Radio Kitchen

On a past trip to France I discovered a little dish that I fell in love with. It’s known as “Oeufs en Meuette” or eggs poached in red wine. Every time I found it on a menu I would order it, and no two were the same. But they were always good. As I pointed out to Chef Jerry Pellegrino, this is sort of a European cousin of Eggs Benedict. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

One of my favorite aspects of the American kitchen is how easily we delve into exotic cuisines these days. Personally, I've tried Indian cooking, Carribbean, Thai and Greek. But there is one that I like quite a bit, and that is the cooking of North Africa. Fortunately, our Chef Jerry Pellegrino is well-versed in Moroccan cooking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the spring of 2020 a lot of folks were hunkering down during the early days of the pandemic, and trying their hand at baking bread. From my own experience I came to learn a lot more about flour than I knew before. Chef Jerry Pellegrino, is a well-known baker, and has a lot more knowledge about flour. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As reported on our show, I've been passing these cold winter weeks making one soup after another. One particular ingredient has been a mainstay, and that's the good old fashioned ham hock. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, this is one of those very useful remnant cuts of pork that pack a punch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They used to say that the number of folds in a chef's hat represented the 100 ways you can cook eggs. Chef Jerry Pellegrino's farm boasts a hearty flock of egg-laying hens who have given him the raw material for exploring all those ways of fixing up eggs, Here are a few of those delicious egg-based recipes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the last few weeks I have been craving raw oysters. I don't always get into that mood, but when I do, my appetite becomes ferocious. However, I've discovered that not everybody shares my taste for raw oysters. So Chef Jerry Pellegrino has helped me to come up with a few other ideas if I'm going to invest in a few dozen crustaceans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part of the hearty approach to eating in winter is tucking into all manner of potatoes. Baked, roasted, mashed, worked into stews or fried up for breakfast, the possibilities go on and on. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has taught us, sometimes it's a matter of matching up the right kind of potato for the right dish. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past few weeks the Holiday Season has seen us sitting down to all sorts of dinners, and chances are more than once the featured attraction has been a bird of some kind. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out there's a lot more available than just good old chicken and turkey. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know I'm a very old fashioned sort of geezer, and I accept that. And guys like me think good old Charles Dickens taught us how to celebrate Christmas pretty near perfectly. To wit: in my mind nothing captures the spirit of the holiday season better than plum pudding. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will agree this impressive dessert is shockingly easy to prepare... provided you understand a few key th...

For the past few weeks I'd bet that more and more often... soups have been appearing on our stove tops. The perfect antidote to chilly weather, a hot, steaming bowl of soup really hits the spot. Now there are dozens of ways to go about building a soup, but our Chef Jerry Pellegrino can make a strong case for a very traditional Italian approach. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Thanksgiving looming large this week, I thought that we might try to come up with an alternative menu that would take advantage of local food that is currently available in the market. Our co-host doesn't really care for a turkey dinner, so to honor Chef Jerry Pellegrino, I've put together an Autumn menu for this week's big feast that features four courses. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

I've read that there is one thing that all societies have in common when it comes to food: if you have any kind of flour available in your kitchen, you make some sort of a dumpling. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino has been pondering these tempting little bundles of goodness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Thanksgiving just a couple of days off, we thought we'd give you some ideas for last minute desserts. You might want to serve something that is right at hand, easy to prepare and sure to please. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino would suggest, one dish that fills all those criteria is baked apples. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot of us spent a portion of summer's closing weeks putting up and preserving that great Maryland produce. Now it's time to use it. A good tangy salsa is a great destination for, say preserved tomatoes, peppers and garlic, and what better way to enjoy a salsa than with a taco. Chef Jerry Pellegrino, give us some tips on fixing homemade tacos. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week we gave you a useful little show chock full of ideas for using all that summer produce that is piling up around us. And this week we'll do it some more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are most definitely in a transition period at the local markets.  Summer produce is phasing out and autumn crops are coming in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a touch of autumn coolness in the air, it's not much of a problem to spend some time in a nice warm kitchen doing a little baking. Our friend Chef Jerry Pellegrino is laying out his plans for some baking projects. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week we talked about using pumpkins for assorted savory dishes. This week I want to take the pumpkin pie as a point of departure and talk about some dessert ideas you can try at home. As Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, the first place to start is with the filling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year at this time I had a revelation. I discovered the Cinderella pumpkin, a heritage breed that boasts the highest sugar content of any pumpkin. The pumpkin itself is large, and is shaped like Cinderella’s carriage without the wheels. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows this variety and can confirm that it is one of the best for cooking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the sun slips below the yardarm all over Maryland these days, the siren call of a cold, refreshing adult beverage sounds loud and clear. Cocktails have made a big comeback, and aficionados keep their liquor cabinets well stocked with all manner of exotic ingredients.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You don't have to look far at your favorite farmers market to find delicious fruit these days. Apples, peaches, pears and plums are all around us. However in coming weeks, if you look a little closer you may just spot a few less conventional items. Chef Jerry Pellegrino is quite a fan of some of the undeservedly obscure fruits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since we don't eat steak all that often, it makes sense to splurge and get the best cuts all the time. Dry aged steak is expensive, but the difference in flavor and aroma makes it something of an irresistible choice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Given the sheer abundance of fruit available to us now, it is natural to think about making some pies. As tempting an idea as this is, I used to be put off by the seeming complexity and futility of making a good pie crust. But not any more. Having learned a few crucial secrets, I am now qualified to turn out a lovely flakey crust just about every time.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

If you have a hankering to make a perfect brownie, rejoice, because Chef Jerry Pellegrino has a few tips. These are basic concepts, to be sure, but if you fail to follow them your brownies will not be all that they can be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of the dishes I encounter at restaurants or at dinners with friends are outstanding culinary accomplishments. I can easily imagine lengthy recipes and mounds of ingredients. But lately some of the best things I've eaten are incredibly simple and incredibly good. You don't always have to be fancy to score a home run. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.