Radio Kitchen

The opening whistle for the holiday shopping season sounded a few days ago, and I know a lot of us are feverishly flailing around for gift ideas. If your loved one does any cooking then your job just got a lot easier because we are going to give you a long list of ideas. Chef Jerry Pellegrino keeps up with culinary technology, and Al has a number of gadgets in his own kitchen that are tried and true.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 hand, it is still a very useful ingredient.

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.

The other evening as I came in from walking my dog I was eager to put the damp and chill behind me and tuck into something that would warm the old belly. As luck would have it, Vickie had just whipped up a big pot of turkey chili, so all was right with the world. Chef Jerry Pellegrino thinks we have reason to believe that every household across America has its own special recipe for this oh-so-satisfying dish.

It's fall and the air is filled with footballs which means I am thinking about appropriate food for watching the Ravens play. This time of year I always end up talking to Shane Hughes of Liberty Delight Farm to see if he's got any bratwurst to sell. I'm glad to say he always does. But why stop at bratwurst? As Chef Jerry Pellegrino would say, let's talk sausage.

Even though summer is officially gone, we still will have weeks of pleasant warm weather waiting just ahead. It certainly is way too early to pack up the barbecue grill, so to encourage you to keep it fired up, we have a dinner in mind that is easy and fun to make. It's one of Chef Jerry Pellegrino's favorites, that great grilled meat dish, churrasco.

Although they're with us for most of the year, sweet potatoes seem especially in season these days. As the summer heat gives way to autumn coolness, the sweet potato seems to be at its best as the first frost draws near. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has pointed out, we Marylanders are fortunate that sweet potatoes do so well in our native soil.

It's the middle of September and our Maryland pantry is overflowing with incredible locally produced food. And it's so enjoyable to run through the list of our favorite Maryland foods and dream up delicious dishes.

One of the great traditions of summer in Maryland is sweet corn. Although our legendary Silver Queen corn is more or less just a memory, there are a lot of other varieties to attract our attention. And luckily for us, Chef Jerry Pellegrino has made a bit of a study of this warm weather mainstay.

It's been a great growing season here on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Backyard gardeners are reporting bumper crops which in turn give rise to the question "what do I do with all this produce?" Chef Jerry Pellegrino has come up with a few very creative ideas about how to handle all that produce. Think bread. Not your standard flour and yeast bread, but bread made with vegetables. Think pumpkin bread for instance. By grinding up things like squash, zucchini, or corn you can add it to your batter and come up with a very flavorful product. Here are some of Jerry's best ideas.

This is that glorious time of the year when we are awash in tomatoes. They're piled high at the market and friends with carefully nourished backyard tomato plants are dropping off paper bags stuffed with their prized produce. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino agrees, our first inclination is to use tomatoes in a salad, but we can also whip up some very easy and tempting dishes using cooked tomatoes.

Last week we put on our baking hats and whipped up some summer fruit cobblers, short cakes and tartlets. Today we'll keep those baking hats on our heads and cross over to the savory side of the street. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells me there are a lot of things we can do with Maryland produce that work well with batter and dough. Jerry is thinking about quiches, tarts, empanadas, and pot pies, all of which can benefit from using local protein and produce. Here are a few ideas.

Every week when I go shopping at the farmers market I pass by the fruit stands and start wondering how I can use all those beautiful peaches, pears and plums. Not only will I be eating them out of hand, but I will be doing a little baking that will put them to use. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has three ideas for baking a little fruit into our desserts: cobblers, shortcakes and tartlets.

Maryland is certainly known for its seafood, but I wonder if we get enough of it onto the summer grill. Grilling seafood does take a little finesse, but with a bit of instruction it's very doable. Chef Jerry Pellegrino who is a dab hand at all manner of grilling has some advice on how to handle seafood.

As we gradually and carefully expand our social circles during the pandemic, many of us are planning small dinner get-togethers with trusted, healthy friends. A barbecue party seems perfect as it will get us outdoors and allow for social distancing. Chef Jerry Pellegrino and I talked about barbecue techniques two weeks ago, so it makes sense to talk about some of the side dishes we can offer up.

Very few things make me as happy as a fresh, chilled Maryland melon. To me it's the perfect way to start the day or to ward off the heat of mid-summer. Chef Jerry Pellegrino shares my enthusiasm, and is delighted by the sheer number of varieties of melons we have here.

If you accept the idea that grilling and barbecue are not the same thing...grilling is fast cooking over high heat, while barbecue is a long, slow cooking process using indirect heat...you'll realize that some days you just want to go long a slow and let time be your featured ingredient. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, sometimes you just don't want to rush things.

Stand on your pack porch any evening these days, and that sound you hear is folks firing up their grills. Wait a little while and that aroma that comes wafting through the air is the succulent smell of food roasting over a hot fire. Chef Jerry Pellegrino is a master griller and before he slaps that steak down on the grill there are a few things he does in preparation.

Last week we made a report on what was available at our area farmers markets, and on top of the list were salad greens. It may seem hard to believe but you can still stroll past the stands and see things you've never seen before. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will point out, you can still get your old reliables but there are an amazing number of choices out there.

The farm fields of Maryland are in full production now and so far 2020 has been a near exemplary growing season. Sunny days mixed in with occasional rain have been a blessing, at a time when we really need it. Chef Jerry Pellegrino can't wait to pay a visit to the Farmers Market, which is a real pleasure this time of the year. I've been going fairly regularly, and I was there last weekend to check it out.

A lot of people in the Baltimore area are confronting the corona virus pandemic with trepidation. There's a lot of conflicting opinions swirling around, complicated by inconsistent facts. When it comes to shopping for food we seem to be in a true quandary. While many people are going to grocery stores armed with face masks and hand sanitizers, many are also reluctant to chance it. I would like to talk about one method of food shopping that I think is quite safe, and that would be going to our farmers markets.

