Radio Kitchen

If we’re talking “entry level” proteins, it’s hard to get more basic than ground beef. It’s one of those products that exists as an after-thought; it’s what you get after all the other good stuff has been cut up and packaged. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, ground beef is still a worthy subject for discussion because it is so versatile.

One of my favorite meat dishes is pork chops, often with sauerkraut and sautéed apples. Now as much as I love them, pork chops can be a bit tricky because of all the meats I know, they’re one of the easiest to dry out.

Of all the vegetables out there, few are as essential as the good old carrot. Simple, basic and indispensable, the carrot is often an unsung hero in thousands of recipes. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, carrots may be Bugs Bunny’s favorite snack, but they’re incredibly useful for the rest of us.

We like to visit various ethnic restaurants quite often and usually my favorite part of the meal is the flat bread with some kind of vegetable spread to smear on it. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino noted, we here in Maryland are perfectly set up to make our own spreads at home.

I’m willing to bet that a lot of us had a Mom or Grandmom, or special aunt who liked nothing more than pulling out that big old cast iron skillet and whipping up something totally amazing. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will confess he has had a chance to tuck into more than a few summer desserts that were cooked up in those skillets. Jerry offers these thoughts.

Going up and down the aisles at the market these days is a tad overwhelming. For instance, look at all the cucumbers. There’s a million of them available and probably not enough salads in our future to make good use of them. So Chef Jerry Pellegrino has an idea, one of his favorite techniques comes in: making pickles!

I’m in heaven these days because we are swimming in fresh picked corn. I tend to really load up on corn on the cob during those summer months when we can get it. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, corn on the cob is just the start… there’s so much more you can do with fresh Maryland corn. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino offers a primer on using summer corn.

I’m in heaven these days because we are swimming in fresh picked corn. I tend to really load up on corn on the cob during those summer months when we can get it. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, corn on the cob is just the start… there’s so much more you can do with fresh Maryland corn. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino offers a primer on using summer corn.

I’d like to make the argument that polenta is one of the easiest and most versatile of our side dishes… provided you know a few simple tips. This simple dish made from coarsely ground corn meal and water is a springboard to other things. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows, the first thing to learn is how to keep polenta from getting lumpy.

When it comes to summertime grilling there are a lot of choices out there. Steaks, burgers, chicken, fish and veggies all come to mind, but there’s one protein that deserves a spot on the grill, and that’s sausages. And Chef Pellegrino will tell you, when it comes to sausages, we’re not hurtin’ for choices.

When it comes to summertime grilling there are a lot of choices out there. Steaks, burgers, chicken, fish and veggies all come to mind, but there’s one protein that deserves a spot on the grill, and that’s sausages. And Chef Pellegrino will tell you, when it comes to sausages, we’re not hurtin’ for choices.

Shopping at the markets these days is pure joy. The produce is rolling in and we are spoiled for choices. One of the most eye-catching veggies out there are the summer squash, the zucchinis, the pattypan’s and all. Chef Jerry Pellegrino would encourage you to be taking advantage of them.

Summertime is great for fruit, and since I try to have fruit every morning for breakfast, I’m always scouting for the best available. Which often brings me to berries, especially blue, black and razz. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells me there’s a lot I’m missing.

Anyone with a backyard garden who has tried growing herbs is familiar with the love-hate relationship we have with mint. That tasty, useful little plant is so easy to appreciate… until is spreads like topsy and tries to take over your garden. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, we are blessed to have access to such a prodigious herb.

Long, long ago when I started saving money and making a few tiny investments I heard that people would invest in… get ready… “pork bellies”. I kid you not. I simply didn’t get it, but it was true. Then, much later I learned that the chefs on TV were cooking with… pork bellies. So, I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino to explain what they’re talking about.

I remember talking with the renowned food educator Anne Willan about getting people interested in cooking. Suppose you were, she said, somebody who never ever lifted up a rolling pin or a carving knife, you could start with something very basic and useful: making a vinaigrette. In retrospect Chef Jerry Pellegrino thinks she was 100% right. “I can’t think of a simpler recipe to make, and it has the...

There are times when we want our food to be hot and crunchy, and at other times nice and chewy. And then sometimes we want everything as creamy as can be. And how do we do that? We use crème fraiche… or yogurt… or ricotta… or other things. Chef Jerry Pellegrino explained the differences and when do we use which?

They’re nobody’s first choice for a cooking ingredient, but they deserve much more respect. I’m talking about lentils, one of the very healthiest foods out there, and when well-prepared, one of the tastiest. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino was eager to tell us why he loves lentils.

The first time I was in the South of France, I had the pleasure of visiting the huge food market in Avignon. Talk about a kid in a candy store! Cheeses, cured meats, artisan bread, legendary wine and barrel after barrel of more olives than I knew existed. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino explains it, the story of olives is a very old one indeed.

I don’t really intend to, but I’d say about half the dinners I eat are actually vegetarian. And for full-time as well as part-time vegetarians, Spring is a fabulous season. Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you the options are nearly endless.

When I was a kid, I loved seeing the Three Stooges throwing pies in the face of innocent civilians. I really didn’t know what all the white stuff was on the pies, but it was many years later that I connected that wonderful stuff called meringue with that slapstick confection. Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells us it’s not too tough to make a good meringue?

I think a lot of us have discovered how easy it is to make home-made pasta. In fact, I’ve got a nice pasta machine that rolls out thin layers of pasta, with the option of cutting it into fettucine or spaghetti. But as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, there’s one very good pasta shape that doesn’t involve machinery, but it does involve a hands-on approach and that would be gnocchi.

I think a lot of us have discovered how easy it is to make home-made pasta. In fact, I’ve got a nice pasta machine that rolls out thin layers of pasta, with the option of cutting it into fettucine or spaghetti. But as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, there’s one very good pasta shape that doesn’t involve machinery, but it does involve a hands-on approach and that would be gnocchi.

I think a lot of us have discovered how easy it is to make home-made pasta. In fact, I’ve got a nice pasta machine that rolls out thin layers of pasta, with the option of cutting it into fettucine or spaghetti. But as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, there’s one very good pasta shape that doesn’t involve machinery, but it does involve a hands-on approach and that would be gnocchi.

I think a lot of us have discovered how easy it is to make home-made pasta. In fact, I’ve got a nice pasta machine that rolls out thin layers of pasta, with the option of cutting it into fettucine or spaghetti. But as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, there’s one very good pasta shape that doesn’t involve machinery, but it does involve a hands-on approach and that would be gnocchi.