can i still use wine to enrich my food?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: cheshire, uk
Posts: 14
can i still use wine to enrich my food?
i love to cook and wine has always been used to enhance the flavour of my food. a splash of red in a bolognese sauce really works wonders. a splash of white helps a gravy along to top off a great sunday roast.
my wife and i work full time so to be mega efficient i cook big batches of food and freeze them. we can remove a dinner from the freezer in the morning and by evening its fully defrosted and easily heated up. i mainly do cottage pie, chilli con carne and chicken curry. i make enough to last about 10 meals.
if im making cottage pie i normally put in a full bottle of red and this enriches the flavour but now im going down the sober route , does anyone think it will affect my resolve? i realise if i dont put the red wine into the stockpot but drink it then this will directly affect me
but if i cook out the wine the alcohol will dissappear and just be left with the great taste left behind.
what does every1 else think???
dandare
my wife and i work full time so to be mega efficient i cook big batches of food and freeze them. we can remove a dinner from the freezer in the morning and by evening its fully defrosted and easily heated up. i mainly do cottage pie, chilli con carne and chicken curry. i make enough to last about 10 meals.
if im making cottage pie i normally put in a full bottle of red and this enriches the flavour but now im going down the sober route , does anyone think it will affect my resolve? i realise if i dont put the red wine into the stockpot but drink it then this will directly affect me
but if i cook out the wine the alcohol will dissappear and just be left with the great taste left behind. what does every1 else think???
dandare
Forum Leader
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, one big happy dysfunctional family!
Posts: 23,044
Your choice, totally up to you.
I love to cook too, but for me no alcohol means no alcohol, so I substitute something if a recipe calls for wine, beer, or any other alcohol. CarolD might come along and post some info she's got about how long it takes to cook the alcohol out of a recipe, in most cases I doubt it'd get totally cooked out, so some alcohol is remaining.
I've also got to be totally honest with myself and vigilant about my sobriety. If I've got alcohol in my kitchen, the clock's ticking, it's only a matter of time before the plug comes out of the jug and that stuff ends up going down my throat rather than into the food.
I love to cook too, but for me no alcohol means no alcohol, so I substitute something if a recipe calls for wine, beer, or any other alcohol. CarolD might come along and post some info she's got about how long it takes to cook the alcohol out of a recipe, in most cases I doubt it'd get totally cooked out, so some alcohol is remaining.
I've also got to be totally honest with myself and vigilant about my sobriety. If I've got alcohol in my kitchen, the clock's ticking, it's only a matter of time before the plug comes out of the jug and that stuff ends up going down my throat rather than into the food.
Awaiting Email Confirmation
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,942
I'd say it is okay for any sponsee of mine... after they have a few years sober. 
If they wanted to do it before that I'd say... "nice try".
Please realize though that I am 'hardcore' when it comes to recovery.... there's no room for alcohol in my life, zero, and I expect the same seriousness about sobriety from any sponsee.
If they wanted to do it before that I'd say... "nice try".
Please realize though that I am 'hardcore' when it comes to recovery.... there's no room for alcohol in my life, zero, and I expect the same seriousness about sobriety from any sponsee.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,414
Yeah I got to go with Astro - it's your choice.
For me? we can argue til the cows come in about how much gets cooked away or how important flavour is....
but you have to have alcohol in your home in order to be able to cook with it. Thats the bottom line as I see it.
At two years that thought still gives me pause - and I'm glad it does.
D
For me? we can argue til the cows come in about how much gets cooked away or how important flavour is....
but you have to have alcohol in your home in order to be able to cook with it. Thats the bottom line as I see it.
At two years that thought still gives me pause - and I'm glad it does.
D
Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Newbury Park, Ca
Posts: 155
My brother and I make pomegranate wine. I have some very dear Muslim Friends, and for the end on Ramadan Feast I make them Pomegranate cooking wine. I put salt, olive oil, herbs, and spices in the wine. Makes baste for lamb or beef, but nobody is tempted to drink it at their house. But I have heard stories of alcoholics drinking cooking wine, mothwash, cologne, etc. So if your trying to stop drinking, I wouldn't have this in the house.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: uk
Posts: 2,548
id rather have my legs waxed than knowingly eat food with booze in it.
i just dont get it......im done with the stuff whether i can taste it or not.
same goes for mouth wash..aftershave....christmas pudding..etc etc..
everyones different i guess...........but thats me.
i just dont get it......im done with the stuff whether i can taste it or not.
same goes for mouth wash..aftershave....christmas pudding..etc etc..
everyones different i guess...........but thats me.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Here, Now
Posts: 4,268
I was a big wine cooker and I got cooked on wine.I've taken it out of my receipes.Why take a chance, why tempt myself. Keep Sobriety simple. Iknow others who bought and opened wine for cooking but never got it into the pot. Got potted instead.