We often talk about the wisdom of playing to our strengths, and in Maryland that means eating pork chops. Although poultry and beef are our leading proteins, pork comes in at an important third place. And with the rediscovery of heritage breeds, we are living high on the hog. Chef Jerry Pellegrino is very well informed on this subject and knows there is some delicious pork out there.

When you talk about root vegetables, you might be thinking about autumn and early winter. But springtime has its own crop of veggies that come to us from under the soil, and no kitchen should be without them. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has a lot of ideas on what to do with these familiar treats.

One thing about the quarantine. I've heard that a lot of us are indulging our sweet tooth more than usual. Personally, I can tell you I do get a bit peckish around about 4 in the afternoon, which happens to be is what the English call tea time.

I think a lot of us are not dealing with food supply and menu planning quite the same way we did a few short months ago. We're making fewer trips to the grocery store and spending lots of time surfing the web for new recipe ideas. We're also casting a speculative eye at pots and bowls and containers of leftovers. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, when it comes to re-purposing food our refrigerators are actually little gold mines.

While we've been in hunker down mode, 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.

All of us who are staying at home on a full-time basis are finding that we have a lot of time on our hands. I'm constantly keeping my eyes open for little projects that will eat up some of my spare time. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, a kitchen can be a place for creativity and enterprise.

It seems that an enormous number of Americans have hit on the same idea for coping with the Big Lockdown: they're learning how to bake bread. Chef Jerry Pellegrino, an experienced baker, knows this is a very worthwhile activity in so many ways.

During this period of lockdown and social distancing, a lot of us are starting to feel like pioneers living on the prairie. Since we are making fewer visits to the grocery store, we are doing more planning for stocking up on the essentials we need to keep going. Chef Jerry Pellegrino, has given this some thought and has put together a good list. Jerry believes that a well chosen pantry is better than an overstuffed one.

As we all work to get through this period of social isolation, we can still count on a few things to buck up our morale. And what could be more comforting than a big bowl of home made soup in the evening?

Last year when I went to northern Italy, I took a cooking class that taught us how to make fresh pasta by hand. The process is simple to learn, but mastering it is another question. As it happens Chef Jerry Pellegrino received wonderful book from our friend Cynthia Clover that shines a light on the complexities of a simple dish.

With spring just days away, it's not to early to start thinking about renewing one of the season's most succulent dishes, roast leg of lamb. You can go two ways with this roast, either bone-in or boneless. As it turns out, both Chef Jerry Pellegrino and I prefer the flexability of the boneless cut, although there is a time and place for a big old bone-in leg of lamb.

In the middle of winter, hundreds of intrepid Maryland watermen motor into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries to go fishing for oysters. Nearby oyster farms are currently turning out a record haul, keeping hungry Marylanders well supplied. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino would tell you, of all the wonderful way to eat oysters, none is as famous or mysterious as Oysters Rockefeller.

During the winter months we often think of whipping up a big pot of stew, laden with succulent chunks of meat. Believe it or not those chunks of beef aren't mandatory. In fact some of the heartiest meals you can have this winter are 100% vegetarian. And there are many ways to make a steaming bowl of cooked vegetables flavorful and appealing.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner a lot of us start thinking about shopping for some kind of sweet treats for our sweethearts. So if a box of candy says something, imagine what a box of homemade sweets would say. Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, this can be a very rewarding project to take on.

Valentine's Day is nearly here, and a lot of folks are looking for novel ways of saying, "I love you". Last week we talked about how to make your own candy. Today we're going to continue the discussion with some advice on how to throw a little kindling on the fires of romance. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, history is filled with examples of foods that wishful thinkers claimed would provide a little spark of passion. They are known as aphrodisiacs.

Root Vegetables Run Down

I'm friends with quite a few young folks in their 20's who are just starting out, and for many, cooking is a mystery. To them, my first piece of advice is, don't worry, that's how we all started. My second piece of advice might be to start with something pretty basic and useful: classic winter stews. Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you there are a few basic tips that will come in handy not just for this winter, but for the rest of their lives.

Here in Maryland it seems completely appropriate that our greatest natural resource, the Chesapeake Bay, is the home to one of the greatest fish in the whole world: the celebrated rockfish. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, the rockfish is hands-down one of the best tasting fish you'll ever come across.

Tonight's the big night and there's still time to go out and do something crazy to help ring in the new year. For that portion of the population with refined and cultivated taste, nothing quite beats caviar for putting a big exclamation point on evening's festivities. Chef Jerry Pellegrino believes, it pays to know what you're talking about when it comes to caviar.

It's Christmas Eve and a few of you out there still may not have solved the problem of what sort of special treat can you whip up. Well, may we take a page out of the Old English cookbook and suggest creating a nice trifle to lay before the family.

As our collective holiday season reaches its climax, it's a great time to consider a few of the traditions that make it so enjoyable. In our Jewish community, this is the time of year when a tasty annual practice comes to the fore: the baking of Jewish holiday cookies.

So the holidays are upon us and I for one would like to maximize my time enjoying the festivities and minimize the time I spend cleaning up in the kitchen. Which is where the concept of the One Pot Meal comes into play. Chef Jerry Pellegrino says, there's no reason why this efficient minimalist approach to cooking can't yield very tasty results. Here are a few great ideas.

With the holidays coming the opportunities for family fun are abundant. With the kids hanging out getting underfoot, it's a good idea for parents to have some kind of group activity to keep the young people occupied and happy. Chef Jerry Pellegrino can tell you from experience, home-made pizza night is a great idea. And who better to talk about the intricacies of pizza than Will Fagg of Tiny Brick Oven in Federal Hill.

Here in Maryland it seems completely appropriate that our greatest natural resource, the Chesapeake Bay, is the home to one of the greatest fish in the whole world: the celebrated rockfish.

