Radio Kitchen

One of my biggest frustrations is that I have a hard time cooking fish.  I would probably eat a lot more of it if I knew how to cook it well.  So I asked for my buddy Chef Jerry Pellegrino to give me a few tips because it's still a big mystery to me. 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...

One of America's favorite snack foods is the taco, and we love it so much we even gave it its own night of the week:  Taco Tuesdays.  But it wasn't always so.  People used to think of it as a cheap Mexican street food, not worthy of our interest.  But Chef Jerry Pellegrino explains to us what happened to the humble taco that helped it capture our hearts? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Along with asparagus and strawberries, herbs are among the first things to arrive in the market here in Maryland.  A lot of farmers have been getting a head start on their herbs by starting them under cover in hoop houses, so they are available now, ready to use, or to grow at home.  And Chef JP agrees with me, this is a delightful way to add accents to your cooking. All across Maryland, farmers a...

A few weeks ago we were on the Eastern Shore when we had a local Tilghman Island treat:  oyster pot pie.  Now hold on!, I know some of you are saying, but if you haven't tried it, don't knock it.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, there's a lot of directions to take the basic pot pie idea? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You don't have to listen very closely these days for the sound of bees buzzing around your garden.  It's the time of year when pollens are profuse (just check in with you allergies) and bees are busy making honey.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, there's more to honey than just drizzling it on your buttered biscuits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was strolling the aisles of our local Farmers Market last week when say big bunches of basil.  I immediately thought of two things: caprese salad and pesto.  To my mind, pesto is one of those dishes you make once, and then want to keep making.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino said we are lucky because this is the perfect time of year to get into the habit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

Years ago I was in Florence on holiday, and I was thoroughly enjoying the local cuisine.  One item that caught my eye was a soup called "ribollita" with a seeming endless list of ingredients.  I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino that I tried it a few times at different restaurants, and it was never the same way twice.                Interestingly, the name "ribollita" means "re-boiled" soup, primarily be...

What a long, glorious Spring we've been having.  I feel that nearly everyone is celebrating the beauty of the season, cutting bouquets of flowers and whipping up endless variations on asparagus or strawberry.  Our friends in Italy are certainly not immune to the charm of the season.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino is proud to say, they even have a dish named after this time of year. See omnystudio.com/...

Springtime is in full flood these days and our farmers markets around the state are chock full of wonderful things to bring home to your kitchen.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, this is a great time of the year to take your market basket... or your reusable plastic bag... and load up with some great food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Top Ten Favorite American Foods pizza ranks very high.  Since I'm constantly watching my weight, I don't have it as often as I would like, but when I do bring it home, I really chow down.  But lately I've been hearing more and more about folks making very respectable pizza at home.   Chef Jerry Pellegrino assures me, this be done with confidence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Shopping at the market these days is pure delight.  Many of our favorite foods are making their initial appearances, and we come home with market baskets sagging with all manner of good things to eat.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino  would say that Springtime is downright inspirational for the home cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 When I started hanging out with people who were much better cooks than I was, I kept hearing about something called "confit".  They fixed it every now and then right in front of me, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was.  So, I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino to set me straight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Any day now, Springtime is going to open the floodgates of brand new produce grown on Maryland farms, and we will be in for a treat.  Of course I think it's a wonderful time for fresh vegetable, as well as a good opportunity for using up any of the produce you canned up last Autumn.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino notes, since a lot of us are eating vegetarian meals more often, this season plays right...

So it's been 3 years since the onset of Covid, and it seems that one of the upshots from the big lockdown was an interest in baking, especially bread.  And it also seems that quite a few people stuck with it.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino is a whiz at baking bread, and this week he has something a little different in mind. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In The Iliad, Homer speaks of the Greeks roasting lamb on a spit, and serving it at celebrations.  Thus, the entire idea of roasting lamb has had centuries to marinate, as it were, and take hold in different cultures in different ways.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds me this is the perfect time of year to enjoy this venerable tradition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the middle of March, that maddening time of the year when winter just won't give up and spring just won't get here.  One of the few saving graces of mid-March is Saint Patrick's Day, with all its festivity and traditions.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you,  its a perfect time to delve into the deeply satisfying culinary traditions that make up Irish Cuisine. See omnystudio.com/liste...

I remember as a little boy I loved the story of Peter Rabbit raiding the turnip patch.  However, as plausible as that story is, I now think that what Mr. R was looking for were parsnips, a root vegetable that I consider to be far superior to plain old turnips.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino believe, like I do, that parsnips deserve a great deal more of our attention? See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

In recent years there have been two parallel trends in drinking habits:  a return to keen interest in cocktails... many retro and many brand new... and their non-alcoholic cousins the "mocktail".  Chef Jerry Pellegrino is down with this and can tell us what this is all about. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years there have been two parallel trends in drinking habits:  a return to keen interest in cocktails... many retro and many brand new... and their non-alcoholic cousins the "mocktail".  Chef Jerry Pellegrino is down with this and can tell us what this is all about. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While surfing through our thousands of choices on cable, I stumbled across the original episodes of "The French Chef" with Julia Child.  I immediately started watching those seminal shows, and immediately started learning things I didn't know.  And I hoped Chef Jerry Pellegrino would forgive me for not possessing Julia's encyclopedic knowledge of kitchen craft. Here are some useful tips. See omnys...

In recent years there have been two parallel trends in drinking habits:  a return to keen interest in cocktails... many retro and many brand new... and their non-alcoholic cousins the "mocktail".  Chef Jerry Pellegrino is down with this and can tell us what this is all about. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you've ever watched one of the competitive cooking shows on TV, every time a contestant is sent home they're told to "pack their knives and go".  Obviously knives are a cook's most personal tool, their own set of preferences for getting the job done.  We asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, what do knives mean to a cook?  He concurred, saying that knives are a chef's most important tool.  However he th...

Since wine plays such a big part in my life, it should come as no surprise that I do cook with it from time to time.  Putting aside the jokes about "cooking with a glass of wine", I do find that wine can add a lot of a recipe.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, there are a number of things to keep in mind when you start pouring wine into the pot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

This time of deep winter often finds many of us tinkering away with cozy indoor projects that help while away the chilly hours.  For those who are culinary-minded, this is a perfect time to cook up some stocks for future projects.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, making stock is perhaps something of a lost art that ought to be revived. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.