Cooking with wine?

UsedToBeHusky
UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
I come from a family of tee-totalers (not that I don't partake). I have never cooked with wine. I wouldn't even know where to buy cooking wine. But I see yummy recipes that I want to try all the time. Are there any substitutes for wine in recipes? Or does anyone know what brands and stores carry cooking wines?
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Replies

  • Emme727
    Emme727 Posts: 92 Member
    most grocery stores carry cooking wine. It is usually in the area with vinegars. We use wine to cook, but also use veggie, chicken, or beef broth as substitutes. What are you wanting to cook? We have a chef in our house.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Chicken Piccata... calls for dry white wine

    And broth is already in the recipe
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    The best advice I've heard about cooking with wine is cook with a wine you would actually drink.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Is there a difference between cooking wine and drinking wine? Or will any white wine do the trick? And what do they mean by "dry"?
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  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    Is there a difference between cooking wine and drinking wine? Or will any white wine do the trick? And what do they mean by "dry"?

    Yes...cooking wine is salty. A dry wine is one that is less sweet
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    Yes, and in fact the "cooking wines" you usually get I would never drink. Besides, I tend to like dry wines which to answer your second question is simply on the opposite side of sweet.
    Is there a difference between cooking wine and drinking wine? Or will any white wine do the trick? And what do they mean by "dry"?
  • PoochPottery
    PoochPottery Posts: 205
    The best advice I've heard about cooking with wine is cook with a wine you would actually drink.

    SO true!! Julia Childs always said this too!

    I always cook with wine...sometimes I add it to the food too! :laugh:
  • Schmoopy11
    Schmoopy11 Posts: 20
    I ALWAYS keep the little 4 packs of single servings of wine on hand. I keep a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio for dry white and a Cabernet for red.

    This way I don't have to open a big bottle just to cook with, plus you can buy a decent enough wine like that and you could totally drink it.

    I would never ever ever use a "cooking" wine from the grocery store.
  • ldalbello
    ldalbello Posts: 207 Member
    Never buy the no alcohol cooking wine you find in the grocery stores. It's just plain gross and will ruin your dish. Go to the liquor/ wine store and ask for a good cooking wine. They are usually very helpful
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
    Is there a difference between cooking wine and drinking wine? Or will any white wine do the trick? And what do they mean by "dry"?

    Dry means not sweet. Chablis or chardonnay tend to be dry. Rieslings tend to be sweeter.
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    OH MY GOODNESS YES! I've had non-alcoholic beers that "sorta pass" ... but non-alcoholic wines are absolutely disgusting ... seriously ... I felt like Gordon Ramsey running for the sink and almost throwing up (and I wasn't acting) ... no .. do not buy that stuff! lol
    Never buy the no alcohol cooking wine you find in the grocery stores. It's just plain gross and will ruin your dish. Go to the liquor/ wine store and ask for a good cooking wine. They are usually very helpful
  • adlwilmot
    adlwilmot Posts: 117
    DO NOT buy cooking wine! All the good chefs say what others have already said on here: "only cook with it if you'd drink it"

    So... go buy yourself one of those small bottles that you get on airplanes if you don't want to buy a full 75cl bottle. Any dry or medium-dry white should do. In terms of reds, then pretty much any one will do as long as it's not cheap and more akin to vinegar!

    Using wine in your cooking really turns a sauce around.

    Enjoy!!
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
    I use Regina Cooking Wines - fabulous!
    http://www.roundeyesupply.com/B-and-G-Foods-Regina-Sauterne-Plastic-1-Gallon-p/de374181.htm?Click=7195

    Give these a try, and no, there is no substitute unless bad food is something you enjoy...lol
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    "Dry" refers to the sweetness of the wine...I've always thought of "dry" as that little bit of tart aftertaste you get from some wines. Not quite enough to pucker but enough to make your tongue feel - well, dry. A lot of fruit wines are very sweet and are usually strictly dessert wines. There are some grape wines that are inbetween due to added fruits, flavors.