SHARING THE LOAD
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: In the Slowlane
Posts: 878
I've tried that and ended up drinking a whole bottle when the recipie ask for a teaspon.:rotfxko I would keep the phone handy if any urges come up and if you have a sponsor or trusted person that knows your situation call them quick.
Truly cunning and baffling.
Truly cunning and baffling.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Here's me. but when drinking could be found in doorways!
Posts: 1,138
A friend of mine cooked a meal for me...
She said all he alcohol was out... it was a cider sauce (whatever that is.. im not a cook) anyway i could smell it as i tried to eat the meal... it turned my stomach (and nowt to do wth her cooking)... i couldnt eat it... just buy the smell of the alcohol...
Personally i just cant take that risk... so i avoid all acohol... although i didnt knwo about the mouthwash... and aftershave... guess i need to be abit more vigilant..
She said all he alcohol was out... it was a cider sauce (whatever that is.. im not a cook) anyway i could smell it as i tried to eat the meal... it turned my stomach (and nowt to do wth her cooking)... i couldnt eat it... just buy the smell of the alcohol...
Personally i just cant take that risk... so i avoid all acohol... although i didnt knwo about the mouthwash... and aftershave... guess i need to be abit more vigilant..
Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 99
Hey Dan.
As an ex-chef and passionate foodie, I can't recommend enough replacing the wine for good, homemade beef, chicken or vegetable stock. It's an easy, enjoyable process, freezes and lasts as well as any meal, and gives dishes an earthy, meaty flavour that is more than a match for the slight piquancy that a dose or two of wine adds.
Rich
As an ex-chef and passionate foodie, I can't recommend enough replacing the wine for good, homemade beef, chicken or vegetable stock. It's an easy, enjoyable process, freezes and lasts as well as any meal, and gives dishes an earthy, meaty flavour that is more than a match for the slight piquancy that a dose or two of wine adds.
Rich
vicariousrising
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 35
I won't cook anything that requires me to have a bottle of alcohol in my house. I do, however, have sherry cooking wine and rice cooking wine and this new chicken broth that has wine & herbs in it (although the packaging doesn't list an alcohol content). I waited until I was a couple years sober to buy those. I never abused those to begin with and they don't trigger me at all. I'd go running from a bottle of red in anything. And my father in law made bratwursts marinated in beer once (which wasn't my booze of choice) that he claimed the alcohol was all cooked out of but I was highly disturbed by. Not quite triggered, but my serenity and meal enjoyment was blown.
Who needs that worry?
Who needs that worry?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,414
Originally Posted by Jeb18 
What about non-alcoholic products. Like non-alcoholic beer does that count?
I used to love beer battered things but I think for me the smell would do for me, like it did Louis - even with non/low alc beer.
Too many associations for this former beer drinker....and the taste of non/low alc stuff is
D
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 679
Do/did you drink while you cook? I think if you do you should forgo the wine in your own cooking especially in the early days. Like someone else said there are substitutes and it is just playing with fire. But ultimately it is about your choice and who you are and what really triggers you. A lot of people need alcohol completely out of their house. I never took the wine and booze out of my house, I don't know why, maybe because I had so much and wasn't so sure of the permanency in the beginning and now that it is real it seems like an intense step. So I have closed bottles of alcohol all over but I also have a liquor store on each corner which I basically see as the same thing. For me it has never been a problem or tempting— for others it might be the kiss of death. It is about figuring out what is right for you.
member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,433
I love cooking, and I still use alcohol in certain recipes, but only if it's available - ie I won't buy a bottle of wine just to use half a tablespoon to make lasagna ... but sometimes, friends or relatives may have booze at hand while I'm cooking, in which case I won't hesitate to use some. Personally, I don't have a problem with doing this, but I respect people who feel otherwise.
Anyway, I like Hudstar's reply. Very few dishes absolutely require alcohol - flambés come to mind, but then, when was the last time you set your dessert on fire? ;-) So, if the alcohol content in any given recipe makes you nervous, try replacing the booze with something else.. Like Hud said, broth is good. Also, fruit juices can replace both red and white wine - cranberry/cherry/grape for red, and apple for white. Vegetable extracts, liquid smoke, honey, balsamic vinegar, and spices can all enrich a meal. Just be creative
... but sometimes, friends or relatives may have booze at hand while I'm cooking, in which case I won't hesitate to use some. Personally, I don't have a problem with doing this, but I respect people who feel otherwise.Anyway, I like Hudstar's reply. Very few dishes absolutely require alcohol - flambés come to mind, but then, when was the last time you set your dessert on fire? ;-) So, if the alcohol content in any given recipe makes you nervous, try replacing the booze with something else.. Like Hud said, broth is good. Also, fruit juices can replace both red and white wine - cranberry/cherry/grape for red, and apple for white. Vegetable extracts, liquid smoke, honey, balsamic vinegar, and spices can all enrich a meal. Just be creative
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
Want to see some facts about cooking with booze?
No I don't drink or eat alcohol.
I'm a recovered alcoholic who plans to stay that way.
