Radio Kitchen

As a whole-hearted supporter of local Maryland food and cooking, I not only cherish the food we grow, but I also truly honor the champions of the eat local movement.  Chefs like Nancy Longo and Spike Gjerde have been promoting the regional scene for decades, but there is one fellow we would like to single out.  And that would be Chef John Shields. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

If you stop to think about it, we probably enjoy pasta all year long.   As one of the most versatile foods in the world, you can take pasta in an endless number of directions.  The trick is in the sauce and what sort of additions you throw in.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you; it wouldn’t be wrong to say “summertime is a great time to enjoy pasta”.  Here are a few ideas Jerry came up with:...

One of the stars of our Farmers Markets these days is the summer squash.  Green ones, yellow ones, green and yellow ones, big ones, little ones… you get the idea.  With all of this delicious produce at hand we thought we’d share a few ideas for fixing it at home.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, the summer squash is nothing if not versatile. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not that many things in life are irrefutable, but there is one truism that stands up to scrutiny.  And that would be “bacon”, as in “bacon makes everything taste better”.  Kids love it, grown-ups love it, heck, even dogs love it.  So, there’s something going on there that we should look into.  Our friend Chef Jerry Pellegrino has been contemplating the true nature of bacon.                See omny...

It’s the middle of Spring and our farmers markets are in full swing now.  I visited our local market in Waverly last weekend and was struck by the sheer abundance of everything.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, everywhere you look you see amazing possibilities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the last few weeks, we’ve been concentrating on a whole slew of savory dishes that celebrate Spring.  Today we thought we’d delve into something on the sweet side, and indeed, we have settled on a well-known dessert that should be a staple in everyone’s kitchen.  I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, where would the Blues be without mention of the good old Jelly Roll?  It would be a poorer place, he...

Wrapping up our coverage of the culinary possibilities of Spring cooking, we thought we’d offer some odds and ends ideas for the most iconic ingredients of the season.  I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino if we could whip up something with lamb, asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, spring potatoes.  Probably very difficult he said, so let’s just take it one ingredient at a time. See omnystudio.com/listener...

Last week we talked all about Spring-time’s signature vegetable, the asparagus.  As it turns out we barely scratched the surface.  Spring is also the season for the king of mushrooms, the noble morel.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you that asparagus and morels are natural partners.  Whereas both are earthy, one has a sweetness to it and the other a nuttiness of flavor. See omnystudio.com/li...

As it happens, Maryland, and in particular the sandy Eastern Shore is Nirvana for asparagus.  This time of year, always brings a bumper crop of these delicious spears to the marketplace.  And every year we try to find new ways of cooking them.   And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, says it’s not too hard to find new ideas for this versatile veg. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natives to these parts are well aware of a member of the onion family that seems to be virtually unknown more than 100 miles from the Potomac.  I’m talking about “ramps” and don’t feel bad if you know the name but have never tried them.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino loves them and says that our ramps are something of a regional delicacy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the arrival of Spring, I have started to cast about for new ideas.  For some reason, out of the blue, I wondered how Primavera is interpreted by Mexican cooking.  In general, we grow a lot of what we need for Mexican cuisines here in Maryland, and as far as Chef Jerry Pellegrino is concerned, the ideas came hard and heavy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love watching a lot of the TV cooking shows, because not only are they educational, but they can also be very entertaining.  One show in particular tickled me.  The task at hand was to make home-made pretzels… and nobody could remember how to create the pretzel shape.  As it happens, Chef Jerry Pellegrino is very conversant with pretzels and can offer us a few tips. See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Spring has officially arrived and that triggers all sorts of events In the Maryland marketplace.  This is of course the season of lamb and many of us are dusting off our cookbooks, looking for recipes.  One of Chef Jerry Pellegrino’s favorite dishes is braised lamb shanks, which he used to cook to perfection at Corks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My mother was quite adept at whipping up great family dinners in no time at all.  One of her favorite dishes was that old stand-by, meatloaf.  I’m not sure what her recipe was but I do know it involved a lot of bacon and catsup.  Luckily for us, Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows quite a bit about meatloaf and is eager to share his ideas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As winter grinds to a close we all look forward to St. Patrick’s Day, the annual celebration of all things Irish as well as the impending arrival of spring.  Our Irish friends are nothing if not traditional, and their big day has a number of foods associated with it.   Chef Jerry Pellegrino can give us some leads on eating Irish. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been eating big bowls of pasta all winter long, and although we vary the shapes, all that tomato sauce can get a little boring after a while.  Well the good news is that our Italian friends have dozens of alternative sauces that don’t even have a trace of the “pomodoro” in them.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, it’s not a sacrilege to make a tomato-less pasta sauce. See omnystudio.c...

There is one variety of soup that you could argue should only be eaten in winter, since it is the very picture of a hearty bowl of warm comfort.  And that would be a chowder, a beloved staple of New England winter life that of course can be enjoyed anywhere… and possibly any time.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows this is a soup that’s good for the soul. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

 The middle of winter can be a tough time to get through, but it is an ideal time to sit back and go over the basics.  When it comes to baking, there are several techniques that are indispensable, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino is here to take us back to culinary Boot Camp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly every day my wife and I ask each other, “got any ideas for dinner?”    As all grown-ups know, you gotta’ eat, and you’re probably gonna fix it yourself.  So here’s a suggestion.  Open the fridge and pull out all the veggies you can find, and voila:  you have the makings for a healthy vegetarian soup.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, that collection of vegetables will vary from season to season....

There was a time when everybody seemed to be afraid of cooking eggplant.  Rumors were rampant about bitterness and annoying seeds and the difficulty of cooking it well.  As it turns out, that’s all a lot of nonsense.  Our colleague Chef Jerry Pellegrino is eager to set us straight on eggplants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here in the bleak mid-winter, we Baltimoreans are lucky to have so many traditional dishes to keep us warm and happy.  One dish is so closely associated with our hometown as to be known nation-wide as Baltimore-Style Sour Beef and Dumplings.  As Chef Jerry Pellegrino will confirm, this is one of the tastiest and most comforting regional comfort foods that we know of. See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

 Of all the most popular cuts of beef, one stands above the others as the most desirable, and that would be the loin.  The cut is expensive and is revered by many.  But it is a much more complicated piece of beef than you might think.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino explains all you need to know about this intriguing bit of meat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Occasionally the time of year, one’s list of favorite foods and the traditions of one’s city all coincide to conjure up the perfect meal.  In this case, in mid-winter, here in sauerkraut loving Baltimore, lovers of Alsatian cuisine can cook their way to heaven.  And to Chef Jerry Pellegrino, we could only be talking about one thing:  choucroute garnie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

I’ve been lucky enough to travel in Europe quite a bit in recent years and I’ve enjoyed many wonderful meals and impressive glass of wine.  At lunch time I may be tucking into a fresh tuna-salad and it occurs to me that the canned tuna I’m eating is really good.   I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, is it true that European canned fish is something super? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

So, the holidays are behind us and I’m willing to wager that one near universal resolution is to lose a little weight.  In addition to hitting the gym with regularity, I would suggest adding more vegetarian dishes to your diet.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, if you do it right, you’ll never begin to think you’re depriving yourself of anything. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...