Posts Tagged ‘ingredients’

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Who’s Afraid of a Little Snow?

Friday, January 27th, 2012 by Lauren

Last week, winter decided to appear with a vengeance. We finally got the first real snowstorm of the season, and I was so excited. I have always been a fan of winter and love seeing the city covered in a blanket of fresh snow. My husband says it’s only because I don’t drive, but I was still very excited for Friday’s storm. I was hoping for another Snowpocalypse like last year, but would settle for anything.  I was ready to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and a Lifetime movie when I realized we had very little food in the house. Now, pre-TCB Lauren probably would have just grabbed the bag of Doritos and moved on with her night, but not anymore. TCB Lauren packed on all her winter best and set off into the night in search of a grocery store and inspiration.

I will admit I was one of the only people outside who wasn’t shoveling off a car and the walk was pretty brutal, I can see why people hate it so much! However I made it to the store in no time and wasn’t the only one there. Others must have had the cooking bug too! After searching through the produce and mentally making sure I had everything to avoid a second trip, I heading back into the winter night and home to start creating.

I’ve noticed ever since I began to cook for myself, I enjoy the idea of a fresh meal. I love being able to use ingredients I pick and see where they take me. I figured it was a perfect way to spend an evening inside, and I ended up with pretty tasty fajitas. I was finally convinced that I could do this often and still have a quality meal at the end. The only issue I faced that night was the always challenging task of cooking for one. My husband was stuck in the suburbs waiting out the storm, so I was left to my own devices. Although a little more difficult, I’ve learned to focus on food that can be stretched over multiple days, or food that is still as delicious the next afternoon.  The simple act of cooking is what’s important. I just enjoy the food more when it’s fresh and made by me, rather than frozen or ordered in. I’ve already started to plan for my next snowed-in adventure. Now I just need the weather to cooperate!

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Lauren Fountas is the newest member of the Private Events Team at The Chopping Block. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Lauren moved to Chicago about 5 years ago and has been living it up ever since. Lauren has a background in Theatre and Photography, but has always had a love of all things food (even if she's never been real good at cooking it.) She loves learning and trying anything new, and looks forward to all the adventures The Chopping Block is sure to provide. She lives and enjoys life with her new husband and their puppy and can often be found dancing through the hallways and singing along to the radio.

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Marriage and Food Bliss

Friday, November 25th, 2011 by Lauren

I have started multiple new chapters in my life, and I couldn’t be more excited. I recently began working for The Chopping Block, and I have already rediscovered my love of all things food. After taking my first class (Seafood 101), I started mapping out my plans to take as many cooking classes as possible. I also got married last week and started a new and exciting life with my husband. To top it off, I just returned from my honeymoon where I was able to combine both of these chapters into one fantastic adventure.

During our trip to Disney World, I was most excited to explore all of our dining options available during our stay at Epcot. Having each country at our fingertips made choosing a dinner location each night difficult. I’ve always liked trying new food, but ever since starting this job, I’ve become aware of what is included in my food and intrigued as to how it is prepared that I no longer will accept any old meal.

Teppan Edo

This made the choice to attend the open seating Teppan-yaki style restaurant Teppan Edo a no brainer. Not only was I going to be able to enjoy a delicious meal, but I would have a front row seat into watching it come to life. This ended up being the best food decision of the entire trip. Not only was the food absolutely delicious, but I was fascinated to see how few ingredients were used to create such a flavorful and exciting meal. Being a food novice, I was always under the impression that cooking was something I never had the time or energy for, and that fantastic meals always meant extensive prep time. The entire dinner, I was brainstorming about how I could recreate the meal in my own home and was amazed at how inspired I was. I had never done that before, and I realized the inspiration came from taking classes at TCB. The simple act of getting my hands dirty and creating a meal from scratch was something I had always wanted to do, but never found the time before now. I sure am glad I did.

This idea continued throughout the trip. As we traveled around the world, each stop added to the intrigue of what food was offered. My husband and I were able to sample White Truffle Pizza in Italy and fantastically prepared duck in France. Not only have I found a new love and appreciation for truffle oil (seriously, everyone needs some in their pantry) but I was able to use this adventure as a way to celebrate and enjoy the company of the one I love.

Lauren and Steve

Food is such an easy way to bring people together, and it made me appreciate all that I’ve learned and will continue to learn about cooking.  Now I look at every meal wondering how the chef made it and exactly what ingredients were needed, which makes eating and dining so much more exciting. Now that we’ve returned from the honeymoon and I’m starting to get back into my regular routine, I’m excited to use all of the kitchenware we received as wedding gifts. I know now that none of it will sit and collect dust in our cabinets. I plan on using every dish and every pan to bring all my new found inspiration to life. I hope my new husband is ready for this next adventure!

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Lauren Fountas is the newest member of the Private Events Team at The Chopping Block. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Lauren moved to Chicago about 5 years ago and has been living it up ever since. Lauren has a background in Theatre and Photography, but has always had a love of all things food (even if she's never been real good at cooking it.) She loves learning and trying anything new, and looks forward to all the adventures The Chopping Block is sure to provide. She lives and enjoys life with her new husband and their puppy and can often be found dancing through the hallways and singing along to the radio.

