Radio Kitchen

I've been spending a lot of time with our slow cooker. There is something very appropriate about sitting around the house while the kitchen throws off mouth-watering aromas hour after hour. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, one of the most tempting things you can prepare is good old pulled pork. But of course you don't have to use a slow-cooker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

Some tips for the culinary science of baking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spring tastes like carrots, rhubarbs and asparagus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A look at a classic French technique for cooking fish in a parchment paper pouch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have to admit that the warmer weather and the abundance of fresh food at the market have given me quite an appetite. Lucky for me there is a dish that not only incorporates all that is good about spring, it actually incorporates the word itself. Chef Jerry Pellegrino is proud to say, it's a gift the Italian language has given to the world: primavera. But in point of fact, it's a dish that doesn'...

One of my favorite vegetables is tremendously useful, totally tasty, and sadly overlooked. In a professional kitchen it is a ubiquitous standby, and it shows up everywhere, often without you knowing about it. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, he wouldn't want to live without the humble little shallot. Note: In a previously released version of this episode, we recommended storing shallots in...

You don't have to look too closely to see smiles on the faces of Maryland farmers. A visit to your favorite farmers market will show you all you need to know: table after table of fresh produce and protein. We've had a nice spring with just enough warmth and a fair amount of rain, so, Chef Jerry Pellegrino says, it's a great time for Marylanders to go shopping. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

With spring here it's not too early to start planning what to do with all those fresh vegetables. I was faced with this dilemma this past week, and I hit upon a very attractive idea that worked quite well. Chef Jerry Pellegrino, inspired me to whip up some tempura, that perfect blend of crunch and fresh flavor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As spring approaches, a look at what's hot in cuisine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was watching a British baking show the other day, and they kept referring to putting something in the oven “to grill.” Hold on, I thought, what are they talking about? Then the penny dropped and I realized it was one of those "the Brits call it this and the Yanks call it that" moments. Chef Jerry Pellegrino set me straight explaining that what they were referring to is what we call "...

Maybe it's a guy thing: it's late afternoon and you'd love to have a snack, but a cookie or two doesn't appeal. You start thinking and then the image of a handful of beef jerky pops into your head and you gotta have it. As Chef Jerry Pellegrino has told me, if you had planned ahead you could have easily whipped up a mess of beef jerky all by yourself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

We're in the cold heart of winter right now, and many of us are yearning for signs of a coming spring. One good idea would be to sneak a few warm weather treats into our winter diet. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has been enjoying one such treat—artichokes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've gotten into the habit of ordering carry out from our local Indian restaurant up in Parkville. One of my favorite dishes is the famous palak paneer, an Indian sort of creamed spinach with cheese. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, that got me thinking: winter is a great time for spinach, maybe we should talk about a few different ways of enjoying it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

We have never spent time on Radio Kitchen talking about TV cooking shows, but one has emerged that deserves our attention. As the pandemic slogs on, many of us have often found it hard to shake the blues. But there is one source of comfort and relief these days and that is The Great British Baking Show. As Chef Jerry Pellegrino recalls, the early days of the pandemic were marked by a bread making...

A lot of the meals that we cook at home end up needing some sort of starch. Potatoes are the default choice, but there are also whole grains like bulgur, barley and even quinoa. But an important alternative is rice. Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us that when we speak of rice, we are actually speaking about a lot of different things. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winter mornings are certainly a time for a hot cup of coffee or tea, and something nice and hot to put in our tummies. Pancakes and waffles drenched with butter and maple syrup come to mind, but if you would like something a little healthier, you can't beat oatmeal. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows, oatmeal is not only a wonderful breakfast food, it can be put to a lot of other uses. See omnystu...

In this season of New Year's resolutions, it might be wise to follow your mother's advice and "remember to eat your greens.” Now of course, finding fresh green vegetables in January isn't quite as easy as July, but if you are willing to keep an open mind about it, Maryland actually manages to produce an abundance of winter greens for us to enjoy. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino has prepared three...

Well, good Marylanders, this miserable year is slipping behind us, and a newer, more hopeful one is on the horizon. With just a couple days left before New Year's Eve, we have just enough time to whip up a few of our most traditional recipes to cheer up our small little get-togethers this year. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino would agree that for many of us, nothing can pick up our spirits during these...

Without a doubt the season of entertaining has arrived, albeit in a much modified form. Since we will be gathering in very small groups this year, it makes sense to stack up a bunch of recipes for very small bites. And so Chef Jerry Pellegrino has these suggestions for tempting bite size treats. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next few weeks are going to be filled with celebratory dinners, scaled back, of course, because of COVID. Even if it's just the two of you, or maybe one more trusted couple, there's no reason you can't pull out all the stops and serve up one of the most majestic meals of the season. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, it's hard to top a standing rib roast for dining majesty. See omnystudio.com/listener...

Every couple years or so I have been making it a habit to pick up a few different varieties of apples and do a scientific test to see which make the best pie. The method is to make four identical small pies, each with just one variety, and then taste test them to see which is the winner. And since Chef Jerry Pellegrino owns an apple farm, I am certain he has some strong opinions on this subject. S...

With Thanksgiving just ahead next week, it seems to be a great time to ponder one of the mainstays of the great feast. Whether you have a turkey or not, I'm willing to bet you will have some kind of potatoes on the table. And as a public service Chef Jerry Pellegrino would like to do a potato round-up and pass on some good information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even though I am not a vegetarian, I do appreciate the concept. Thus, nearly every week we try to have a vegetarian meal with no meat proteins. This time of the year, in mid-autumn, there are scores of vegetables available for us to work into our daily meals. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, the secret to enjoying vegetarian meals is to make them as tasty and satisfying as possible. See...

We hear a lot about heirloom varieties and heritage breeds, but there is another category of food that harkens back to the good old days. Although we don't see ingredients such as buttermilk, apple butter and lard very often, they still are out there. And so is molasses, that historic concoction that helped create America. Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you even though we don't always have it on...

Every now and then an idea will pop into my head to try something I haven't done before. I know that my local farmers market has tons of pumpkins right now, so I thought I'd take a crack at making pumpkin pie from scratch. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, I am proud to say I nailed it the first time out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.