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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We like to visit various ethnic restaurants quite often and usually my favorite part of the meal is the flat bread with some kind of vegetable spread to smear on it.And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino noted, we here in Maryland are perfectly set up to make our own spreads at home. -
Oregon continues to make solid strides in wine quality as it sends more and more labels into the market.This week we take a look at Pinot Gris, that very popular white wine that offers a great alternative to Chardonnay. -
It’s one of the Loire Valley’s most attractive whites.Vouvray is something of a chameleon, changing its character and flavor profiles easily. Hugh looks at this alluring wine and has some recommendations. -
I’m willing to bet that a lot of us had a Mom or Grandmom, or special aunt who liked nothing more than pulling out that big old cast iron skillet and whipping up something totally amazing. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will confess he has had a chance to tuck into more than a few summer desserts that were cooked up in those skillets. Jerry offers these thoughts. -
Last week it was strange reds, this week it’s strange whites. Al takes a deep dive into some overlooked wine regions and their treasures. -
Going up and down the aisles at the market these days is a tad overwhelming. For instance, look at all the cucumbers. There’s a million of them available and probably not enough salads in our future to make good use of them. So Chef Jerry Pellegrino has an idea, one of his favorite techniques comes in: making pickles! -
It’s a big wine world out there, and nothing is more fun than exploring new places and new bottles. Al starts off with a few reds that should pique your curiosity. -
I’m in heaven these days because we are swimming in fresh picked corn. I tend to really load up on corn on the cob during those summer months when we can get it. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, corn on the cob is just the start… there’s so much more you can do with fresh Maryland corn. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino offers a primer on using summer corn. -
It’s time for those lovely pink wines to take center stage. Summer evenings and rosé wine seem to be made for each other, and Hugh has a few first rate suggestions. -
I’d like to make the argument that polenta is one of the easiest and most versatile of our side dishes… provided you know a few simple tips. This simple dish made from coarsely ground corn meal and water is a springboard to other things. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows, the first thing to learn is how to keep polenta from getting lumpy.
