Posts Tagged ‘chocolate’
Friday, December 7th, 2012 by Patrick
If you’re anything like me, every holiday season you are running around at the eleventh hour trying to find that perfect gift for someone. This year, come by The Chopping Block for any last minute shopping. Not only do we have our usual great selection of cooking and kitchen products, but we have an outstanding assortment of holiday goodies! One of our retail team members, Michael, has taken over visual merchandising for each of our locations. Michael has created the most beautiful and easily shop able holiday displays around, so picking out that perfect ornament or Christmas tree candle is a breeze. You can find a wide variety of holiday aprons, candles, candies and countless other holiday trinkets. My personal favorite is the Fran’s smoked salt and caramel chocolate, or maybe it’s the bacon candy canes. I can’t decide.
In addition to our great holiday items we have our usual staples. Our assortment of oils and vinegars is a great place to start when looking for stocking stuffers for your favorite cook. An unique gift idea is truffle salt. Truffle salt is regular salt that has actual shavings of white and black truffles! Stop by one of our locations and try some of our famous Truffle Salt Popcorn, you won’t be able to live without it. It goes great on mashed potatoes, vegetables, and a staff favorite, Mac n’ Cheese. For the more serious chef in your life, check out some of our knives. A great knife can help take even the most experienced cook’s dishes to a whole new 
level! For the home cook who has everything, maybe one of our classes will do the trick. Our classes are suitable for any skill level, but if you’re looking for something more challenging check out our Boot Camps.
During the holidays we find ourselves surrounded by friends and family. Here at The Chopping Block we know that cooking is a catalyst for building relationships and community, so this holiday season let’s put down the cell phones and computers, meet up in the kitchen and get cooking!
Patrick Foerster is the Store Manager of The Chopping Block Lincoln Square and has a profound passion for food. His favorite part of his job is sharing his cooking experiences with customers to assist them in creating culinary masterpieces. When Patrick is away from the store, you can find him taking his two dogs for a hike or unwinding on the golf course.
Tags: aprons, boot camp, candies, candle, candy cane, chocolate, Classes, cooking, holiday, kitchen, knife, oil, ornament, salt, season, shopping, truffle, vinegar
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Monday, November 12th, 2012 by Carrie
Or, you could say, expiration/inspiration. You CHOUX(se). Ha, I crack myself up sometimes! Okay, enough of the Bad Egg jokes, Veruca. If you don’t get it, don’t worry, it really wasn’t that funny anyway.
What do you do when you have an eggcess of eggs in your refrigerator that have reached the eggspration date? Don’t throw them out yet!
- The date on the carton is the suggested ‘Sell By’, or ‘Best if Used By’ date (USDA Food Product Dating).
- You can make sure the egg is still edible by simply putting it into a large glass or bowl of water. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it’s good. If the egg floats, it’s too old ingest safely. Every egg has a small air pocket at the larger end which becomes more significant as the egg ages. The size of the air pocket is also considered in the grading process (Anatomy of an Egg). The fresher the eggs, the better they are for poaching and frying because the yolk holds its shape better and the white spreads less. Eggs that are a little older are better for scrambling and boiling because the shell is easier to remove.
I could go on about the incredible egg… there are chapters dedicated to the egg in Le Répertoire de La Cuisine by Louis Saulnie, Georges Auguste Escoffier‘s Le Guide culinaire, and On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky, Martel, and Hause if you would like to read more.
Eclairs
Inspiration: choux paste/pate a choux – think éclairs, profiteroles, gougeres (a.k.a. cheesy poofs). Choux pastry is one of my favorite things to make. I’ve written blogs before about how I love to make ‘something out of nothing’ or taking a few simple ingredients and transforming them into something elegant and beautiful. Today, I choose sweet over savory. I choose Chocolate Eclairs! The extra egg whites from the pastry cream recipe were used to make these Toasty Coconut Macaroons.
Toasty Coconut Macaroons
It wouldn’t be a good blog for me if I didn’t mention bacon. I took a basic gougere recipe, substituted the gruyere cheese for cheddar, and added bacon and scallions. These are the perfect appetizer for the holiday party you know you want to book at The Chopping Block. Here is the recipe from our Celebrating Julia Child class for gougeres:
Petits Choux au Fromage
Yield: 2 dozen
Active Time: 15 min
Start to finish: 40 min
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
1 ½ cups Gruyere cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dry mustard
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, salt, sugar and butter, and bring to a boil.
- Add the flour all at once, whisking constantly, until it forms a thick paste. Cook, stirring for one minute more.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer whisk in the eggs one at a time until completely incorporated. Stir in the cheese and mustard.
