DONUT

I had a great meal cooked by a friend who is a very adept at whipping up a masterpiece in the kitchen- afterwards i asked her what she used to cook it etc and found it contained cooking wine. I have not had a drink for about 3 months and felt anxious and confused re how acceptable this was for me. I assume we get exposed to alcohol in many meals in restaurants / friends cooking etc. I assume the volume of alcohol consumed is negligible (especially compared with past excesses) but it still felt very wrong for me - how do other alcoholics percieve this - I guess i am thinking of this on 2 levels
1. Is there a danger this could start the wheels of a relapse in motion
2. Is it physically dangerous- i.e. the pathological effects on an already compromised liver.
Thanks
David

Sapling

I avoid it...Is it harmful?...If it makes me drink again it is.

Dee74

I try not to knowingly ingest alcohol...it just makes sense to me to live my life that way David.

Its usual for someone to mention in these threads that alcohol cooks out
- it doesn't so much.

Alcohol Burn-off Chart
D

bluoval

As others have said, I personally avoid it if at all possible. Depends on the alcoholic on whether or not it could lead them back to drinking. The question is, is it worth the risk?

hypochondriac

Wow, thanks for that Dee! I always thought it did burn off.

I was really touched when I went to dinner at my mums and she told me she hadn't put any alcohol in the lasagne she'd made Very sweet I thought, but maybe a bit telling that she thought more of me and less of the 7 year old who would be eating it too! I think maybe if we get the slightest inkling that we have just ingested alcohol we might just think '**** it'.

The thing I really watch out for now is deserts. I was at a meal this week (the kind where you get what you're given) and I'm pretty sure the dessert had alcohol in it. It wasn't clear from the description but I thought I could taste it so I stopped eating it (and I love dessert!). I think that would have definitely started the wheels of relapse in motion for me.

Regarding the health thing, maybe ask your doctor, but then maybe it would be best to just avoid it as much as possible. Asking your doctor might be like me asking if I could drink on every drug I ever got prescribed. If you're asking, you're drinking.

Don't beat yourself up about it David, but maybe just try and avoid it in the future. It is probably only really a problem if you're out for dinner and you order everything with alcohol in it on the menu

stillsleeping

That's amazing - it had never occurred to me to put alcohol IN lasagne!

heath480

I avoid eating anything with Alcohol in,it messes with my head.

hypochondriac

In the bolognese sauce she made to cook it. I always did the same. And in risotto, chilli etc...everything I cooked had alcohol in it. But then I'm an alcoholic.

zjw

my wife made a chicken dish that had wine in it. I was repulsed and beligerant ate a couple bites and chose to eat something else. I know the alcohol cooks out but the taste of that wine grossed me out on one hand and on the other it had me pondering getting a bottle and getting hammered. It made me really angry. I cant expect her to cook different on account of me but i can choose not to eat it. That being said for some reason it really rubbed me the wrong way.

so yeah I guess its safe alcohol cooks out but i personally flat out refuse to eat it if i can it grossed me out and made me angry it was even there.

Db1105

With so many other options with food, I just avoid it.

bumble

It's a problem if it's a problem. Sounds like it would be a problem for most of the people here. I'd like to add, it's a HUGE problem if you're the cook - I've bought wine "planning" to make coq au vin - only to drink the wine. All of it. And then some. I don't even know how to make coq au vin! I don't think I even know how to spell it!

Zjw: did you ask your wife not to cook with it and explain why? I personally think a supportive partner would leave the wine out...

DONUT

thanks everyone - it makes sense to not to choose something that had alcohol in it so i think it was just the realisation that many things probably do and you are not aware and it may not be on the menu etc I don't really want to quiz the chef everytime i have a meal or dessert so maybe i need to improve my own culinary knowledge so i know what is likely/less likely to be an issue. My friends that are good cooks seem to use it liberally and in most dishes (including lasagnas!)
thanks again
David

FredG

Most wines and beverages used in cooking usually have the alcohol cooked out during the cooking process, lending the taste but not the alcohol. Check with chef as to how it's prepared. They should be aware. If it's a friend, tell them you have an allergy to alcohol, there's usually a way of preparing the dish without and if there isn't ....

I'd stay away because my allergy to alcohol will kill me

aeo1313

I don't have a problem with it- but on the other hand, in 16 years of cooking I have never made anything with alcohol in it...I prefer recipes with less than 5 ingredients!

I do use vanilla in my baking...isn't that the same thing?

CarolD

I'm from a non drinking family....I was brought up surrounded by
great cooks..who got their recipes from church cookbooks and
Betty Crocker. That meeans they cooked without alcohol...

My best friend and I did an experiment ..we cooked the same Beef Stew ...
.only she added red wine....and I did not.
We served both to 6 dinner guests who were asked which was better.
none were in recovery nor did they need to be.
They were unaware of the ingrediants and had no idea who cooked which.

Only 1 prefered the wine laced one.


No ..I do not choose to eat alcohol have not cooked with it for years and people still come to dinner...

CarolD

One of my pet peeves....
the cooking show Chef's who slosh wine in dishes ..saying
'it all cooks off" when actually that is not true

Then they say.."My kids love this dish too"


No I did not become an alcoholic by eating food.
However...why is it necessary to feed children unhealthy things?

stillsleeping

Oh yeah, red wine in beef, that makes sense.

I've stayed away from tiramasu (spelling?) - it's literally sloshing with brandy or something. I wouldn't care about anything with white wine in it, cos white wine's foul anyway.

I'd say be aware of your own triggers. Like, I had a big cocaine problem, and I get high off caffeine, but it doesn't trigger me, so I haven't stopped drinking me. Not going to make a fuss out of something that isn't a problem.

FlyerFan

If you were allergic to peanuts would you eat a food with peanut butter in it?

Scolova

The only reason I would now is to make beer-batter for deep fry fish (I really like it)...
I'd use near-beer, although it's best to stay away.

NateinMpls

My old sponsor is a chef and prepared food at the restaurant using alcohol. He has to taste sauces and other foods and he doesn't consider it a relapse.