Al Spoler
Host, Cellar Notes and Radio KitchenAl 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.
His most rewarding immersion in cooking came through his work as a television director at MPT. Spoler served as off-line editor and assistant director on two series featuring the legendary French chef Pierre Franey. He also worked with Mexican chef Patricia Quintana, and with Bed and Breakfast expert Gail Greco on her series "Country Inn Cooking". Al says traveling all over the US visiting country inns and taping recipes that they prepared in little makeshift television kitchens was an incredible education.
Spoler's tastes in cooking are influenced by regional tradition and contemporary casual French fare. Never slavish to recipes, he is never happier than improvising a Sunday dinner with whatever ingredients come to hand.
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There is one variety of soup that you could argue should only be eaten in winter, since it is the very picture of a hearty bowl of warm comfort. And that would be a chowder, a beloved staple of New England winter life that of course can be enjoyed anywhere… and possibly any time. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows this is a soup that’s good for the soul. -
Al has turned up a trio of very affordable high-quality Chiantis with a ton of personality and promise. -
The middle of winter can be a tough time to get through, but it is an ideal time to sit back and go over the basics. When it comes to baking, there are several techniques that are indispensable, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino is here to take us back to culinary Boot Camp. -
Hugh continues with his exploration of South Africa’s wines, which offer planet of pleasant surprises. -
Nearly every day my wife and I ask each other, “got any ideas for dinner?” As all grown-ups know, you gotta’ eat, and you’re probably gonna fix it yourself. So here’s a suggestion. Open the fridge and pull out all the veggies you can find, and voila: you have the makings for a healthy vegetarian soup. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, that collection of vegetables will vary from season to season. -
Although South Africa has been around for centuries, their wines are not particularly well known here in the States. Hugh sets out to remedy that. -
There was a time when everybody seemed to be afraid of cooking eggplant. Rumors were rampant about bitterness and annoying seeds and the difficulty of cooking it well. As it turns out, that’s all a lot of nonsense. Our colleague Chef Jerry Pellegrino is eager to set us straight on eggplants. -
Hugh and Al agree, the Margaret River region of Australia is their favorite down under. The wines offer refinement, precision, and pleasure. -
Here in the bleak mid-winter, we Baltimoreans are lucky to have so many traditional dishes to keep us warm and happy. One dish is so closely associated with our hometown as to be known nation-wide as Baltimore-Style Sour Beef and Dumplings. As Chef Jerry Pellegrino will confirm, this is one of the tastiest and most comforting regional comfort foods that we know of. -
Many big wineries not only offer a premium line of wines, they also offer a line of reduced-price wines under a “second label”. Hugh explains.
