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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The season has arrived for glasses of bubbly sparkling wine, and Hugh has a handful of sensible suggestions. -
The once obscure viognier has flourished around the world, and an assortment of styles have emerged. Al looks into several. -
With the holidays coming up quickly it might be a good idea to plan a few dessert ideas. In my experience nobody passes on a piece of apple pie, and anyone who goes to the trouble of making one will make a lot of friends. And as an apple grower, Chef Jerry Pellegrino takes pie making very seriously. -
For decades Cline Family Cellars has been offering high quality wines at very affordable prices. Al catches up with their latest bottlings. -
Anyone who has watched a baking show on TV knows the bakers all come armed with an arsenal of tricks and hacks. For those of us who want to better our baking skills, it might be useful to learn something new. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino is just the guy to teach us. Here are a few ideas for better baking. -
Café wine par excellence, Beaujolais is the ultimate in easy drinking. Hugh takes a look at what has become an extraordinarily popular wine. -
It’s Halloween, and all over town people are putting out pumpkins. And why not? It’s the perfect season for them. Although Jack O’Lanterns don’t make for very good eating, a lot of others do. We asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino, what can we do with these amazing vegetables? -
This very popular Argentine wine has gained traction in this country. In the early days, cheap Malbec wasn’t much of a treat. Al investigates the current state of affairs. -
Without doubt salt is the oldest seasoning known to man. Dating back to prehistoric times, salt has been an indispensable part of our cooking. So important has salt been that it actually was a stand-in for money. Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, there is a big story here. -
Riesling is one of the greatest grapes in the world, and Hugh thinks it is also very misunderstood. He clears the air with these three reviews.
