Five years ago, I was diagnosed with a large brain tumor and went through several surgeries to have it removed. Needless to say, this was a life-changing event! It took me 45 years and a life of eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to make a change for a healthier me ..read more

If you have ever taken our Knife Skills class, then you have a little bit of knowledge about the difference between carbon steel and stainless steel knives. If you haven't taken our Knife Skills class, what are you waiting for? Either way, I want to continue this conversation about the differences between carbon steel and stainless steel, but we will move outside of the cutlery world and enter the cookware world.  ..read more

  Fresh tarragon, beloved herb, French staple, is in full swing. With an extensive early spring through early fall harvest, this hardy perennial is here and taking over our culinary tool belts. Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa, the most prominent culinary variety, also known as “French Tarragon”, is a great asset for your spring home cooking. Tarragon carries an anise-like smell and flavor, yet acts as a delightful accent to savory cooking ..read more

  When you take one of The Chopping Block's culinary vacations with Onward Travel, you will be part of a small group of travelers who all enjoy food and wine. Each group is different, of course, but lifelong friendships are often formed among travelers. At the very least, you'll enjoy conversing with like-minded foodies from all over the country who appreciate similar interests.  ..read more

There’s an intricate connection between what we eat and how we feel. It's a fascinating journey that unveils how our food choices influence our moods and vice versa, creating what often feels like a never-ending cycle. Have you ever found yourself reaching for that tub of ice cream after a particularly rough day, mindlessly scooping away while binge-watching your favorite show? If so, you're not alone. Many of us have experienced the undeniable link between our emotions and our food choices ..read more

  ‘Sweet’ or ‘sour’ was how customers ordered wine from my dad, when he sold his first bottle one minute after the Repeal of Prohibition ..read more

  One of the most impossible questions I get asked as a chef is “What is your favorite thing to cook?” It's hard to answer because I rarely cook the exact same dish twice! The exception to this rule is when I am trying to deepen my knowledge in a specific cuisine or technique. Over the last few years, I have been spending a lot of time deepening my knowledge in Chinese cooking. Anyone that knows much about Chinese cooking might laugh at the thought that I would lump all of China together into one cuisine… please excuse me for that ..read more

  Butter is the backbone of most things delicious, but making your own cultured butter opens doors to a multitude of culinary endeavors. It's easy, requiring just a bit of patience and offering a burst of flavor at the end of the churn. While you can find cultured butter in many grocery stores today, crafting your own allows you to personalize it for spreading on bread, baking into cookies and crusts, or using as a dipping delight. It boasts a creamy richness like no other, with a tang and aroma unique to cultured dairy ..read more

  Spring has sprung, so it's time to get outside and fire up the grill. There is truly something mesmerizing to me about cooking over an open fire, especially with hot coals or natural wood! Growing up in Texas, there was no shortage of open pit cooking or big barrel barbeques. We spent lots of time camping and building camp fires in order to cook and set around the warming light at night ..read more

  We are in peak asparagus season! When you have an asparagus patch in your garden, you are never short of these amazing vegetables through the spring and summer. Asparagus is a perennial and one of the easiest vegetables to grow. You plant them once and they come back better year after year. You can find asparagus at the store year round, but the best time to harvest and eat them is in the spring months. It's one of the first vegetables of the year, which makes it even more exciting ..read more