Not that many things in life are irrefutable, but there is one truism that stands up to scrutiny. And that would be “bacon”, as in “bacon makes everything taste better”. Kids love it, grown-ups love it, heck, even dogs love it. So, there’s something going on there that we should look into. Our friend Chef Jerry Pellegrino has been contemplating the true nature of bacon.

It’s the middle of Spring and our farmers markets are in full swing now. I visited our local market in Waverly last weekend and was struck by the sheer abundance of everything. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, everywhere you look you see amazing possibilities.

For the last few weeks, we’ve been concentrating on a whole slew of savory dishes that celebrate Spring. Today we thought we’d delve into something on the sweet side, and indeed, we have settled on a well-known dessert that should be a staple in everyone’s kitchen. I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, where would the Blues be without mention of the good old Jelly Roll? It would be a poorer place, he replied.

Wrapping up our coverage of the culinary possibilities of Spring cooking, we thought we’d offer some odds and ends ideas for the most iconic ingredients of the season. I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino if we could whip up something with lamb, asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, spring potatoes. Probably very difficult he said, so let’s just take it one ingredient at a time.

Last week we talked all about Spring-time’s signature vegetable, the asparagus. As it turns out we barely scratched the surface. Spring is also the season for the king of mushrooms, the noble morel. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you that asparagus and morels are natural partners. Whereas both are earthy, one has a sweetness to it and the other a nuttiness of flavor.

As it happens, Maryland, and in particular the sandy Eastern Shore is Nirvana for asparagus. This time of year, always brings a bumper crop of these delicious spears to the marketplace. And every year we try to find new ways of cooking them. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, says it’s not too hard to find new ideas for this versatile veg.

Natives to these parts are well aware of a member of the onion family that seems to be virtually unknown more than 100 miles from the Potomac. I’m talking about “ramps” and don’t feel bad if you know the name but have never tried them. Chef Jerry Pellegrino loves them and says that our ramps are something of a regional delicacy.

With the arrival of Spring, I have started to cast about for new ideas. For some reason, out of the blue, I wondered how Primavera is interpreted by Mexican cooking. In general, we grow a lot of what we need for Mexican cuisines here in Maryland, and as far as Chef Jerry Pellegrino is concerned, the ideas came hard and heavy.

I love watching a lot of the TV cooking shows, because not only are they educational, but they can also be very entertaining. One show in particular tickled me. The task at hand was to make home-made pretzels… and nobody could remember how to create the pretzel shape. As it happens, Chef Jerry Pellegrino is very conversant with pretzels and can offer us a few tips.

Spring has officially arrived and that triggers all sorts of events In the Maryland marketplace. This is of course the season of lamb and many of us are dusting off our cookbooks, looking for recipes. One of Chef Jerry Pellegrino’s favorite dishes is braised lamb shanks, which he used to cook to perfection at Corks.