Kawboy

Has anyone run into the issue of cooking with alc, having it in the house, and it being a temptation? I cook with white & red wine, and also tequila. One of our fav recipies (one i make at least once a week) calls for white wine. This is where i caved last weekend had some wine. Anyone else have such a temptation in front of them?

Pixienottipsy

I love cooking with wine. However, I have chosen not to do so anymore. It is not worth the risk of temptation for me. I won't even order food cooked with wine at a restaurant. I have a fear that it might kick of the physical craving. Regardless of popular belief all of the alcohol does not burn off during the cooking process. My sobriety is precious to me, and I refuse to do anything that might compromise that for me.

Dee74

I don't have alcohol in my house. I figured it was safest that way.
Now I don't miss it.

Alcohol Burn-off Chart
D

Fandy

pomegranite juice is a good substitute for red wine, especially in red sauce (italian). this suggestion came from a poster in the weekend threads (weasel and nonsensical)

paul99

I use wine and other alcohol at work when cooking, but at home I don't.

Wine in cooking adds flavour, acidity, colour (in reds) and in some instances binds with the amino acids in meats to clarify stews and sauces. But other than a coq au vin, or something where the flavour of the wine is intrinsic to the dish, wine plays a small part in the overall dish. Mild vinegars (rice, white wine, cider) do the job, but use only a small amount compared to what you would use with wine. Extra stock works great, and for colour I will add a splash of soy and and/ or Worcestershire (if used judiciously, you can't taste them, but will add colour).

My favourite go to is apple cider, or cider vinegar. Lemon and lime juice also work well with seafood dishes, and can replace the white wine.

Happy cooking...but lose the booze there - not needed!

sugarbear1

I never bothered cooking with alcohol. Why? What a waste!

I don't miss what I never had and I never enjoyed eating my alcohol, anyway. Stomach upset.... Igor didn't like it. (Igor is my stomach who didn't appreciate alcohol and always had a problem!)

Vinegars and herbs (edible ones--parsley, basil, thyme, etc)....yummy for the tummy!!!!

robgt350

yea i still have a bottle of red wine to cook with. personally i do not like wine so not and issue with me

Kimmers

no alcohol at all....I dont trust myself

freshstart57

Not an issue for me. I'll use some wine in a dish that calls for it once a month or two.

fini

when you think about it, you'll likely see it doesn't matter if anyone else has wine and cooks with it.
you had it, cooked with it, drank it.
clearly, the way to help you stay abstinent right now would be best served by getting rid of all alcohol in the house.

Ghostly

I was going to post something along the exact same lines as fini...and they said it much better. Its worth a re-read.

gaffo

I used to cook with wine all the time. Now I use vinegar and/or chicken stock.

It's funny this should come up. Yesterday I went to the store and my wife wrote "cheap wine" on the list. I didn't get it. I told her I forgot but to be honest I am still frightened of shopping for wine. I steer clear of that section. I was a beer man but good wine and food is a mean combination.

Taking5

There is no dish that REQUIRES alcohol. You can substitute something for it in the recipe.

jennikate

No alcohol in any food or drink for me. No sense rocking the boat.

instant

There's plenty of good food that does not involve alcohol. Alcohol is not an essential ingredient to a good life.

Geralt

I agree with Dee and the chart, a percentage of the alcohol stays in the food. While it's not enough to get you intoxicated, it might trigger the mechanism responsible for alcoholism and cause cravings.

Compare it to a heavy peanut allergy, would you eat a dish that just has a very small amount of peanuts in it and risk an allergic reaction?

foodie1

Thanks to SR I know now that alcohol does not all burn off during preparation so, since getting sober, I don't eat anything that's made with alcohol.

I'd also like to add something I did that I wouldn't recommend to anyone: I was making a delicious pork dish that called for red wine to deglaze the pan with and make a sauce out of. I had pomegranate juice on hand but worried it would be too fruity. I bought de-alcoholized wine to use instead. The dish turned out great but here's the thing, the act of looking for it in the store, showing my ID, the fear I had that someone would see me and think it was regular wine, opening it and the smell of it while cooking were all triggers for me. I should've had my husband buy it! But no, this stubborn alcoholic had to do it herself.

I froze the rest of the wine to use in future dishes, but I'm going to have to have hubby do the cooking with it and I will never buy or open it again. And I will never cook with real alcohol. I may be a foodie, but I'm a recovering alcoholic first and foremost!

Kawboy

Informative chart Dee. I honestly didn't know that much alc stayed in the dish after cooking! I thought 20 minutes of non-stop simmer would cook it out completely. Shows what I know. Lots of good ideas to go off of here, thanx!

Threshold

I used to keep wine on hand to cook with, but I don't do it anymore. In earlier recovery I believed myself to be stronger than I am, smarter than I am, and more unique than I am.

Over time I've learned that it's not worth it to me, trying to convince myself that I am not the average bear...because inevitably I AM just the garden variety boozer and druggie.

I didn't want to be the average drinker/user, then I didn't want to be the average person in recovery...etc etc. Reality and exhaustion have gotten the better of me, dang, I just have to be done with booze entirely, it's really as simple as that.

LadyinBC

I don't cook with alcohol, eat anything with alcohol made in it, use mouthwash with alcohol or any medicines with alcohol. I just don't want to take the chance.