Cooking and Alcohol
A study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data Laboratory calculated the percentage of alcohol remaining in a dish based on various cooking methods. The results are as follows:
Preparation Method Percent of Alcohol Retained
alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat 85%
alcohol flamed 75%
no heat, stored overnight 70%
baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture 45%
baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:
* 15 minutes 40%
* 30 minutes 35%
* 1 hour 25%
* 1.5 hours 20%
* 2 hours 10%
* 2.5 hours 5%
And....
Now, it may be that the amount of alcohol in a dish is modest to start with, but the fact that some of the alcohol remains could be of significant concern to recovering alcoholics, parents, and others who have ethical or religious reasons for avoiding alcohol.
And you can try these..
Booze Flavoring In Cooking
This was the September 2003 issue of theAA Grapevine.
Sweet or semisweet red wine - Carbonated cranberry drink.
Dry red wine - ½ cup carbonated cranberry drink, plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
Sweet white wine - White grape juice plus 1 Tbsp. corn syrup.
Brandy - 1/4 cup apple juice plus 1 tsp brandy flavoring, or 1/4 cup apple cider with 1 tbsp peach or apricot syrup.
Rum - 1/4 cup apple juice plus 1 tbsp rum extract, or 1/4 cup pineapple juice or syrup flavored with 1 tbsp almond extract.
Sherry - Orange or pineapple juices with peach sirup.
Amaretto - 1 tbsp light corn syrup plus 1 tbsp almond extract and 1/4 cup clear apple juice.
Kirsch - Syrup or juices from cherries, raspberries, boysenberries, currnats or cider.
A study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data Laboratory calculated the percentage of alcohol remaining in a dish based on various cooking methods. The results are as follows:
Preparation Method Percent of Alcohol Retained
alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat 85%
alcohol flamed 75%
no heat, stored overnight 70%
baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture 45%
baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:
* 15 minutes 40%
* 30 minutes 35%
* 1 hour 25%
* 1.5 hours 20%
* 2 hours 10%
* 2.5 hours 5%
And....
Now, it may be that the amount of alcohol in a dish is modest to start with, but the fact that some of the alcohol remains could be of significant concern to recovering alcoholics, parents, and others who have ethical or religious reasons for avoiding alcohol.
And you can try these..
Booze Flavoring In Cooking
This was the September 2003 issue of theAA Grapevine.
Sweet or semisweet red wine - Carbonated cranberry drink.
Dry red wine - ½ cup carbonated cranberry drink, plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
Sweet white wine - White grape juice plus 1 Tbsp. corn syrup.
Brandy - 1/4 cup apple juice plus 1 tsp brandy flavoring, or 1/4 cup apple cider with 1 tbsp peach or apricot syrup.
Rum - 1/4 cup apple juice plus 1 tbsp rum extract, or 1/4 cup pineapple juice or syrup flavored with 1 tbsp almond extract.
Sherry - Orange or pineapple juices with peach sirup.
Amaretto - 1 tbsp light corn syrup plus 1 tbsp almond extract and 1/4 cup clear apple juice.
Kirsch - Syrup or juices from cherries, raspberries, boysenberries, currnats or cider.
I'm a recovered alcoholic who plans to stay that way.
Forum Leader
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, one big happy dysfunctional family!
Posts: 23,044
Originally Posted by Jeb18
What about non-alcoholic products. Like non-alcoholic beer does that count?
Disposable Hero
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Being, ME
Posts: 3,758
i think you will do what you want to do. What i say will not make a difference if your mind is already made up. You went in detail about how lovely and wonderful cooking with alcohol is for you. i am sure that you have your reasons for not letting go absolutely. As long as your willing to be responsible for your decisions regarding alcohol, then what's the big deal? If you want to learn the hard way, go for it! However, i will tell you that 100% total abstinence has been the only thing that has ever worked for me. And that's something that appears to be working for alot of others here as well.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Thankfully I never cooked a lot with alcohol... maybe some sherry here and there for sauces, some times wine when I wanted a particular flavor...
So I almost never do anymore. I like cooking with balsamic vinegar, different cheeses, herbs and different oils... olive, sesame.... There is a sauce I like that gets cook way down with some sherry... I use less and then heat for a long time... No problems... Made that dish once in a year's time
There is some cooking wine around... doesn't trigger me... There is regular wine my wife keeps out of view in the basement, no problem now...
Do what seems right... would you know if it was triggering you? leaving you at risk for relapse...
What's cottage pie??
Mark
So I almost never do anymore. I like cooking with balsamic vinegar, different cheeses, herbs and different oils... olive, sesame.... There is a sauce I like that gets cook way down with some sherry... I use less and then heat for a long time... No problems... Made that dish once in a year's time
There is some cooking wine around... doesn't trigger me... There is regular wine my wife keeps out of view in the basement, no problem now...
Do what seems right... would you know if it was triggering you? leaving you at risk for relapse...
What's cottage pie??
Mark
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