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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As winter slowly slips away, a lot of us are looking for ways to keep from going crazy during these final weeks of cold and darkness. One traditional outlet has been bread-baking. Chef Jerry Pellegrino recommends quick breads. -
Say Australia and people automatically think “Shiraz”, but as Al points out, there are lots of other red wines worthy of consideration. -
One of the most popular wines from Italy is the famous Chianti Classico, a legendary red that comes from the heart of Tuscany. Hugh reviews three wines. -
The original version of goulash was created in the frozen fields of Medieval Hungary when hard-working shepherds, known as “goulyas” created a simple stew out of beef and onions. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, this is a simple enough dish, but when a spice called paprika arrived on the scene it was transformed into the dish we know today. -
Everyone knows about Malbec from Argentina, but it’s not the only red made there. Al takes a look at Cabernet Franc from the land of the gauchos. -
I don’t think I ever get tired of eating chicken. One day it might be fried chicken for lunch, then next it’s a Moroccan chicken and couscous casserole for dinner. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino tell me, good old fashioned store-bought chicken is only the tip of the iceberg. The whole world of poultry is a pretty interesting place. -
Martin Ray Winery in the Russian River Valley is a pioneer in Sonoma County. In recent years they have been producing an outstanding line of wines under the Angeline label. -
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Wines from Portugal are no longer an oddity, but a frequent guest on Cellar Notes. Al takes a look at three reds from Alentejo, a wine region we’ve become quite familiar with. -
With Valentine’s Day rolling around again in a couple of days, like many people I’m going shopping for chocolate for my wife. Standing in front of the counter at Wockenfuss, I’m always amazed by the sheer variety of chocolates available. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino has suggested, you could say that chocolate is a romance unto itself.