    For dry red, look for cabernet sauvingnon, for dry white look for pinot grigio. A lot of grocery stores (even WalMart) carry a brand that comes in a small box like container or you can get the little 4 packs of small bottles. However, if you think you'll be cooking with wine a lot, just buy a regular sized bottle and freeze the leftovers in an ice cube tray then put the cubes together in a bag once frozen. When you need a little for a recipe, they're all ready to go.
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    And to highlight as a few said, there really is no substitute. It's the alcohol and how it reacts to the food as well as the flavor that makes it work. Just omit it if you must. Don't go the grape juice route ... please :)
    I come from a family of tee-totalers (not that I don't partake). I have never cooked with wine. I wouldn't even know where to buy cooking wine. But I see yummy recipes that I want to try all the time. Are there any substitutes for wine in recipes? Or does anyone know what brands and stores carry cooking wines?
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    What about vinegars? Could they be used as a substitute for wine in a recipe?
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    No ... use wine or don't. I understand if you don't want to use it, no biggie ... but don't bother with a non-alcoholic substitute.
    What about vinegars? Could they be used as a substitute for wine in a recipe?
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Okay. Thanks everyone! That was helpful. So if I choose not to use wine, then just omit it completely?
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    I found this (see below) ... I disagree ... but I found it if you're curious.

    http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol6.htm
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  • Emme727
    Emme727 Posts: 92 Member
    The best advice I've heard about cooking with wine is cook with a wine you would actually drink.

    SO true!! Julia Childs always said this too!

    I always cook with wine...sometimes I add it to the food too! :laugh:
    I was imitating her the other day in the kitchen .. one for me, one for the pot, one for me, one for the pot.... :tongue:
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Okay. Thanks everyone! That was helpful. So if I choose not to use wine, then just omit it completely?
    If it's a large amount of wine then you will probably need to replace it with another liquid.

    Would a little alcohol be acceptable in your finished product, or is it strictly none allowed? A good percentage of the alcohol should burn off during the cooking process - http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol12.htm - and wine doesn't have a huge alcohol percentage in the first place.
  • ConfidenceNMe
    ConfidenceNMe Posts: 41
    I agree with Nay Shel.
    I've cooked with cooking wines when I was in college and still underage. They didn't turn out as good as with the real thing.
    If it calls for dry white wine, which is usually good with seafood, poultry and other light meats it'll taste great with a glass of it at the table.
    The red wines and cabernet are dry or semi-dry and are better with porks, steaks, roasts, and other heavier darker or red meats. just think of the meat you're cooking with and that helps decide the color of wine.
    Depending on the taste of the dish, you may dabble between dry semi-dry semi sweet and sweet.
    Also, if you have an Aldi store, check out some of their cheap wines. They're great bang for the buck and they also have a line graph on the back of their bottles that lets you know where they are on the sweet and dry scale.
    One more thing is that the alcohol reduces in your recipe so you don't have to worry about getting drunk or tipsy on your meal lol. It's just there to add a certain flavor that is well, very good. Many restaurants use it in their sauces as well!
    Hope this helps!

    p.s. don't forget to ask! alot of times people are afraid to ask about help with wines- publix has great cust. service in helping with wine selections for cooking with and drinking too :)
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    The alcohol cooks out, so don't worry about that.
    I bake muffins with scotch in them and I don't get tipsy.
  • Emme727
    Emme727 Posts: 92 Member
    Okay. Thanks everyone! That was helpful. So if I choose not to use wine, then just omit it completely?
    You can omit it completely. The alcohol of wine cooks off, but the flavors remain. If you do not use it, you do need to substitute with another liquid (broth, watered juice, water are all substitutes we have used from time to time).
  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    Depending on the purpose of the dish, you'll likely want to use a stock that matches. Chicken, use chicken stock. Beef, use beef stock. Veggie dish use vegetable stock. Seafood, use a seafood stock.

    ... just watch the sodium, but if you're just using it to deglaze your pan or add a little liquid you probably don't have to worry.
    Okay. Thanks everyone! That was helpful. So if I choose not to use wine, then just omit it completely?
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    The issue for me is keeping it in the house. I don't like to keep in alcohol in the house. Not that I have anything against it, but my kids are just the right age to go looking for trouble in the kitchen. I did it so why shouldn't I expect them to do it too. LOL!
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  • ethompso0105
    ethompso0105 Posts: 418 Member
    I ALWAYS keep the little 4 packs of single servings of wine on hand. I keep a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio for dry white and a Cabernet for red.

    That's brilliant!!!!!
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