easycook.com~Easy Cooking with Wine

Wine had been an essential ingredient in cooking since the very beginning of recorded history.

Wine has played an important role in all ancient Western civilization as a beverage, as a food additive, and as a medicine. It is interesting that modern medical research has in fact confirmed the medicinal values of wine not only in the treatment of certain ailments, but perhaps more importantly, doctors have lauded its benefits in helping to maintain good health.

From the earliest times, there have been numerous historical references to the use of wine in cooking. Homer refers to the common practice of using wine in cooking amongst the ancient Greeks-a practice that was continued by the Romans, who in turn spread the lore of wine and its many blessings throughout Europe. Venerable French recipes dating from the Middle Ages indicate that wine was a basic ingredient in food preparation.

An English recipe book published in 1739 contains numerous recipes calling for various types of wine. Here is a sampling: a "Fast day soup" made with wine; a porridge make with oatmeal, fruits and flavored with claret and sack {sack is believed to be a heavy, sweet wine made in Spain and similar in some respects to Sherry}: cod stewed in white wine: a "fricsay of flounder" made with white wine; veal Kidneys cooked in sack: roast haunch of venison with a sauce made of claret; a stew made with a "rump of beef" {flavored with claret; various kinds of fritters make with sack; a "hog meat pie "made with claret; and many more. Judging from these and other recipes it is clear that 18th Century English cooks were well versed in the use of wines.

Wine was equally popular in Colonial America. Sherry, Port and Madeira were imported into the Colonies in huge quantities and found much favor with the founders of the Republic. Thomas Jefferson made his own wines. Wine was also very popular at Mount Veron and George Washington was known to have served many wine dishes to his guest. A great heritage of early American recipes attests to the fact that wine was considered essential to the proper preparation of good food. A glance at the standard reference books relating to the French cuisine classique will leave no doubt in anyone's mind as to the great importance of wine as a basic ingredient in French cookery.

It is not an exaggeration to say that wine will improve almost any dish. And there is nothing mysterious or complicated about the use of wine in cooking. When all is said and done, there is only one important objective to be realized and that is to make a good dish taste even better. That's what cooking with wine is all about.

Although white wines and Sherry are generally used to flavor chicken, seafood and dishes containing white meat, as well as cheese dishes, cream soups and light sauces and red wines are used for red meats, ragouts and more robust sauces, there is no hard and fast rule that must be followed.

The important consideration is what tastes good to you.

The function of wine in cooking is to intensify, enhance and accent the flavor and aroma of food.

The purpose of wine as well as all other flavoring, condiments and herbs in not to mask the flavor of what you are cooking but rather to fortify it.

There are some misconceptions that persist about the use of wine in cooking.

Some people mistakenly believe that if you are preparing a very elegant dish you should use expensive vintage wine to flavor it. Not so. You may use an expensive wine to drink with it but not to put in it.

The reason for this is very simple. The delicate flavors of a premier grand cru Bordeaux or a great burgundy will be utterly lost in the cooking process. What is required for cooking is a good wine, to be sure, but one that is robust enough to retain its essential flavors after a heat treatment. Consequently you will not find French chefs using expensive Chateau bottlings in their sauces.
Another old wives' tale is associated with the idea that because a wine is designed especially for cooking and not drinking, that it must be in some way inferior. This is simply not true. This myth undoubtedly gained currency because of the fact that cooking wines used in restaurants were frequently salted to discourage the kitchen help from drinking it. Salt does not affect the quality of cooking wine; as a matter of fact it is actually beneficial. It means that when a bottle of white, Sherry or red cooking wine is opened it need not be used immediately or refrigerated, as would be the case with unsalted wine. This is a great convenience for the practical cook.

It is important to remember when using; a cooking wine containing salt to reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe proportionately. Since the amount of salt desired is a matter of personal taste, this should present no problem in the kitchen. All good cooks continually taste and correct the seasoning of anything that they are cooking. In this connection do not forget that can always add salt to a recipe if required, but it is almost impossible to salvage a dish that has been too heavily salted.

As with any additive, care should be taken in the amount of wine used. As with any seasoning, too little is inconsequential and too much will be overpowering. Neither extreme is desirable.

Experience and experimentation will ultimately give you the answer as to how to best use wine to enhance a wide range of recopies. Wine undergoes a transformation when it is heated. During the cooking process the alcohol is evaporated and wine changes character depending upon the amount of heat to which it is exposed and the length of the cooking time. A wine that is simmered for a short time over low heat will have a different flavor that the same wine subjected to high heat over an extended period.

Cooking with wine not only improves the taste of food and helps tenderize meats, but also lends to festive air to any dish. This should also be reflected in your attitude in the kitchen.

Remember, food preparation does not have to be a chore.

Your mental attitude will have a subtle, but nevertheless noticeable, influence on your approach to cooking as well as the end result of the dishes you prepare. If you approach the business of cooking with a free spirit and look at it as a rewarding challenge rather than daily drudgery, you'll not only have more fun, but the food will taste a whole lot better.

Cooking with wine won't guarantee good results but is certainly helps.

Dolores Borunda's
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