With Thanksgiving approaching it's time to take a look at recipes for side dishes that might get you out of your ordinary rut. Perhaps the most emblematic vegetable for this season is the butternut squash, which is among the most versatile items in our pantry. Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, this tasty winter squash just begs to be doctored up.

One of the benefits of living in an agriculturally enlightened state is that all our farmers practice crop rotation of one kind or another. Crop rotation means that we plant a variety of things that alternately deplete and then replenish the soil. And one of the best ways of building the soil back up is to plant legumes. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, the good news is, we can eat a lot of these winter legumes, particularly the beans.These beans of winter almost always come to us in a dried form, which means we have to re-hydrate them. Jerry outlines the process.

So the days have gotten really short, and the night has gotten so much longer, and I for one am standing in the need of a little comfort. When Chef Jerry Pellegrino told me he wanted to talk about bread pudding, I was all ears. In my book, bread pudding is pure comfort.

Last week Al started talking about his excellent Italian adventure in Piedmont, in the foothills of the Alps. One of the most exciting parts of his trip was a visit to the Il Melograno Cooking School in Turin where Chef Giadda Bosco presides. He had a lesson in making fresh pasta from scratch, and he found it a humbling experience.

Caponata, Vitello tonnato, and Crespille ricotta e basilico: not only are these wonderful starters, they're easy to make.

A few weeks ago we were looking for something different in the protein department for dinner, and my girlfriend Vickie suggested we make some meatballs. So I bought the fixings and made them up, and they were pretty good, but Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells me could have done better.

Watching a Ravens game is very much a sacred ritual for me. I have to have my man cave set up just right. I have to have the right beverage and of course, I have to have the right food. So of course several times a season I fix up some hamburgers for the crowd. They're usually pretty good, and nobody complains. I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino that I could be doing better. So he came up with just a few simple hints that should really help.

It's no exaggeration to say that Mexican and Hispanic food have become well established parts of our cuisine. Folks who have traveled south of the border have encountered incredible variations on the rudimentary dishes we can get here. One of the most popular of authentic dishes to emerge is fish tacos. Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out that Marylanders should be thrilled to find another use for our splendid seafood. Jerry suggests that whatever fish you select, you pan fry it and then cut it into long slices that can run the length of the tortilla. Pico de Gallo sauce and Salsa Roja are traditional accompaniments.

As summer wanes and autumn arrives, the thoughts of many of us turn to beer, as in Oktoberfest. Something about the crisp chill in the air goes well with malty, hoppy, frothy mugs of beer. And if you are a dedicated fan of the suds, you probably have figured out that you can go beyond drinking it. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has a few thoughts about cooking with beer.

These last weeks of summer are some of the best for the enjoyment of local produce. Every vegetable under the sun is out there, and there simply isn't a better time to enjoy fruit. Apples, peaches, pears, plums, and melons and crying out for love. Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, one of the best things you can do to capture those fruity flavors is to learn how to make sorbets and granitas.

I'm always on the lookout for new ways to use peppers, since they grown so well here in Maryland. Recently, I was in a Mediterranean-themed restaurant where I ordered a small bowl of ----harissa-red pepper dipping sauce.---- It arrived with a slice of warm pita bread, and a I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino, it was love at first bite.

This is the season of the tomato avalanche. At markets, grocery stores and in your neighbor's backyard, tomatoes are coming up like nobody's business. Al asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, 'what are you supposed to do with a paper bag containing 20 red ripe tomatoes?' His answer: make gazpacho.

It's no secret that our Maryland farmers are cranking out the year's best produce right now. Every time Al visits the market and sees table after table of gorgeous fresh vegetables, he starts ransacking his brain for ideas on how to cook and serve it. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has said that one place to look for inspiration is the Mediterranean, where fresh vegetables are the cornerstone of cooking.

The simple words ----corn on the cob---- are enough to get nearly anybody lickin' their chops. Toss in references to butter and salt and you'll hear people's tummies rumbling from down the street. Here in Maryland we cherish our corn, but since a lot of folks still call it Silver Queen, perhaps a little Corn 101 is in order. Chef Jerry Pellegrino is the go-to guy for this information.

During the summer months, a lot of Marylanders love to drive around the back roads of our state looking for unexpected adventures. If you happen to be anywhere near the water, whether Eastern Shore or Western, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for little shops that sell the bounty of the bay. Chef Jerry Pellegrino says there are some amazing and totally unexpected fish being caught in the bay that offer up good eating.

Maryland farmers are now producing an incredible variety of exotic and delicious melons. As Chef Jerry Pellegrino has learned, there is a lot to choose from.

What a great time of the year for fans of Maryland's farmers markets. This is high summer, and the stalls in the marketplace are groaning with fresh produce. Al made a tour of the Waverly farmer's market last week and took some notes. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, at this time of year, if you can't find it in the market, you probably don't need it.

There's a vegetable out there that is sadly neglected and as far as Al is concerned, it's an undeserved fate. The poor little radish isn't feeling much love these days, which is a shame, because it is a very tasty little veg.

You don't have to be a genius to figure out that we here in Maryland are swimming in fruit. From here on out, each week's harvest is going to include all manner of locally grown fruit in a bewildering variety. And aside from munching on a peach, there's a lot of ways of making use of this wonderful bonanza, especially if you're inclined to make a fresh fruit tart.

Tomorrow is our great National Holiday and I'm willing to bet the ranch that grills all over the state are going to be fired up. Hot dogs and hamburgers may be fine, but for a big feast you want to go with the heavy artillery: succulent cuts of beef in all their glory. But grillers, take note: Chef Jerry Pellegrino says, you can't treat all cuts of beef equally.Here are some tips for grilling beef steak, our favorite option.

Al and Chef Pellegrino give some ideas for summer salsas you won't be able to stop snacking on!

Al and Chef Pellegrino offer some ideas on how to use shallots with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, fish and more!

