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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Since summer is prime steak grilling season, Hugh went searching for some suitable big red wines to go with your T-bones. -
Shopping at the markets these days is pure joy. The produce is rolling in and we are spoiled for choices. One of the most eye-catching veggies out there are the summer squash, the zucchinis, the pattypan’s and all. Chef Jerry Pellegrino would encourage you to be taking advantage of them. -
Cabernet Franc is almost always grown as a blending partner for Bordeaux style wines. But outside of Maryland, very few wineries make it to stand alone. Al takes a look. -
Ribero del Duero, one of Spain’s Big Three red wine regions is the home to some of the most expensive wines produced in that country. Luckily, Hugh has found some much more reasonably priced bottles that deserve your attention. -
Summertime is great for fruit, and since I try to have fruit every morning for breakfast, I’m always scouting for the best available. Which often brings me to berries, especially blue, black and razz. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells me there’s a lot I’m missing. -
Anyone with a backyard garden who has tried growing herbs is familiar with the love-hate relationship we have with mint. That tasty, useful little plant is so easy to appreciate… until is spreads like topsy and tries to take over your garden. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, we are blessed to have access to such a prodigious herb. -
For some reason Pinot Blanc hasn’t caught on as well as cousin Pinot Gris. No matter…it’s still one of the most versatile and likeable easy-going whites out there. -
Long, long ago when I started saving money and making a few tiny investments I heard that people would invest in… get ready… “pork bellies”. I kid you not. I simply didn’t get it, but it was true. Then, much later I learned that the chefs on TV were cooking with… pork bellies. So, I asked Chef Jerry Pellegrino to explain what they’re talking about. -
I remember talking with the renowned food educator Anne Willan about getting people interested in cooking. Suppose you were, she said, somebody who never ever lifted up a rolling pin or a carving knife, you could start with something very basic and useful: making a vinaigrette. In retrospect Chef Jerry Pellegrino thinks she was 100% right. “I can’t think of a simpler recipe to make, and it has the benefit of being 100% usable right away, which means instant gratification.” -
There are times when we want our food to be hot and crunchy, and at other times nice and chewy. And then sometimes we want everything as creamy as can be. And how do we do that? We use crème fraiche… or yogurt… or ricotta… or other things. Chef Jerry Pellegrino explained the differences and when do we use which?
