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Baltimore Chef's Table

  July 8, 2014 - Radio Kitchen - Baltimore Chef's Table    

In case you might not have noticed, Baltimore is developing quite a reputation as a town with some mighty good chefs.  And to prove the point a number of books have appeared lately featuring our talented cooks.  And we are very proud to see that you have made it into one of the newest books featuring the local team.
 

Baltimore Chef's Table, by Kathy Wielech Patterson and Neal Patterson is published by Lyons Press.  It is a very handsome, well thought-out book that ranks very high for usefulness and approachability.  The cookbook features chefs and restaurants from the Baltimore metro area, 58 all told.  Each chef proposes a recipe, which run the dining gamut.   Here is the recipe Chef Jerry served up.

            Waterfront Kitchen Summer Corn Chowder
                        (serves four)

6 ears fresh sweet corn
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 bacon strip, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 bay leaf
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp fresh tarragon leaves

1.  Shuck the corn and blanch the ears in a large pot of boiling water for 4 minutes.  Plunge into ice water to cool the cut the kernels from the cobs and reserve.

2.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the bacon and fry until it renders its fat but doesn't begin to brown.  Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until soft.  Add the carrot and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes more.  Add the heavy cream and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a bare simmer.  Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the cream from burning on the bottom of the pot.

3.  Add the reserved corn kernels along with the potato, bell pepper and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork tender.  Add the tarragon and serve hot.
 

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.