This is high season for salad lovers, so what better time to be creative and make your own salad dressing! Al and Chef Jerry give some tips and tricks.

One of the stalworts of the spring growing season is spinach. The recent cool weather has been perfect for farmers and you can tell by all the spinach that's available at the markets. Al and Chef Jerry give us recipes for spanikopita, shakshouka, spinach lasagna, lamb and spinach, and more!

With warmer weather here our thoughts naturally turn toward lighter dishes, especially salads. Not only can a salad be a concoction of greens and vegetables, there are a handful of classics that involve one protein or another.Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, these rudimentary preparations all start with the mayonnaise, and therein lies opportunity.Here is the Schola Cooking School recipe for homemade mayonnaise and several ideas for tempting summer salad. And remember, they all taste best when you use fresh quality locally grown ingredients.

The season of spring lends its name to all manner of food. Spring onions, spring rolls, and especially spring lamb. Just coming into the market at this time of year, spring lamb is a succulent flavorful meat that fits in perfectly with this season of gentle dining. And spring lamb has a well deserved reputation for being far milder than its more mature associate, the tough old leg of mutton.Let's take a look at the classic cuts of lamb and what they are best used for.

Listen for several New Orleans recipes that play well for Marylanders and our local food.

There is certainly something about spring which calls for gentle cooking methods. And one of the gentlest was invented by the French. It involves cooking food in paper, believe it or not, better known as cooking ----en papilotte.---- And Chef Jerry Pellegrino says this is a pretty unique way to prepare food.

If travel is one of the finest ways to broaden our minds, then Chef Jerry Pellegrino must have one of the broadest minds in Baltimore. The reason being, Jerry has gone about as far away as a man can get from our city on the Bay. He made it down to Melbourne, Australia to visit with his fianc\u233\ues family.While in The Antipodes, Jerry got an eyeful of the Australian way of eating. Jerry shares a few recipes he got a hold of and they are perfect for the Maryland kitchen.

Chef and Al talk about the endless possibilities for delicious french toast. Sweet to Savory.

As the spring markets open up, we'll start seeing some old friends. The artichoke is coming back for a few weeks, and it's a time to enjoy this surprisingly versatile vegetable. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino jokes, a lot of people just sort of look at an artichoke and say, ----yeah, what do I do with it?----

It's a truism that if we want to enjoy locally produced food, we have to support local farms. Maryland has been very progressive about preserving agricultural land, fighting to keep it from over-development. Al mentioned to Chef Jerry Pellegrino, one of the leading lights is Montgomery County, which is why they invited two lovely women who have written a fabulous cookbook inspired by the farms in the Montgomery Reserve. Claudia Kousoulas and Ellen Letourneau have written a cookbook called ----Bread and Beauty, A Year in Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve---- and it is self-published.

It is now officially spring, even if the earth hasn't entirely shaken off winter. Be that as it may, Al thinks this is a very optimistic time of the year, especially for lovers of locally grown food. One of the first things we'll be able to do is rustle up a bunch of greens and make some salads. Which is why Al and Chef Jerry Pellegrino invited their great friend Liz Nuttle to join us today.

The weather is just starting to warm up a bit, and our collective sap is starting to rise. If you feel like taking on a few little projects in the kitchen, it's a good time to start baking. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has some timely tips for our listeners.

A few weeks ago our friendly neighborhood nutritionist Courtney Ferreira was on talking about healthy choices in eating. One thing she mentioned was cauliflower, which is apparently quite a little nutrition bomb. And Al and Chef Jerry Pellegrino agree that cauliflower may have gotten something of a bum rap and being way too bland.

Somebody once said that paprika was the most mediocre of all spices. What??!! Well Al supposes that if paprika to you is nothing more than the red stuff on a deviled egg, well then fine. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino, warms us not sell this fabulous spice short!Paprika is nothing more than ground up red peppers, reduced to a powder. This started in the ancient Americas, was brought back to Spain in the 1500's and then eventually spread throughout the world. Hungary, India and China all have paprika in their cuisines.

In deep mid-winter it does get hard to work locally grown food into our cooking. Some smart folks have put up preserves or done some pickling, but most of us are having a little trouble eating local. Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out that if you can get to one of the year-round farmers markets, there are definitely some things we can toss into our market basket.

Here in the last few weeks of winter it's hard to imagine that we can support our local farmers, but with several farmers markets open year-round around the state, it's possible to do just that. This is the season of the root vegetable, the heartiest and most die-hard of Maryland produce, the food that just keeps on giving. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School will tell you, perhaps one of the best ways to enjoy winter root vegetables is in a root vegetable soup.

Right this moment in the dead of winter, we need to remind ourselves that warmer days lay ahead. Our poor old backyard grills are in sorrowful hibernation, just counting down the days until we fire them up for a barbecue. But why wait? Chef Jerry Pellegrino loves grilling and making barbecue. But one thing that impresses him is that as you go around the country, barbecue means different things in different regions.

Travelling has always had a big impact on the way Al Spoler eats. As he moves around the world in his travels, he encounters all sorts of new things to eat, many of which he attempts to replicate back home. Al and Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School invited Cynthia Glover, one of their favorite travelers, to be join them for this episode.

We've been on a eat healthy kick lately, and I hope we stay there. One popular item that will keep folks on track are boneless chicken breasts and thighs. But as Chef Jerry Pellegrino says, boneless chicken breasts and thighs are pretty boring. Nevertheless, he rounded up a bunch of recipes that feature this heart-healthy ingredient. Here they are.

Eating healthy always seems to be a little more difficult in the winter months. Most of the locally produced food items just aren't available, and the tendency is to eat heavier, more filling food. For Chef Jerry Pellegrino and me this is a conundrum, which is why we've asked nutritionist Courtney Ferreira to be with us today.

