Radio Kitchen

When I was in Italy a few weeks ago I had a marvelous dish that was nothing more than a simple white bean stew in a creamy white sauce. And as I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino, it was memorably tasty.

My wife sometimes refers to me as The Sauce King because I am adept at whipping up a good sauce.  But I think one key to my success has been that I manage to get it to the right thickness.  As Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, there are any number of ways to make that thin little broth thick and luxurious. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My wife and I must go out for breakfast every other week when our housekeeper comes in the morning.  And because of that I’ve discovered how much I like having some kind of potato with my ham and eggs.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino agrees, there are a few classics we can talk about, and a few new ideas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although some of my rowdy friends might consider it to be an improper use of an otherwise fine beverage, beer is also good for cooking as it happens.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino has some guidelines for approaching this savory technique.  We can use beers in three different ways:  as a leavening agent in baked goods, to tenderize as in a braise, or to add flavor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

With the holidays coming up quickly it might be a good idea to plan a few dessert ideas.  In my experience nobody passes on a piece of apple pie, and anyone who goes to the trouble of making one will make a lot of friends.  And as an apple grower, Chef Jerry Pellegrino takes pie making very seriously. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anyone who has watched a baking show on TV knows the bakers all come armed with an arsenal of tricks and hacks.  For those of us who want to better our baking skills, it might be useful to learn something new.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino is just the guy to teach us.  Here are a few ideas for better baking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 It’s Halloween, and all over town people are putting out pumpkins.  And why not?  It’s the perfect season for them.  Although Jack O’Lanterns don’t make for very good eating, a lot of others do.  We asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, what can we do with these amazing vegetables? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 I was eating at an Indian restaurant recently, enjoying some naan bread with a dollop of tabbouleh.  Since the main ingredient is parsley, it occurred to me that this is one useful herb.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, parsley shows up in a lot of things, and we’re lucky that it grows so well in Maryland.  You’ll see it in every herb stand at the farmers markets. See omnystudio.com/list...

Of all the ways of cooking food, using water is probably the most basic.  Before we had ovens and ranges, we had water and fire, and for early man, that was all it took.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino can tell you, there are some tricks to cooking with water we need to know. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is my favorite time of the year, especially for food.  The Maryland harvest is in full swing, and our markets are loaded with all kinds of great food.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino suggests, you’d better take a big basket to market these days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since most cooking is about applying heat to food, it’s sometimes beneficial to think about all the variations on that theme.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino has boned up on this and can tell us what our options are when we haul out the old skillet? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When people travel, they not only dine in fine restaurants, but they also eat a lot of what we call “street food”.  A few decades ago, visitors to Mexico discovered that the beloved taco had undergone some changes.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, it was a great decision to incorporate deep fried fish into the classic taco. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes when I am peeling an onion, I play a little mental game:  name one cuisine around the world that doesn’t depend on onions.  The only one I can come up with, and I’m not certain about it, are the Innuits of the snowy north.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino thinks it’s fair to say the onion is universally important. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I haven’t been shy about chowing down on fresh Maryland corn this summer.  Although I’ve been enjoying corn on the cob, I keep reminding myself that there are a lot of other ways to enjoy an ear of corn.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino agrees, if you can scrape those kernels off the cob, there’s a lot you can do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I haven’t been shy about chowing down on fresh Maryland corn this summer.  Although I’ve been enjoying corn on the cob, I keep reminding myself that there are a lot of other ways to enjoy an ear of corn.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino agrees, if you can scrape those kernels off the cob, there’s a lot you can do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As summer enters the homestretch we can begin to look forward to a new phase of the harvest.  This is the time when so many of our Maryland root vegetables come into play.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino agrees, these sometimes-forgotten veggies deserve a little attention. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grilling season is in full swing and there is one cut of beef that does extremely well on the grill and that’s flank steak.  Maryland farmers who raise beef will always have some of this delicious cut on hand, and if you haven’t tried it, you ought to.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino has pointed out, grilling a flank steak does require a little bit of savvy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

We Marylanders are perfectly situated to enjoy a summer favorite, the salsa.  What makes it so appealing to us is that the produce of August and September is just what we need to make great salsa.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows that the combinations of home-grown ingredients are endless.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al studied history in college and never lost my appetite for it.   One thing that really appeals to me is the history of food and cooking.  And here in Maryland we have quite a few Food Historians.  And as he told Chef Jerry Pellegrino, one of my favorites is a local lady called Kara Mae Harris, who has written a wonderful book called “Old Line Plate”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

One of the tenets of cooking during the summer is to avoid using the kitchen oven for long bakes.  Thus, we fire up the barbecue grill and cook outdoors.  Every good cookout deserves a good dessert, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino has some ideas for desserts that require little or no baking that will tickle your palate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the weather heated up, I found myself thinking back to vacations in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I became very fond of churrasco (grilled flank steak) and a side dish of black beans.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino believes it’s wise to keep a few cans or a bag of dried black beans in your pantry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever vacationed in Maine or down along the Gulf Coast, the chances are you’ve gone to a “Boil”, a feast of seafood and veggies all boiled in one big pot.  Here in Maryland, there is no reason we can’t do the same thing, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino has figured out what it takes to do your own backyard boil. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was watching a cooking show the other day and the chef was whipping up a pot of gumbo, that Louisiana specialty.  Not only did it whet my appetite, it got me thinking, why not create one that celebrates Maryland’s traditions.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, we have just about everything we need here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this, our big national holiday, we turn our attention to our backyard grills. The natural inclination is to go with hot dogs, burgers and maybe a little shrimp for the barbie. But there are so many other things that we can prepare on the grill that will really open your eyes. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, this is when we let our imagination run wild. See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

When I was a kid my mother always let me pick out what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday.  From the time I was old enough to appreciate all the choices I settled on one in particular:  angel food cake… with cherry frosting.  We only had it once a year, but I loved it to pieces.  And I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino that light spongy snow-white cake is still a favorite of mine. See omnystudio.com/l...