho
Gazpacho, I owe you an apology. Up until a few short years ago, I had dismissed you as overrated at best – and downright weird at worst. After all, people described you as being like a salad put...
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Do You Know Your Oils?
One of my favorite things I learned at The Chopping Block is that it’s important to consider your oils before you start cooking. For many, especially for all of our regulars, this is old news. But for...
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Kale Gets Its Say
While lunching at a restaurant last week, I noticed of the three salads on offer, one was made with raw kale. I heard the customer in front of me ask about the kale salad. More specifically, she...
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Corny Tip: Removing Kernels from the Cob
Labor Day weekend is almost here, so many of you will be planning one last big grilling hurrah. And though the calendar may be telling us summer is coming to a close, at least Mother Nature looks like...
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Beautiful Beets
I think beets are the most beautiful vegetable. They’re so gnarly, dirty and dull looking from the outside, but then you cut them open and they surprise you with the most fabulous colors and designs. I...
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