Pasta in the Summertime

If you stop to think about it, we probably enjoy pasta all year long.   As one of the most versatile foods in the world, you can take pasta in an endless number of directions.  The trick is in the sauce and what sort of additions you throw in.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you; it wouldn’t b…

Summer Squash

One of the stars of our Farmers Markets these days is the summer squash.  Green ones, yellow ones, green and yellow ones, big ones, little ones… you get the idea.  With all of this delicious produce at hand we thought we’d share a few ideas for fixing it at home.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, the sum…

What's Up with Bacon?

Not that many things in life are irrefutable, but there is one truism that stands up to scrutiny.  And that would be “bacon”, as in “bacon makes everything taste better”.  Kids love it, grown-ups love it, heck, even dogs love it.  So, there’s something going on there that we should look into.  Our …

Market Report

It’s the middle of Spring and our farmers markets are in full swing now.  I visited our local market in Waverly last weekend and was struck by the sheer abundance of everything.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, everywhere you look you see amazing possibilities.

Jelly Roll Cake

For the last few weeks, we’ve been concentrating on a whole slew of savory dishes that celebrate Spring.  Today we thought we’d delve into something on the sweet side, and indeed, we have settled on a well-known dessert that should be a staple in everyone’s kitchen.  I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, …

Icons of Spring Cooking

Wrapping up our coverage of the culinary possibilities of Spring cooking, we thought we’d offer some odds and ends ideas for the most iconic ingredients of the season.  I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino if we could whip up something with lamb, asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, spring potatoes.  Probabl…

Asparagus and Morels

Last week we talked all about Spring-time’s signature vegetable, the asparagus.  As it turns out we barely scratched the surface.  Spring is also the season for the king of mushrooms, the noble morel.  And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you that asparagus and morels are natural partners.  Whereas …

Asparagus

As it happens, Maryland, and in particular the sandy Eastern Shore is Nirvana for asparagus.  This time of year, always brings a bumper crop of these delicious spears to the marketplace.  And every year we try to find new ways of cooking them.   And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, says it’s not too hard to …

What’s Up with Ramps?

Natives to these parts are well aware of a member of the onion family that seems to be virtually unknown more than 100 miles from the Potomac.  I’m talking about “ramps” and don’t feel bad if you know the name but have never tried them.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino loves them and says that our ramps are …

Spring, Mexican Style

With the arrival of Spring, I have started to cast about for new ideas.  For some reason, out of the blue, I wondered how Primavera is interpreted by Mexican cooking.  In general, we grow a lot of what we need for Mexican cuisines here in Maryland, and as far as Chef Jerry Pellegrino is concerned, …