- CREATING A WELL-STOCKED KITCHEN LIQUOR CABINET
- Red and white wine
In addition to providing flavor, wine adds acidity to a dish, which perks up its overall taste. Red wine is a perfect match for richer-flavored dishes, such as meats, although don't be afraid to try it with fish and other lighter foods. Keep in mind, however, that red wine adds color to food, tinting your risotto or butter sauce. White wine has a lighter, although still rich, taste. When choosing a wine, select one that also makes a good drinking wine. When a low-quality wine is reduced, its poor flavor becomes even more prominent.
Dry vermouth
This fortified wine with a slightly nutty taste can be used much the way white wine is. One benefit to using dry vermouth is that it has an extremely long shelf life, unlike wine, which loses flavor quickly.
Brandy
For a more assertive accent, try adding a bit of brandy to both sweet and savory dishes. Because brandy can be distilled from either wine or fruit (such as apricot brandy), it's easy to find a type to complement your recipe. Fruit brandies are an ideal match for flambéed fruit desserts.
Dry sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine that can be used in small amounts where you might use red or white wine. Select it when you want to add a slight nutty flavor to dishes.
Whiskey
This full-bodied liquor has smoky overtones. It's an excellent choice for savory dishes, especially grilled food.
Rum
Rum is often called for in recipes because it works well with other flavors, such as chocolate. When it comes to baking, we've found that dark Myers's rum works best because it supplies the richest taste.
Beer
Cooking with beer adds a rich, sweet, malty flavor to recipes. The taste can vary depending on the type of beer you use; porters will imbue a dish with different overtones than a pale ale will.
Pernod
This sweet liqueur adds an anise flavor to food.
Berry or cherry liqueur
These fruity liqueurs are often used in cakes and desserts. Look for framboise (raspberry) or Chambord (black raspberry).
Coffee liqueur
Adding a liqueur such as Kahlúa to your baked goods provides a nice coffee flavor.
Orange liqueur
To add overtones of orange to recipes, you can use Grand Marnier, Cointreau or Triple Sec. Grand Marnier packs the most punch.
When cooking with any wine, liquor or liqueur, make sure you choose one of good quality. Do not use cooking wines, which contain added salt. When reduced, the salt flavor is amplified. For the same reason, also avoid using too much of an intensely flavored spirit when it's added at the beginning of cooking. Sometimes you CAN have too much of a good thing.
- COOKING WITH ALCOHOL: HOW MUCH COOKS OFF?
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We all know that kids and alcohol don't mix. But what about kids and recipes with alcohol in them? How much of the alcohol actually evaporates during cooking? And are these dishes ever safe to serve to people who don't want any booze in their meal?
In short, if you want to ensure an alcohol-free meal, avoid cooking with any kind of wine, beer or spirits. While some of it does evaporate during cooking, the amount depends on a number of factors: cooking time, pan, heat level, stovetop vs. oven and type of alcohol, to name a few. The longer a dish that includes alcohol cooks, the more alcohol evaporates. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), if alcohol is added right before a dish is served, without any cooking, all the alcohol will remain. On the other hand, if an alcohol-spiked dish cooks for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, only 5 to 10 percent will remain.
As for flaming foods, the dramatic presentation does not have dramatic results on the amount of alcohol that dissipates. Despite the spectacular effects, only 25 percent of the alcohol will burn off, according to the USDA.
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Cooking Hints and Tips
