
Radio Kitchen
Thursdays at 2:34 p.m.
Every Thursday afternoon at 2:34 p.m. WYPR listeners are treated to a tasty serving of culinary advice on Radio Kitchen.
Hosts Al Spoler and Chef Jerry Pellegrino offer up-to-date advice on the best in local ingredients, cooking techniques, recipe ideas and gadgets for the kitchen. Jerry Pellegrino is currently owner of Strickland Hollow Farm, a cider apple farm, distillery and event space in Meridale, New York, tucked into the Catskill Mountains. Radio Kitchen is sponsored by Liberty Delight Farms.
Check out the gallery from our At The Table event
Latest Episodes
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I’m in heaven these days because we are swimming in fresh picked corn. I tend to really load up on corn on the cob during those summer months when we can get it. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, corn on the cob is just the start… there’s so much more you can do with fresh Maryland corn. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino offers a primer on using summer corn.
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I’d like to make the argument that polenta is one of the easiest and most versatile of our side dishes… provided you know a few simple tips. This simple dish made from coarsely ground corn meal and water is a springboard to other things. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows, the first thing to learn is how to keep polenta from getting lumpy.
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When it comes to summertime grilling there are a lot of choices out there. Steaks, burgers, chicken, fish and veggies all come to mind, but there’s one protein that deserves a spot on the grill, and that’s sausages. And Chef Pellegrino will tell you, when it comes to sausages, we’re not hurtin’ for choices.
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Shopping at the markets these days is pure joy. The produce is rolling in and we are spoiled for choices. One of the most eye-catching veggies out there are the summer squash, the zucchinis, the pattypan’s and all. Chef Jerry Pellegrino would encourage you to be taking advantage of them.
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Summertime is great for fruit, and since I try to have fruit every morning for breakfast, I’m always scouting for the best available. Which often brings me to berries, especially blue, black and razz. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells me there’s a lot I’m missing.
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Anyone with a backyard garden who has tried growing herbs is familiar with the love-hate relationship we have with mint. That tasty, useful little plant is so easy to appreciate… until is spreads like topsy and tries to take over your garden. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, we are blessed to have access to such a prodigious herb.
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Long, long ago when I started saving money and making a few tiny investments I heard that people would invest in… get ready… “pork bellies”. I kid you not. I simply didn’t get it, but it was true. Then, much later I learned that the chefs on TV were cooking with… pork bellies. So, I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino to explain what they’re talking about.
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I remember talking with the renowned food educator Anne Willan about getting people interested in cooking. Suppose you were, she said, somebody who never ever lifted up a rolling pin or a carving knife, you could start with something very basic and useful: making a vinaigrette. In retrospect Chef Jerry Pellegrino thinks she was 100% right. “I can’t think of a simpler recipe to make, and it has the benefit of being 100% usable right away, which means instant gratification.”
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There are times when we want our food to be hot and crunchy, and at other times nice and chewy. And then sometimes we want everything as creamy as can be. And how do we do that? We use crème fraiche… or yogurt… or ricotta… or other things. Chef Jerry Pellegrino explained the differences and when do we use which?
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They’re nobody’s first choice for a cooking ingredient, but they deserve much more respect. I’m talking about lentils, one of the very healthiest foods out there, and when well-prepared, one of the tastiest. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino was eager to tell us why he loves lentils.