Using Alcohol for cooking

[Stosh]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't vanilla extract and many other items in this category alcohol based?

 

Stosh

[John-in-KC]

Already discussed earlier in the thread Stosh. Someone did the math, and vanilla extract may actually leave more (.08xx oz/serving vice .07xx oz/serving) than the wine

[John-in-KC]

My two cents:

 

This is an epic of pole vaulting over mouse turds. Assuming the adults are cooking for themselves, assuming there is only enough to actually do the cooking, move along, nothing to see here.

 

With that ... I know a lady who has a major allergic reaction (akin to severe shock) if she ingests alcohol. She even passes on an individual cup of "not wine" at our Communion at church. If you have someone like her, it's worth asking questions before you decide to take cooking alcohol to the field.

[Gonzo1]

No alcohol, it's not allowed.

If you feel you must cook with wine, I suppose you'll also use white table cloths, fine crystal and china and sterling silver.

 

No bottle = no temptation = following the G2SS

[nolesrule]

"If you feel you must cook with wine, I suppose you'll also use white table cloths, fine crystal and china and sterling silver. "

 

I understand saying it's wrong, but seriously?

 

Not really any different conceptually than cooking with beer. Would you recommend the same place settings with that?

 

I had a fabulous dinner that used beer tonight. In fact, only 3 ingredients...beer, ketchup, ground beef. And it was served over rice.

 

 

 

 

[evmori]

The easy answer to this is make it at home. Don't bring the cooking sherry or white wine on the camping trip. Leave the bottle home.

[Stosh]

With thousands of recipes out there that are fantastic, why would one want to pick one that leaves doubt in one's mind about alcohol?

 

Our troop makes a mean chocolate chip cookie cheese cake and it has no alcohol in it. Our beef stew uses apple juice instead of water, but no wine. Our Mountain Man Breakfast doesn't have any vodka in it, and we stick with orange juice neat, but straight up. The boys weren't too impressed with the little umbrellas.

 

If someone in the troop only cooked gourmet and wanted to teach things to the boys, there are plenty of gourmet things out there that don't require alcohol bases.

 

I cook from scratch just about every day at home and the only time I use alcohol is in a glass with a wee bit of cheese and bread as an appetizer.

 

Have I used wine/alcohol in recipes? Sure, but so far haven't found the need to do it at a campout.

 

It reminds me of one Christmas my mother made some gradious bread pudding that needed brandy poured over it and lit on fire. Everyone in my family agreed that the flames went out too soon and should have burned to a cinder before thrown away. After a bite a piece, it went straight to the garbage with a valuable lesson learned.

 

Stosh

[cheffy]

One of the first campouts I went on as an adult I was asked to cook dinner. being classically trained the request was for Coq au Vin. now you just can't make that without the "vin" part. I found the "FRE" brand of wine that is alcohol free. I then boiled it to reduce it and burn off anything that may have been left. It worked fine and the camp commish didn't have a problem.

My thought is it it's a really special event and the ingredient is necessary i.e. beef burgundy, coq au vin etc then go withthe non-alcohol wines. otherwise just adjust. You're not cooking in the Bocuse d'Or, it a campout!

[IM_Kathy]

ok, while yes almost all alcohol is cooked out when cooking as a member in recovery I do not use alcohol for cooking... 1) in case it doesn't cook out 2) just having it my house can drive me nutso

 

so I never use it with cooking, and I never eat anything that has used alchol when cooking.

 

now loving to cook and trying lots of different things I've learned to make substitutions... the site I turn to often when wondering what to use is....

 

http://whatscookingamerica.net/alcoholsub.htm

 

[Scoutfish]

Okay, I am wondering about this:

 

Isn't there some sort of unwritten rule or traditional expectation as to what camp dinner is going to be?

 

As a child, I never expected fried chicken or strawberry cheese cake for dessert while camping.

No chocolate Mousee, no eclairs, no steak tar tar.

 

I mean, I know there are no rules and you should do as you like... but come on, this is camping!

Supposed to be hot dogs, hamburgers, steak or chicken. Fish if you want to carry the oil too.

 

If you feel your gut can handle it, beef stew or chilli! LOL!

 

You know what I mean? Not saying you have to eat hot dogs all week, but this is camping, not culanary school. One weekend of not eating fine dining won't kill anybody.

[NeilLup]

Hello T2Eagle,

 

Interesting thread. I hear the strains of "Rum, by Gum" in the background.

 

"We never eat fruitcake because it has rum

And one little bite turns a man to a bum

Can you imagine a sadder disgrace

Than a man in the gutter with crumbs on his face"

 

I don't believe that cooking wine is an alcoholic beverage. Particularly if you've tried drinking it.

 

But having said that, one of the principles that I try to use is to set the example for Scouts and not to do something that we would be troubled if they do.

 

What would be your reaction if you were on a Troop campout and a small bottle of wine fell out of one of the Scout's packs. You sniffed it, identified it and he said "Don't worry, that's just cooking wine for dinner tonight."

 

I suspect that the Troop leadership would have a flock of birds at that point.

 

The point is that I would suggest that you should set the example in the cooking you do and the menus you choose for the Scouts with which you work. If they can't do it, it can be argued that you are only frustrating them by showing them a technique and then saying "Nyaah, nyaah, nyaah, not for you." You certainly are missing an opportunity not showing them something that they CAN do.

[Stosh]

"One weekend of not eating fine dining won't kill anybody."

 

Neither will not eating at all.

 

But one weekend of eating some great food will bring them back for seconds. My boys are learning to cook some pretty fancy things like cheese cake in a dutch oven, ribs with special sauces, Chinese stir-fry and a lot of things that are a lot more healthier eating than hot dogs and boxed mac/cheese.

 

I eat at campouts just as well as I do at home. There's no reason not to.

 

Stosh

[OldGreyEagle]

Seeing as how steak tartare is raw beef, I would think it would be a natural on campouts :/

 

 

[nolesrule]

There's cooking wine and there's cooking with wine. Cooking wine should be banned.

 

As my favorite TV cooking show host would say (Alton Brown, "Good Eats"), never cook with any alcohol that you wouldn't drink.

 

 

Not just steak tartare. We could harvest wild caviar.

 

IM_Kathy said "ok, while yes almost all alcohol is cooked out when cooking"

 

As I pointed out on the first page, it takes a lot longer than one thinks to cook out "almost all" of the alcohol.

[The Blancmange]

.(This message has been edited by the blancmange)