We're one week into the new year and already the resolutions are starting to pile up. Al's gym at the Y is jam-packed with new faces all intent on treating their bodies better this year. Chef Jerry Pellegrino and Jerry note, a lot of resolve goes into changing our eating habits, which is why we invited nutritionist Courtney Ferreira to join us for today's Radio Kitchen.

From the American south come quite a few traditions for our first meals of the year. Black-eyed peas, collard greens, corn bread, and pork are guaranteed to get your year off on the right foot. The old, famous dish of Hoppin' John seems to have be created just for this purpose, and is a wonderful cold weather dish.

Of all of the traditions that surround holiday dinners, our ----Radio Kitchen---- hosts say there is nothing as tasty as a well-made classic plum pudding.

There are quite a few ways to cook meat that require a fair amount of attention. One that doesn’t is braising. Once the pan goes into the oven, you can forget about it for a few hours and watch some football. Chef Jerry Pellegrino loves braising and says there is no better way to help inexpensive cuts of meat over-deliver than to braise them.

During the holidays I’m apt to forget about dessert discipline and indulge in the occasional cookies or pies. This very natural inclination is far from rare and we’re going to do nothing to prevent you from enjoying the sweeter side of the holidays. Chef Jerry Pellegrino loves this topic and has collected a lovely bunch of recipes for delicious savory and sweet pies and tarts that sound quite tempting.

During this festive season, we’re always looking for spectacular ways to entertain our guests. Any time you want to introduce an element of luxury into an affair, all you have to do is trot out the lobster, and your friends will bless your name. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has discovered you don’t always have to use the entire lobster to get a good dish. A simple lobster tail can do a lot of wonderful things with a lot less waste.

The holidays are upon us, and a lot of folks are going to be cooking some pretty fancy dinners. Now, if you don’t want to do turkey again, may we make a modest suggestion? Hop right over to your favorite butcher and have him cut you up a rib roast of beef. Chef Jerry Pellegrino says, this is truly a festive cut of meat for big occasions.

With Thanksgiving looming, a lot of us are reaching back for old family recipes that will be perfect for the big feast. An important part of cooking with tradition in mind is cooking with the family's traditional pots and pans.That old cast iron skillet that Grandma swore by sits on the shelf just waiting to be put in the game. According to Chef Jerry Pellegrino, there's a few techniques people can learn to get the most out of cast iron. Here's some observations.

It's fall and the air is filled with footballs which means I am thinking about appropriate food for watching the Ravens play. This time of year I always end up talking to Shane Hughes of Liberty Delight Farm to see if he's got any bratwurst to sell. I'm glad to say he always does. But why stop at bratwurst? As Chef Jerry Pellegrino would say, let's talk sausage.

All summer long we've been gazing fondly at the pepper tables of our local farmers markets. If you love color, texture and intricate shapes, then you can't beat peppers for sheer appearance. We don't know exactly how many varieties we grow here in Maryland, but peppers seem to thrive.

Most of us can't start our day without a cup of coffee or tea. As beverages go, these two are must-haves. But there's more you can do with that cuppa joe and pot of tea. Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows a number of ideas for using coffee and tea in cooking.

What a long strange growing season it's been. Heat, rain, heat, rain all at the wrong time, it makes you wonder how are things going down on the Maryland farm? And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, it's not hard to get answers if you shop at our local farmers markets. Early October is usually one of the richest market times of the year, but what about this year?

Jerry is constantly looking for more ways to get more vegetables into his diet. One of the best and most versatile is to start using a wok, or something very much like it. According to Chef Jerry Pellegrino, the wok is a simple tool, but there are some techniques you can learn to make your stir fries go better. Here is some of his advice and a few recipes.

If you really want to have some fun in your kitchen, buy a pasta making machine. They start at about $30, so it's something of an affordable luxury. Now the thing is you have to decide what to do with all this hand made pasta. Chef Jerry Pellegrino says, we could tell people to ----stuff it----! Here are some of his thoughts.

At any given time I can dig no fewer than five different mustards out of my refrigerator. A hot dog is not a hot dog unless it has classic Yellow Mustard on it, but all those others have so many uses. Chef Jerry Pellegrino and I asked our friend Liz Nuttle to come on and give us her take on this extraordinarily useful condiment.

On a long ago vacation in the South of France I came across a dish that I brought home with me and made it a standard. Salad Nicoise is one of the easiest and most appealing salads I know. Chef Jerry Pellegrino says, even though we can't always get those classic tiny nicoise olives, we do have everything we need right here. But one thing I thought you needed, isn't one of the classic ingredients: lettuce!

There's been a recent push by the Maryland seafood industry to work Blue Catfish into our repertoire of recipes. This very tasty species is available in abundance, and folks are trying to engineer a decline in its numbers.One way was to have a contest for Blue Catfish recipes and one of the winners was an idea for Catfish Ceviche, something that intrigued us.

There's an enormous variety of veggies out there in our Maryland markets and grocery stores. And as students at La Schola cooking school can tell you, one of life's treats is to go shopping with Chef Jerry Pellegrino and fill your basket with whatever captures your fancy at the farmers market.One thing you can do is whip up a vegetable-heavy summer casserole.

During the cold of mid-winter it makes sense to warm our insides with big bowls of piping hot soup. So, conversely, wouldn't it make sense to cool down our tummies during the summer with bowls of fresh cold soups? Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School points out, so much of the summer produce can be used this way.

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes! They're really rolling in now, and the varieties seem endless. Classics like Big Boy and Beef Steak, heirlooms like Cherokee Purple and German Stripe, and petite cherry and grape tomatoes are all out there. Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells us, all this variety can be put to good use when you talk about making Gazpacho.

During this season of grilling, some of us think that the process stops the moment we take the food off the grill. But you can really do a lot more to put together a fantastic plate. And as the French say, ----the sauce is everything.----

It's the time of the year when our local markets are at their prettiest, with all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables coming our way. Among the most eye-catching are Maryland peaches, in their soft yellow and orange splendor. And there are so many great ways to enjoy peaches.

