5 Keys To Cooking With Wine

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_S_Hutchins]Michael S Hutchins

Many of us have fond memories of the late Julia Child enthusiastically adding wine to many
of her most popular dishes. Europeans, particularly the French and Italians, have been
creating culinary masterpieces with wine for centuries. Americans, in recent times, have
started adding wine to popular recipes. Achieving success cooking with wine is relatively
easy, provided one follows some basic guidelines.

The "rule of thumb" when selecting a cooking wine is to select a wine you would not mind
drinking. Definitely avoid selecting a wine you prefer to drink. The truth of the matter is
that all fine wines lose their wonderful characteristics during the cooking process, anyway.
It is a good policy to avoid "cooking wines" from the grocery store, as they are often laced
with additional sodium. In fact, it is perfectly acceptable to use whatever wine you have on
hand. The type of wine used for cooking does not have to match the wine being served with
the meal.

The great fun of cooking with wine is the experimenting! Their are very few hard and fast
rules. Generally, white wines are better for cooking with poultry, fish and pork. Red wines
are generally better with beef. Your taste buds are always the best judge. White wines can
add some needed acidity to rich, creamy sauces. Unless it is specifically noted in the
recipe, use dry wines for cooking rather than sweet wines.

The amount of wine you add to your dish depends on personal taste and the volume of food
being prepared. You want to be sure that the wine has the opportunity to "cook off"during
the simmering process. Too much wine will make that process take too long. Once you have
determined the right amount of wine to add to a particular dish, definitely make a note on
the recipe of the amount. Voila! the trial and error is done. Knowing how to cook with wine will greatly enhance the flavors of many of your favorite
dishes. Ultimately, experimenting is the key to your success. Oh, and what fun that is!!

Michael Hutchins is a noted author and speaker on subjects related to entertaining at home. A self proclaimed "party animal", Michael is noted for his wit and creativity. He created his online store, http://www.home-bars-and-more.com to be fun, "one-stop"shopping for all your home bar needs.

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