- While the dough is still warm, scoop or pipe onto parchment-lined sheet trays. Bake until very brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.
Inspiration: omelet – Yes, I watched Episode 1 of Season 10 Top Chef last night (shout out to Chrissy Camba from Chicago!) I know I have mad omelet/egg cookery skills, so I decided to make myself a bacon and cheese omelet this morning for breakfast. Too bad I didn’t snap a photo before I gobbled it up. Egg cookery is very challenging to master because they are so delicate and cook so quickly. It takes nuance and a very deft hand to master this craft.
Eggcess of eggs in one day? Nah…
Carrie finally found her culinary niche as a Chef Instructor for The Chopping Block in May 2008, but only after a hilariously traumatic demonstration interview (of which you will have to attend one of her classes to hear about). She gets a thrill of sharing the things she’s learned about food and cooking with others and the memories and experiences around food that have made her who she is today. Her hope is to take away the apprehension people have of cooking by pouring on her southern hospitality and charm and having fun in the kitchen. When she isn’t cooking, you can usually find her at a concert, a neighborhood restaurant or just hanging out with friends and enjoying their company.
Tags: appetizer, bacon, chedder, chocolate, choux, Chrissy Camba, coconut, date, eclair, egg cookery, eggs, fry, gougere, gruyere, Julia Child, omelet, pate a choux, poach, profiterole, scallions, sell by, Top Chef, white, yolk
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Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 by Shelley
After the last presidential town hall debate, I thought about the question that I might have asked if given a chance. I’d probably ask “What is your favorite food?” or “What would you serve if I came over for dinner”? Seems to me what people eat may say something about them. I wonder we might garner from taking a peek at some of our president’s favorite foods!
No Party Affiliation:
George Washington: Cracked Nuts. By the way, he did this with his teeth!
Federalist:
John Adams: Hard Cider. For breakfast, that is.
Democratic Republican:
Thomas Jefferson: Bordeaux. He spent the equivalent of $212,000 on wine during his term as president!
Republican-Republican National Union
Abraham Lincoln: Gingerbread.
Democrats:
Barack Obama: Fran’s Chocolate Covered Caramels with Smoked Salt. He apparently has a sweet tooth.
Bill Clinton: McDonald’s. However, he’s been a vegan since 2011.
John F. Kennedy: Fish Chowder.
Harry S. Truman: Well-done Steak.
Franklin D Roosevelt: Grilled Cheese.
Republicans:
Mitt Romney: Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches.
George W. Bush: Cheeseburger Pizza.
George H.W. Bush: Fried Pork Rinds with Tabasco.
Ronald Regan: Jelly Beans.
Richard Nixon: Cottage Cheese and Ketchup.
Lyndon B. Johnson: Cheeseburgers.
Theodore Roosevelt: Fried Chicken with Gravy.
Warren G. Harding: Knockwurst and Sauerkraut.
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Beef Stew.
I’m kind of partial to Thomas Jefferson myself.
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.
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Beef Stew, Bill Clinton, cheese, chicken, chocolate, chowder, cider, cottage cheese, debate, democrat, Dwight Einsenhower, food, Franklin Roosevelt, George Bush, george washington, gingerbread, gravy, Harry Truman, honey, jelly beans, john adams, John Kennedy, ketchup, knockwurst, Lyndon Johnson, McDonalds, Mitt Romney, nuts, peanut butter, pizza, pork rinds, president, republican, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, sauerkraut, steak, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, Wine
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Wednesday, September 26th, 2012 by Dionna
If you have ever thrown a dinner party at home for friends and family, then you have definitely asked yourself; “How can I make this look fabulous?” And with the fall season heading our way, I’m sure this question has found it’s way back into your creative thinking with lots of excitement. From Halloween festivities, Thanksgiving dinner parties, to Holiday extravaganzas, there is always a way to make your event unforgettable. Here are a few easy tips that some restaurants and chefs use to keep their patrons impressed.
1. The Art of Elevation
When displaying your tasty delights, always remember that elevation adds to eye-appeal. Use an inverted bowl as the base for a platter of finger-foods, a bowl of punch, or for the show-stopping centerpiece entrée.
Remember that elevation adds space, so use it wisely. Either fill the space with color and/or food to accent the theme (Bountiful Thanksgiving) of leave it empty and clean for a more elegant appeal.