Summer is the season of the berry patch, the source of some of the most appealing fruit of the year. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, black raspberries... gooseberries! We could go on and on, and you can eat 'em right off the bush, or you can take 'em home for some real fun.

One of the fleeting joys of summer is the soft shell crab. They seem to come and go in the marketplace, but when they're around, they're irresistible to a lot of Marylanders. To newcomers, the prospect of cleaning, cooking and eating these crustaceans is, frankly, quite daunting. But once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze...

Now that I'm a veteran of no fewer than 3 trips to Spain, I can tell you for certain that paella is taken very seriously, and enjoyed immensely. This rice and seafood and chicken and whatever else dish is cooked in a big purpose built deep metal pan that is indispensible for making the paella up to specs. And as Chef JerryPellegrino of Schola Cooking School will tell you, this is a seemingly involved dish that is actually quite simple.Here's one of Jerry's favorite approaches.

July 4th, our great national holiday when we do our level best to celebrate with gusto. There's going to be a lot of grilling going on, and there is nobody better than Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School to give us a few shrewd hints on how to make the most of it.

The first weeks of spring are prime time for the onion family. Green onions, spring onions, ramps and garlic are all coming in right now. And so is an oft-overlooked member of the onion family, the leek. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School will confirm, this is actually a very good ingredient to work with.

I don't know, but I've seen it in the movies: Italians will eat pasta all year long. Whether it's in the bleak mid-winter or al fresco on a sunny summer afternoon, pasta is always there. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School will tell you, there seems to be quite a few pasta ideas that are appropriate for these warmer months.

I was watching one of those cooking shows the other day, and a contestant decided to whip up a batch of panna cotta, the wonderfully light and fruity Italian dessert. I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School, since it's such an easy dish, why don't more people try it? And I think it's because the key ingredient is gelatin, something modern home cooks don't work with very often. We offer some easy instructions

Since a good chef never travels far from their roots, it is natural that our own Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School should have an affinity for Sicilian cuisine. In Sicily, geography is the key. This island is surrounded by the Mediterranean, home to thousands of species of fish and shell fish. And they all find their way into the Sicilian kitchen.Here are a few of Jerry's favorite recipes from the old country.

Levening is what we do make dough rise and become much less dense. This actually involves somehow incorporating air into the mixture. Yeast, baking soda, baking powder and egg whites are the four most common mechanisms for levening dough. The secret is to cause a chemical reaction in the dough that will result in the creation of carbon dioxide. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, reacts with the acid in a dough to produce the gas. Typically, buttermilk, vinegar, or lemon juice provide the acid. Baking powder, however, carries its own acid with it, thus avoiding unwanted flavors. Here are several baking recipes Jerry has used at Schola Cooking School.

When the whole Eat Local movement got started in the Bay Area of San Francisco, foraging in the wild for healthy edible food became a signature activity. Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley would dispatch dozens of volunteers to head out into the wilds and bring back baskets of amazing ingredients. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, those of us living in ----the other Bay Area---- can do the same. In fact, Chef Chris Amendola has opened Foraged, described as a ----hyper-seasonal eatery---- in Hampden. He prowls through to fields and forests of Maryland and southern Pennsylvania, casting a knowledgeable eye over the terrain. The resulting dishes are often small plates, which encourages more browsing, more taste sensations. Early spring is a good time to find ramps in the woods. These savory members of the onion family have become very chic in recent years. Here's a recipe.

With spring comes a collection of familiar foods that help us enjoy the new season. Few vegetables are more welcome than the first peas of the year. Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us that peas are one of those ingredients that can stand alone very nicely or perform any number of supporting roles.

This is one of the nicest times of the year to visit your market. Strolling up and down the aisles your eye will be caught by the crown jewels of the season: our fresh Maryland strawberries. My first instincts are for strawberries and ice cream with shortcake, but Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells me, we don't have to go for sweet dessert dishes all the time. Strawberries can go savory too.

Spring is finally starting to feel like spring, and we are starting to sport the first new harvests of the year. This gives us a whole new set of options as we work out ways to celebrate this tender season. I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School, that I wanted to see if I could find any recipes for those two stalwarts of the season: spring lamb and spring onions.

Essentially there are three kinds of catfish: flatheads, channel, and blue. At this point just about any recipe that works for firm white fish will work here. Let's take a look at a basic fried catfish recipe.

As our region's markets slowly wake up this spring, we begin to encounter all sorts of tempting food. With items like fresh baby spinach sharing space with the last of winter's butternut squash our minds start conjuring up recipe ideas. One of the best ways to make use of fresh Maryland produce is to become adept at making ravioli. Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School points out, it's no exaggeration to say the possibilities are endless.

At long last the moment is at hand, the culinary equivalent of baseball's Opening Day. This coming weekend will mark the return of the Baltimore Farmers Market under the old JFX. And for Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School, this means that his cooking classes will have a lot of great local food to work with.

Maryland's farms are just about ready to start cranking out good fresh food this spring, and very quickly we're going to be washed away in a food avalanche. Since we can't possibly eat everything we'd like to buy, we have to have a plan B. There's no better expert than Chef JP of Schola Cooking School, and he says it's never to early to start thinking about preserving the bounty.

Spring is the season of eggs, themselves symbols of renewal. It's also a great time for casual Sunday morning brunches. Al suggested and Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School agreed, there are certainly more than a few million egg recipes that would do well for an informal little brunch. And for best results, you'll want to use fresh Maryland eggs.

Off the top of his head, Jerry came up with four great uses for beer in cooking:beer batters, especially tempura, which takes advantage of beer's carbonation; braising liquids which utilize beer's natural acidity; in stew and chili recipes, which like the richness of a darker beer; and in baking where you can take advantage of some of the exotic flavors that are found in today's beer.

