Anyone who watches the Food Network knows that many hosts have advised time and again not to cook with wine you wouldn’t drink out of a glass. I thought that by now this was a well known fact. But to my astonishment, while talking to a friend about a spaghetti sauce recipe, they mentioned that they had some cooking wine they could add to it. NOOOO! was my initial thought. But then I remembered that they aren’t a wine drinker. So I kindly mentioned that the wines flavor intensifies when you cook with it, so if it doesn’t taste good on it’s own, it won’t taste good in your food.
I made that spaghetti sauce recipe over the weekend and it turned out great! We had a 2005 Linne Calodo Nemisis [website] open and I decided to add it to the sauce. Now by no means do you have to use a 4 year old wine, it’s just what I happened to have open at the time. But by all means use wine that you enjoy drinking. And don’t worry about not having any wine left over. Most recipes only call for a small amount to be added so there will be plenty to share with dinner.
Posted by T.A.P.
That’s a great tip. Especially works when making something wine intensive, like Beef Bourguignon.
Reminds me of a recent experience in an online cooking community I visit from time to time! Someone posted asking for advice on cooking with wine and brought up the subject of “cooking wines”. Luckily, I was able to set them straight the same way you did your friend, and in the same way. Really, I think that’s the rule of thumb with any cooking ingredient in addition to wine — use something you like the taste of on its own and it’s sure to do justice to your more elaborate dishes.
I tend to have a lot of extra wine around the house as a rule, since I’m always trying new vintages and varietals I stumble across. I also belong to several wine clubs at any given time that revolve around my wines of interest. A lot of wine clubs even include recipes, pairing suggestions, or cooking ideas for leftovers with their shipments! Pretty much a dream come true to someone who enjoys using some of their leftovers to experiment with cooking. Wine clubs are actually great ways to explore wine in a lot of different ways. We specialize in finding, reviewing, and informing our readers in regards to some of the very best and most unique at wineclubguide.com. Stop by anytime!
I agree. Cooking with quality ingredients can make a difference. I’m not one to suggest buying the most expensive oil or vinegar for example, but the same principal applies here too. If the quality of the product is good, the overall dish will be as well. Thanks for your input!