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Coming Food Trends

A pizza cooking inside a wood burning stove, surrounded by flames.
John Sonderman
/
Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Backyard Pizza Oven

If you're like me, the question of what to do for dinner every night gets a little vexing from time to time. Which is why a lot of us are always looking for inspiration. In today's world of communication we can expect word of the next cool thing to rocket around the world at the speed of light. Chef Jerry Pellegrino makes it his business to keep track of these coming food trends and here are a few things he spotted.

Backyard Pizza Ovens

The thought of having your own pizza oven in the backyard used to conjure up the anxiety of a large construction project and costing a lot of money. But with some very innovative technology, and the desire to have great pizza without spending big bucks, an entire new series of pizza ovens have exploded onto the market that combined low price with incredible results.

And if you’re up for a fun simple DIY projectcheck out this pizza oven made from about $60 worth of masonry supplies and about a one hour build time. I have this oven on the farm and we used it through the entire last summer not just for pizza but to bake bread, roast prime rib, and whatever else we could imagine.

Ghost Kitchens

Shedding the need for a full scale, walk-in, full service restaurant, chefs are opting to open “ghost kitchens” where great food is prepared and delivered to your door. Even before the need for contactless delivery, ghost kitchens were providing us with great alternatives to the traditional carryout choices. Here’s a few to check out in Baltimore:

David Changs Fuko

Guy Fieri’s Flavortown

Underground Pizza Company

Al Spoler, well known to WYPR listeners as the wine-loving co-host of "Cellar Notes" has had a long-standing parallel interest in cooking as well. Al has said, the moment he started getting serious about Sunday night dinners was the same moment he started getting serious about wine. Over the years, he has benefited greatly from being a member of the Cork and Fork Society of Baltimore, a gentlemen's dining club that serves black tie meals cooked by the members themselves who are some of Baltimore's most accomplished amateur cooks.
Executive 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.