Al and Jerry give two ideas for what to do with spinach: creamed spinach and spinach ravioli.

If any of us are competent home cooks, it's because we have accumulated hundreds and hundreds of small little lessons on how to do it right. And if you spend as much time talking cooking with Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School as Jerry do, you will pick up a think or two. Here are just a few of hundreds of tips Jerry has complied.

This is the season of the root vegetable, the heartiest and most die-hard of Maryland produce, the food that just keeps on giving. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School will tell you, perhaps one of the best ways to enjoy winter root vegetables is in a root vegetable soup.

Al and Jerry give some winter tapas recipes.

Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School and Al invited a long-time friend of the show, Liz Nuttle to come on and tell us how the creative application of oils and vinegars can make a huge difference.

One such dish that I try to make at least once a winter is goulash, that soul satisfying stew of slowly cooked beef and onions...and of course a bowl full of spices.

Here are some recipes that Jerry and Amy use at Schola Cooking School whenever it's Moroccan night.

A few weeks ago we offered our listeners a long list of handy holiday gifts for home cooks. One of our suggestions was the new sous vide systems that use a submersible wand to handle the temperature control side of things. So guess what? I ended up getting one for Christmas, and I've already used it a couple times. With Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School at my side with advice, I am confident that I will master this technique...

How are those New Year's Resolutions going? I wonder how many of our promises involve food? Lose weight, cut down on this and that, eat fewer snacks. Maintaining a healthy diet is a fantastic way to contribute to your health, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino has noticed, once a new approach to eating sets into your lifestyle, it becomes a habit and pretty easy to stick to.

The first few weeks of the New Year are a perfect time for dining with friends. To make your dinners a little more festive you can dress up your desserts by whipping up a few creative tarts and pies. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has some great ideas.

You've got a week to get ready, so let's cracking on a first class New Year's Eve party menu. This is when you want to get in touch with your ----Inner Pellegrino---- and let it all hang out. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School has put together some ideas for folks to try.

We've been talking a lot about holiday traditions this month, and one of the most ancient is a little treat called Plum Pudding. Making a proper Plum Pudding involves a few techniques that most Americans aren't familiar with. But we've got you covered.

Kids all over love this time of year, with the presents, the holidays, the cookies, it's all dreamland. One of the perennial props for this time of year is a project that you can take on with your kids. In Chef Jerry Pellegrino's opinion, nothing says winter holidays like a Gingerbread House.

Yorkshire Pudding

Holiday Gift Guide

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Forgotten Fish of the Chesapeake

Rockfish

Paella

Andrew C

Fish and Chips

Autumn Soups

We're in the middle of our harvest season, when farmers all over Maryland are bringing in the food they've worked so hard to produce. In Italy this season is celebrated with the Feast of San Martino, who quite logically is the patron saint of grape pickers, winemakers and sommeliers. So to fill us in on this festival, we've invited a friend whose knowledge and understanding of this Feast is first rate, chefSergio Vitale of Aldo's Restaurant in Little Italy. Chef Sergio gave us a few ideas for celebrating San Martino. Here they are.

DIY pizza

Most of us have been grilling for several months now, and although we've loved our burgers, steaks and ribs, we might be looking for something new, something a little exotic to toss on the grill. So Chef Jerry Pellegrino and I look to Latin American and the Caribbean for a lot of inspiration, because the folks down there really know how to grill.

There's a very laudable organization here in town called the Baltimore Orchard Project whose goal is to remind us that we are surrounded by an urban forest. And like any good forest, a lot of those trees are bearing fruit, which is there for the taking. And there are some very interesting things out there including the mythical pawpaw. Click on the image for some apple recipes.

Every time you bring in something off the grill this summer, you end up asking yourself, "what am I going to put on that?" The answer is some sort of condiment, of course. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School will tell you, it's all to easy to reach for you store-bought mayo or catsup, but it can be very rewarding to whip up your own versions of your favorite condiments. -Al Click on the image for the recipes.

I think that one of the most closely guarded secrets of so-called foodies is that we harbor a yearning for some of the classic meals we enjoyed as kids. For folks of a certain age, it might be called the best of "The Mad Men Cookbook," and for younger folks it's a matter or retro cooking. But as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will agree, some of our mom's favorites are still ours. The trick however is to approach these dishes from scratch, and not rely on cans of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. -Al Click on the picture for recipes.

As one who is always keeping an eye on his waistline, I find myself eating more salads than usual this summer. I can do something as simple as iceberg lettuce with a dollop of 1000 Island Dressing, or something as complex as a Salad Nicoise. And the one undeniable thing about salads is the near infinite number of permutations that we can choose from. -Al

You don't have to be a genius to figure out that we here in Maryland are swimming in fruit. From here on out, each week's harvest is going to include all manner of locally grown fruit in a bewildering variety. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School can verify, aside from munching on a peach, there's a lot of ways of making use of this wonderful bonanza, especially if you're inclined to make a fresh fruit tart. Click on the image for the instructions.

It's probably pretty easy to figure out where we get a lot of our ideas for Radio Kitchen . All it takes is a visit to a weekend farmers market and we walk away with topics galore. Jerry and Al made their regular visits to Baltimore's farmers markets recently, and came away inspired. Click on the picture for some ideas they culled from the market.

Happy 4th of July. And I'm willing to bet that more than a few of you are planning crab feasts to go along with the fireworks. Some purists may insist that you only need two things for a proper crab feast: crabs and beef. But to make it a true feast, I think you've got to offer more than that. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School has set his focus on the sides. Here are a bunch of ideas to round out your crab feast. Click on the image for the list of recipes.

Last week I shared my culinary memories of my trip to Spain, and the week before that Jerry was talking about the grill. So this week we've decided to blend the two concepts and talk about something rather novel. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School has figured out how to throw a Spanish classic on the barbie. Click on the photo for recipe and instructions.

