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.
-
As summer enters the homestretch we can begin to look forward to a new phase of the harvest. This is the time when so many of our Maryland root vegetables come into play. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino agrees, these sometimes-forgotten veggies deserve a little attention. -
Grilling season is in full swing and there is one cut of beef that does extremely well on the grill and that’s flank steak. Maryland farmers who raise beef will always have some of this delicious cut on hand, and if you haven’t tried it, you ought to. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino has pointed out, grilling a flank steak does require a little bit of savvy. -
We Marylanders are perfectly situated to enjoy a summer favorite, the salsa. What makes it so appealing to us is that the produce of August and September is just what we need to make great salsa. Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows that the combinations of home-grown ingredients are endless. -
Al studied history in college and never lost my appetite for it. One thing that really appeals to me is the history of food and cooking. And here in Maryland we have quite a few Food Historians. And as he told Chef Jerry Pellegrino, one of my favorites is a local lady called Kara Mae Harris, who has written a wonderful book called “Old Line Plate”. -
One of the tenets of cooking during the summer is to avoid using the kitchen oven for long bakes. Thus, we fire up the barbecue grill and cook outdoors. Every good cookout deserves a good dessert, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino has some ideas for desserts that require little or no baking that will tickle your palate. -
Since the weather heated up, I found myself thinking back to vacations in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I became very fond of churrasco (grilled flank steak) and a side dish of black beans. Chef Jerry Pellegrino believes it’s wise to keep a few cans or a bag of dried black beans in your pantry. -
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.
