With a touch of autumn coolness in the air, it's not much of a problem to spend some time in a nice warm kitchen doing a little baking. Our friend Chef Jerry Pellegrino is laying out his plans for some baking projects.

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Last week we talked about using pumpkins for assorted savory dishes. This week I want to take the pumpkin pie as a point of departure and talk about some dessert ideas you can try at home. As Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, the first place to start is with the filling.

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Last year at this time I had a revelation. I discovered the Cinderella pumpkin, a heritage breed that boasts the highest sugar content of any pumpkin. The pumpkin itself is large, and is shaped like Cinderella’s carriage without the wheels. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows this variety and can confirm that it is one of the best for cooking.

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As the sun slips below the yardarm all over Maryland these days, the siren call of a cold, refreshing adult beverage sounds loud and clear. Cocktails have made a big comeback, and aficionados keep their liquor cabinets well stocked with all manner of exotic ingredients.

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You don't have to look far at your favorite farmers market to find delicious fruit these days. Apples, peaches, pears and plums are all around us. However in coming weeks, if you look a little closer you may just spot a few less conventional items. Chef Jerry Pellegrino is quite a fan of some of the undeservedly obscure fruits.

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Since we don't eat steak all that often, it makes sense to splurge and get the best cuts all the time. Dry aged steak is expensive, but the difference in flavor and aroma makes it something of an irresistible choice.

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Given the sheer abundance of fruit available to us now, it is natural to think about making some pies. As tempting an idea as this is, I used to be put off by the seeming complexity and futility of making a good pie crust. But not any more. Having learned a few crucial secrets, I am now qualified to turn out a lovely flakey crust just about every time.

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If you have a hankering to make a perfect brownie, rejoice, because Chef Jerry Pellegrino has a few tips. These are basic concepts, to be sure, but if you fail to follow them your brownies will not be all that they can be.

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Many of the dishes I encounter at restaurants or at dinners with friends are outstanding culinary accomplishments. I can easily imagine lengthy recipes and mounds of ingredients. But lately some of the best things I've eaten are incredibly simple and incredibly good. You don't always have to be fancy to score a home run.

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I've been spending a lot of time with our slow cooker. There is something very appropriate about sitting around the house while the kitchen throws off mouth-watering aromas hour after hour. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, one of the most tempting things you can prepare is good old pulled pork. But of course you don't have to use a slow-cooker.

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