Having just gotten back from a two-week trip to Portugal, and I have all sorts of stories to tell. Not the least of them are my stories about the food and wine I tasted. All of the restaurant food we ate seemed to have been prepared from family recipes, perfected by generations of grandmothers. As I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino, a few of these really stuck in my mind, and so I’m going to try them at home.

Chances are most of us have a younger person or two in our lives, and not all of them are adept at the ins and outs of running their own kitchen. Stocking up the pantry with the basics is a crucial step. So, Chef Jerry Pellegrino has come up with a list of helpful things we can get for these novices.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and a lot of us are looking for some new ideas. Although it may not be part of everyone's traditional dinner, a lovely bowl of hearty autumn soup is a welcome idea. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino has noted, the makings for good Thanksgiving soups are all around us.

I would guess that in the kitchens of people of a certain age you're bound to find a cast iron skillet tucked away somewhere. Many are cherished heirlooms, while some are newly purchased, which I think is a wise investment. So, I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino what do we need to know about cast iron?

There is a certain restaurant in Baltimore that I like to visit for lunch, and nearly all the time I start off with the same dish: avocado toast. It's so light and tasty I can't resist it. I told Chef Jerry Pellegrino I decided I'd try to make it at home, and it turned out to be a bit trickier than I thought.

Anyone who has watched any of the dozens of baking shows on TV has marveled at the flaky magic of multi-layered dough. There seems to be several types in play here, so I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, to teach us the different kinds and how to make them?

This is prime time for our Maryland farmers markets. We still have a fair amount of summer produce hanging around, and the best of the autumn harvest is just arriving. I paid a visit to one of Baltimore's markets this past weekend, and as Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows oh so well, the joint was jumping.

When it comes to shopping for squash, we are definitely in a transition period. Yellow and green zucchini are still around, but the winter squash are rolling in. The nice thing about winter squash is that they are sort of hollow inside. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, that means they are ideal for stuffing.

That little nip in the air reminds me that it's time to start adjusting our daily menus. It's the perfect season to introduce a little warm, tasty treats to the breakfast table. So we can't blame Chef Jerry Pellegrino for thinking about biscuits and gravy?

Okay, so the kids have been back in school for a few weeks and the thrill has rubbed off and now they're kinda bored with the whole thing. So that means it's time to break out the big old mixing bowl and get the young un's to help whip up a bunch of cupcakes. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, I doubt there is anything that brings out more of a kid's creativity than making cupcakes.