2. The Art of Glass and Uniformity
Using glass is one of my favorite ways to add beauty to any party because just about anything can be put into glass, not to mention that it is easy to find and can be fairly inexpensive at times. Wine glasses, shot glasses and martini glasses offer a wonderful 
solution to the traditional look of a pie. Carefully scoop pie slices into your favorite glass and garnish with whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel, and a dash of cinnamon. This can be done with almost any dessert! One of my favorites is chocolate mousse and fresh fruit. Mmmm!
You can also make a simple salad bar look like an ultimate garden dream with tall glasses and tasty salad bar ideas. Use different color veggies for taste and color and let the glass do the rest!
(For an inexpensive find, Family Dollar usually keeps a glass section. Home Goods also has beautiful glass for great prices.)
3. The Art of Color
Fall Festival, Black Tie Halloween, Traditional Holiday! Whatever your theme, go ahead and go all out! Make your table the talk of the season with lots of color. JoAnn Etc, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, and other craft stores offer lots of seasonal colors and exciting props. I enjoy looking through the faux flower and plant sections of these stores for the sole purpose of jazzing up my holiday party tables. The green and fall brown/red color leaf trims always look beautiful on my tables. I also like to use pieces of fabric as accent colors. Although I am no seamstress, there is no limit to my hot glue gun abilities! (By the way, the pieces that frill at the ends will be sitting under a bowl, or behind a prop.)
With these ideas you can make your event one to be remembered! Enjoy the decorating, the cooking, and the upcoming holidays!
Dionna Israel is a chef instructor for The Chopping Block. Cooking has been a part of her life since she was a child. From using the little Easy Bake Oven she received on her 7th birthday, all the way to running a professional kitchen, she has enjoyed every new discovery along the way. She moved to Chicago in the winter of 2011 and has been on a fun food-finding adventure ever since. She enjoys teaching her students how to make life tastier in their own kitchens and discovering amazing restaurants in the city, testing them out, and passing the word on to other food-lovers like herself.
Tags: centerpiece, chocolate, color, decorating, dinner party, display, elevation, event, fabric, fall, fruit, glass, Halloween, holiday, martini, mousse, salad, shot, thanksgiving, uniformity, Wine
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Tuesday, July 17th, 2012 by Amanda
What is a very pregnant woman with a sweet tooth to make on 100 plus degree-day? No bake cookies, of course! It wasn’t until my husband got home from work that I realized not many people know what a no bake cookie is. We had them frequently growing up in northern Michigan, so I figured everyone had them.
No bake cookies are basically just chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies prepared on the stovetop. No turning the oven on in this hot weather, but I do realize that they don’t sound like the most summery food. Keep in mind I am nine months pregnant at this point and not much I want to eat makes sense.
I found a traditional recipe on the Food Network website but added a pinch of sea salt since all of my ingredients were salt free. Also, I found instead of using the wax paper, my mini muffin tin worked great for perfect little cookies. After consuming several (or almost all) of my blast from the past, I started thinking of all the different things that could be added to this simple recipe. They would be great with coconut, other nuts, dried fruit, but no, I am not suggesting pickles! If you have any childhood favorites or easy heat wave meals, I would love to for you to share them here.
Amanda Aristeo is originally from Traverse City, Michigan and has lived in Chicago for the past 7 years. After the birth of her son, Mario, she left her position at the Chicago City Clerk’s Office to dedicate herself to her family and pursue a part-time career in a field she is passionate about: food. Remembering how much she enjoyed attending classes at The Chopping Block, she applied at Lincoln Square and now works as a Class Assistant and Retail Associate. When Amanda isn’t creating meatless meals for her family, she is busy attending aquababies, Tiny Tots or spending time with her wonderful husband.
Tags: bake, childhood, chocolate, coconut, cookie, cookies, dried fruit, favorites, Food Network, heat, heat wave, muffin tin, nuts, oatmeal, oven, peanut butter, pickles, pregnant, salt, stovetop, wax paper
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If you’re anything like me, every holiday season you are running around at the eleventh hour trying to find that perfect gift for someone. This year, come by The Chopping Block for any last minute shopping. Not only do we have our usual great selection of cooking and kitchen products, but we have an outstanding assortment of holiday goodies! One of our retail team members, Michael, has taken over visual merchandising for each of our locations. Michael has created the most beautiful and easily shop able holiday displays around, so picking out that perfect ornament or Christmas tree candle is a breeze. You can find a wide variety of holiday aprons, candles, candies and countless other holiday trinkets. My personal favorite is the Fran’s smoked salt and caramel chocolate, or maybe it’s the bacon candy canes. I can’t decide.
level! For the home cook who has everything, maybe one of our classes will do the trick. Our classes are suitable for any skill level, but if you’re looking for something more challenging check out our Boot Camps.