I just got back from my trip to Spain, and boy did I eat well. We did a fair amount of tapas and a fair amount of sit-down dinners, and since I had my notebook with me, I brought back some ideas. And I'm sure that Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Coking School would have been going nuts sampling all that good food. Click on the picture for recipes.

I've been firing up my grill for a few weeks now, and ever since we did a show on smoking with wood chips, I've been cooking up some very tasty food. But if you want to increase the flavor of your steaks, ribs and roasts, you can't beat the direct approach: going with marinades and rubs. And this is where Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School can get very creative. Click on the picture to the left for instructions and recipes.

Memorial Day is here, and summertime is officially underway. One of the first things I'm going to do is get my grill all cleaned up, replace a few old parts, and get it all fired up. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School often says, when it comes to grilling where there's fire... there isn't necessarily smoke. And that's a shame. Click on the picture for more info.

One of the happiest times in the Maryland calendar is the month of May when our delicious strawberries are just pouring in. With all the pick your own farms out there, there are few things nicer than taking the kids out to pluck a few pecks of sweet red strawberries. Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School reminds us that there is a classic way for Marylanders to enjoy those berries. Click on the picture for the recipe.

Although it's still a little tough to get there, Cuba has captured the imaginations of a lot of Americans who want to see what life is like after Castro. A big part of Cuban life centers on food, and already, a lot of Cuban food has spilled over into the US. Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School has looked into this culinary exchange program and has developed some tasty Cuban recipes. Click on the image for recipes.

As so often happens we go to the market and we feel swamped with all the produce available. You take home a groaning market basked filled with fresh Maryland produce, and you quickly realize you can't eat it all, all at once. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School has some ideas about keeping that good spring produce. Pickling is most often associated with the late summer or early fall, when we want to preserve the abundance of the harvest. But there's no reason pickling can't go on all year long. Jerry distinguishes between a fast pickle, accomplished in 30 minutes or less, and a slow pickle, which involves simmering your produce in the pickling liquid, and then canning it. Click on the picture for some classic slow pickle recipes that Jerry has tried and likes.

If I need inspiration for an upcoming meal, I simple go shopping and let the ingredients stimulate my creativity. Nowhere is this more true than when I go to a shop like EN Olivier where there are dozens of amazing olive oils and vinegars available for sampling and sale. And we've invited one of our best friends to talk about culinary inspiration, the owner of EN Olivier, Liz Nuttle.

Let's have three cheers for springtime and the re-opening of the farmers markets. This is a time for early abundance with all those delights of what the Italians call, the Primavera. For Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School, one of the first indulgences are salad greens, in bewildering profusion. Interestingly enough there is actually a vegetable named ?Spring Greens?. It is a member of the cabbage family and related to kale. It is cold tolerant, like the first cabbages of the year and has fresh, loose heads without the hard heart of other cabbages. It is great saut?ed or boiled with garlic and olive oil. But we really wanted to talk about are the fun things we see in the springtime that are green!

A couple weeks ago I was shopping in the Waverly Farmers Market and I bought a nice head of cabbage from my friends at Eden Farm. I took it home, and over the course of the next week I got three meals out of it. So as Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School would suggest, once again we have proof of cabbage's incredible versatility. Click here for recipes.

April is, among other things, National Noodle Month, which gives us a chance to think outside the noodle box for a moment. Whereas most pasta and noodles are made with the simplest ingredients, there are no rules saying you can't get a little more inventive. Thanks to a nifty piece of hardware, we can easily turn vegetables like carrots and squash into something very closely resembling noodles. The tool in question is a spiral vegetable slicer. You pop a roughly cylindical vegetable into the mouth of the tool, twist and turn according to instructions, and a pile of tidy noodle shaped vegetables emerges. The slices can be thin spaghetti style or broader fettuccine or anything in between. Some of these gadgets look like tiny kitchen lathes, and others are something like a tube with a cutting blade inside. Regardless, they are inexpensive, ranging from as little as $10 up to about $40. With your vegetable noodle maker in hand what can you do with it? Well Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola

One of the things we do really well in Maryland is peppers. Our soil and climate are perfect for the entire range of peppers, from the mildest to the hottest. One of Jerry Pellegrino's favorite thing to do with peppers is to whip up some of the classic Mexican salsas. Here are a few of his favorite. Some of these ingredients can be found in the Latino bodegas that a scattered around town. Click here for salsa recipes from Chefs Amy von Lange ---- Jerry Pellegrino.

I happen to be as patriotic as the next guy, but even I am forced to admit there are certain things the French do better than just about anybody else. Perfume, champagne and truffles come to mind... and so do French pastries. Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School agrees. He has had a number of French guests come into his school lately, and he has learned a thing or two. Here are three recipes that will challenge you, but give you impressive results. Click here for unique French pastry recipes from Chefs Amy von Lange ---- Jerry Pellegrino.

With St. Patrick's Day looming we thought it would be a good idea to help you think past corned beef and cabbage and take a fresh look at modern Irish cooking. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School says, it seems to be high time to re-calibrate our thinking. So with that in mind, here are a few classic Irish recipes done up for modern tastes and techniques. Click here for recipes.

If you can't just hop on a plane and fly to somewhere exotic, like, say, Sardinia, you can do the next best thing. And that would be to book a table at Daniela Restaurant in Hampden where you will be treated to the next best thing. Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School and I invited Chef Daniela Useli to tell us about how she brings a little piece of Sardinia to Hampden. To read more, click here .

It's a comfort to think that spring is creeping up on us and in a few weeks the markets will be open with the first produce of the year, some of it grown in hoop houses. And one of the first things we can expect is spinach, and that makes us smile. The first spinach, which often has been exposed to cold crisp air, is often the sweetest. Besides its marvelous flavor, spinach is, as Popeye averred, really healthy for you. It's a great nutrient delivery vehicle, and the only caveat we can offer is not to over-cook it. To read more click here .