Jerry Pellegrino
Host, Radio KitchenExecutive Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Corks restaurant is fascinated by food and wine, and the way they work in harmony on the palate. His understanding of the two goes all the way to the molecular level, drawing on his advanced education in molecular biology. His cuisine is simple and surprising, pairing unexpected ingredients together to work with Corks' extensive wine offerings.
His restaurant is set in a quaint 1849 rowhouse in Baltimore's Historic Federal Hill and he has transformed it into what Baltimore Magazine called "a miniature utopia for wine lovers". But wine is just half of the equation. Corks is a restaurant where diners can be swept up in Chef Pellegrino's passion for food and wine and discover the distinctiveness of ingredients and the way they work together.
Chef Pellegrino is a member of the local board for the American Institute of Wine and Food, Vice Chancellor Culinare of the Baltimore Bailliage of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers and often featured in cooking segments on local television. Under his guidance, Corks has been named one of Baltimore's top 65 restaurants every year since opening in 1997 and has been given "The Wine Spectator" award of excellence.
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If you’ve ever vacationed in Maine or down along the Gulf Coast, the chances are you’ve gone to a “Boil”, a feast of seafood and veggies all boiled in one big pot. Here in Maryland, there is no reason we can’t do the same thing, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino has figured out what it takes to do your own backyard boil. -
I was watching a cooking show the other day and the chef was whipping up a pot of gumbo, that Louisiana specialty. Not only did it whet my appetite, it got me thinking, why not create one that celebrates Maryland’s traditions. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, we have just about everything we need here. -
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. -
When I was a kid my mother always let me pick out what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday. From the time I was old enough to appreciate all the choices I settled on one in particular: angel food cake… with cherry frosting. We only had it once a year, but I loved it to pieces. And I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino that light spongy snow-white cake is still a favorite of mine. -
As a whole-hearted supporter of local Maryland food and cooking, I not only cherish the food we grow, but I also truly honor the champions of the eat local movement. Chefs like Nancy Longo and Spike Gjerde have been promoting the regional scene for decades, but there is one fellow we would like to single out. And that would be Chef John Shields. -
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 JerryPellegrino will tell you; it wouldn’t be wrong to say “summertime is a great time to enjoy pasta”. Here are a few ideas Jerry came up with: -
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 summer squash is nothing if not versatile. -
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 friend Chef Jerry Pellegrino has been contemplating the true nature of bacon. -
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. -
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, where would the Blues be without mention of the good old Jelly Roll? It would be a poorer place, he replied.
