It's the middle of March, that maddening time of the year when winter just won't give up and spring just won't get here.  One of the few saving graces of mid-March is Saint Patrick's Day, with all its festivity and traditions.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you,  its a perfect time to delve into the deeply satisfying culinary traditions that make up Irish Cuisine.

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I remember as a little boy I loved the story of Peter Rabbit raiding the turnip patch.  However, as plausible as that story is, I now think that what Mr. R was looking for were parsnips, a root vegetable that I consider to be far superior to plain old turnips.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino believe, like I do, that parsnips deserve a great deal more of our attention?

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In recent years there have been two parallel trends in drinking habits:  a return to keen interest in cocktails... many retro and many brand new... and their non-alcoholic cousins the "mocktail".  Chef Jerry Pellegrino is down with this and can tell us what this is all about.

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In recent years there have been two parallel trends in drinking habits:  a return to keen interest in cocktails... many retro and many brand new... and their non-alcoholic cousins the "mocktail".  Chef Jerry Pellegrino is down with this and can tell us what this is all about.

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While surfing through our thousands of choices on cable, I stumbled across the original episodes of "The French Chef" with Julia Child.  I immediately started watching those seminal shows, and immediately started learning things I didn't know.  And I hoped Chef Jerry Pellegrino would forgive me for not possessing Julia's encyclopedic knowledge of kitchen craft. Here are some useful tips.

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In recent years there have been two parallel trends in drinking habits:  a return to keen interest in cocktails... many retro and many brand new... and their non-alcoholic cousins the "mocktail".  Chef Jerry Pellegrino is down with this and can tell us what this is all about.

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If you've ever watched one of the competitive cooking shows on TV, every time a contestant is sent home they're told to "pack their knives and go".  Obviously knives are a cook's most personal tool, their own set of preferences for getting the job done.  We asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, what do knives mean to a cook?  He concurred, saying that knives are a chef's most important tool.  However he then said that rather than waste time sharpening knives over and over, some chefs buy cheap knives and toss them when they wear out.  Hmm.

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Since wine plays such a big part in my life, it should come as no surprise that I do cook with it from time to time.  Putting aside the jokes about "cooking with a glass of wine", I do find that wine can add a lot of a recipe.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, there are a number of things to keep in mind when you start pouring wine into the pot.

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This time of deep winter often finds many of us tinkering away with cozy indoor projects that help while away the chilly hours.  For those who are culinary-minded, this is a perfect time to cook up some stocks for future projects.  And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino points out, making stock is perhaps something of a lost art that ought to be revived.

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One of the pitfalls of winter is the tendency to eat heavy, hearty food... which can end up putting weight on.  So, to lighten the load, we may want to consider eating lighter vegetarian fare.  Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, the sky is the limit for ideas since here in Maryland we have so many wonderful vegetable ingredients.

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