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Hold the Salt

Thursday, August 18th, 2011 by Marjorie

When I was about 3 years old, after continuously being sick to my stomach and seeing several doctors, one of the doctors figured out that I was allergic to cow’s milk. This meant that I was unable to eat all of the other things that kids loved growing up: pizza, Oreos, ice cream, birthday cakes – you name it. My mom had a difficult time telling her little girl that she wasn’t allowed to have all of the simple pleasures that the other kids were enjoying. Eventually, I grew out of it and am no longer bothered by foods containing cow’s milk. I never understood how hard it was for my mother to keep me away from these foods and how much it hurt her to do so until now.

Recently, my husband was put on a restrictive diet for health reasons in which he has to be careful with levels of protein, potassium, sodium and phosphorous. This includes all of the food groups and requires a complete overhaul of his diet. Some of his all-time favorite foods are now his worst enemy! Having gone to culinary school and frequently attend classes here at The Chopping Block, I have learned that salt is one of the most important elements to any meal.  Food should be seasoned with salt throughout cooking so it doesn’t need to be heavily seasoned on the table. It enhances the flavor of the ingredients and helps them blend together.  This was probably one of the biggest challenges in cooking that I have come across.  I can handle counting grams of protein on labels, but how do I make food for my husband flavorful and exciting so he doesn’t get stuck with bland and unappealing food?

The answer is aromatic ingredients such as onions, ginger and garlic; herbs and spices; acidic ingredients like vinegar and citrus fruits. While dishes might be better with salt, using intense or bright sharp flavors will certainly help without adding sodium to dishes.

So, with my fully stocked cabinet of vinegars and spices and a fridge full of fresh herbs, I am challenging myself not only to continue to make delicious food for my husband while keeping him healthy, but to join him on this low sodium journey as well. For better or for worse!

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Marjorie Campbell grew up on Chicago's south side and currently lives with her husband in West Town. After years of customer service and sales at Southwest Airlines and The Chicago Tribune, she decided to go back to school to explore her passion in the Culinary Arts. Having worked for a year at The Chopping Block as a Class Assistant and Retail Sales Associate, she took on a new role in the Private Event Sales Team. Marjorie loves braising copious amounts of pork for family and friends, traveling, going to concerts and her hula hoop.

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The Chopping Block Story: Final Chapter

Monday, August 1st, 2011 by Shelley

The biggest evolution in the early days of The Chopping Block story centers on our retail offerings.  I never believed I was much of a salesperson and in fact, I’m not confident I am even now. When I opened The Chopping Block, retail was a relatively small part of the business. That’s still evident today, as the retail portion of our store does not exceed more than 1/8th of our square footage.

What happened almost immediately after opening was that our students strongly reacted to the product we offered or lack thereof. I heard over and over again: “Where can I purchase that spatula you are using? Why don’t you carry it if you like it so much? I want to buy it”. “Where the heck do I get that salt? I want to buy it”! “I can’t make this Indian dish you just demonstrated without the Garam Masala, why do you make me go all the way up to Devon Avenue to get it?” Alright already, I said I’ll carry it!

Our retail footprint is small and our offerings are select. We do not strive to be everything to everyone but rather we carry kitchenware that is essential for the best results and that I deem the best. We no longer carry as many specialty food products since over the years our local grocery stores carry more and more of those ingredients. I like to think we had something to do with that. I am actually proud and pleased that the ingredients we have been highlighting as the best for years are becoming available to everyone. Our mission is to get the country to cook, not sell everyone in the country Garam Masala. If stores around the country carry the most staple of ethnic ingredients, it will ultimately make our job just that much easier.

What is so beautiful about The Chopping Block is that I only created the original idea. What the business is today is something that has been created in tandem with my employees, my customers and I.  I thank you all for your contribution, your support and for doing your part in getting this country to cook!

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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.

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A Small Favor

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 by David

As the summer cruises along, hopefully, you’ve had a chance to visit the numerous farmer’s markets around the city.  After a while, you get to know some of the farmers returning week after week because you know they have the quality produce and products that you and your family needs.  After a few years, they start to become family.  Every summer, you look forward to their return.  You listen to each other’s stories and share recipes of the great meal you created with their ingredients.

I actually have two friends, John and Kelly, who became farmers.  We used to hang out on the farm during hot summer days, play fetch with the dogs using old corn cobs and grill fresh field vegetables for salsas and sides.  I used to get random phone calls, “David, we’re putting up another greenhouse, can you come over?”  Sure why not, sounds fun. Oh, it’s 200 ft. long so the joke is on me.  For their wedding, all the guys got to work the booth at the Broadripple Farmer’s Market in Indianapolis, while Kelly got ready for the wedding.  There was some great conversation at the market that day, “What are you doing today? Getting married in three hours, gotta go!”

I bring all of this up because these are two great people with a very odd sense of humor. They are part of my family and while I don’t get to see them very often, they are always on my mind.  They also have the cutest daughter you’ve ever seen. It’s very entertaining watching a child grow-up on a farm.  You have to check out the photos on their website.

This is also a very hard time for this wonderful family.  Last year around this time, Kelly was struck by lightning while working out in the field.  She spent months in intensive care and is currently hospitalized.  Her recovery will be lengthy with small improvements every day, but she still has a long way to go.  Her birthday is actually coming up very soon, so as a small favor to me, could wish her a happy birthday and pray for her recovery.  Thank you.

 

 

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David Indriksons is a Lead Class Assistant at The Chopping Block with a background that goes from small scale bistros to large scale catering and everything in between. In addition to a great love of food, he is a self-admitted travel junkie that enjoys hanging out with locals around the world and trying new cuisine. Outside of TCB, he enjoys skating, snowboarding, and playing with his dog, Caesar.

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