What are your thoughts on foods that have a little wine in the sauce? I am going to a restaurant where I usually get clams, and I know they use some white wine when cooking them. I believe the alcohol is cooked off, but don't know entirely how it works.
My father was in AA for 30 years and he would eat things like that, but I have seen elsewhere that it should be avoided? That would bum me out, because I really like the flavor in chicken and fish dishes.
I think it has a lot to do with what your motives are...I know for myself...Early sobriety I stayed away from it. Having a couple years under my belt...I'm a little more comfortable with my sobriety...Not complacent....Comfortable. I happen to like veal Marsala....It's not quite the same without the wine it's named after. So I treat myself to it now and then. Now if I found myself waiting outside in the snow for an hour for the italian restaurant to open.....That could be a problem.
I don't use anything with alcohol....even vanilla and I non-alcoholic vanilla at my store. There are lots of recipes I have come across with peppermint extract or other flavorings. I couldn't find the non-alcoholic variety of these and some of them contained as much as 65% alcohol. I know a person who relapsed on vanilla extract and also since I bake for other alcoholics and have heard two sides about the "it all cooks out", I don't use any of the other flavorings. I don't want to take anything with alcohol in it to other alcoholics.
As far as the cooking wine goes...I drank cooking wine when I was desperate several years ago and had it in my home. I cannot remember if it made me drunk. Nastiest tasting stuff.
There have been tests done to determine if alcohol does indeed 'burn off' when used in cooking. The results showed that it is really not possible to predict whether this actually happens or not in a particular dish, even when you are cooking it yourself. In some instances the alcohol completely evaporated and in others there was still a significant amount. Certain factors can contribute to allowing or preventing it from evaporating, like whether the dish is covered during cooking, but there is no way to really know how much alcohol is remaining in any particular dish.
And for me, I just don't consume anything that I know was prepared with alcohol, regardless of what that research says. I don't want to end up tasting it, I don't want to end up romancing it, and I don't want my alcoholic brain to start telling me that, hey, if this is okay, maybe there are other shortcuts or loopholes that maybe I should check out.....
I also used to do drugs, and I wouldn't think it was okay for me to eat food prepared with trace amounts of cocaine or pot, either. For the same reasons. That stuff almost killed me. I have no business flirting with it now.
I forgot to turn on my notifications last night so didn't get this by the time I went out to dinner, but I figured I'd be on the safe side and just got a salad instead of the clams with the lemon/white wine sauce.
Given that it's early on for me (two weeks, woot!) I figure I shouldn't chance it. I hope to try it someday in the future, but not now when it might make me miss wine. Bummer.
I know how you feel. I had to give up certain dishes I used to love because I didn't want to taste the alcohol and start craving it. I don't miss any of those foods at all. There are way too many without alcohol to choose from.
I don't look at it like that Dave....Sounds too much like it's fear keeping me sober. I don't sit down to eat a meal to use it as an excuse to drink. I rely more on my spritual condition from the practices of steps 10 - 12 done daily....Rather than fear....To keep me sober. That's just me. I don't think I could have a drink if I wanted to right now. Safe and protected....I have 100% faith that the God I understand will keep me unharmed....As long as I follow a few simple rules. I'd rather rely on that.
I will add...My first year I wouldn't touch it....Because I think fear was still a factor in keeping me sober. Spiritual progress.....That's what it's all about. Like I said.....That's just my expeience.
Well, ... for me, this is my experience ... I didn't dare eat anything prepared with alcohol for about a year and a half two years ... when I had worked the 12 steps and learned to practice them daily, after a time, I would eat spaghetti sauce and roast beef prepared with red wine ... huh, no cravings ... just good flavor ... I truly believe it depends on 'your' program and your spiritual connection to God ... if that is in order, I think we can do things that normally alcoholics couldn't do ...
And I agree with Stepdude here ... especially when he said "Now if I found myself waiting outside in the snow for an hour for the italian restaurant to open.....That could be a problem. " ... LOL ... yes, that would indicate a problem ...
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I agree with Roger - stay away completely for a while because you know when you know your craving has been removed. Thoughts - remember, are not cravings, those also lessen over time and with continued focus on recovery.
My life is getting busier. I still reach out to people all the time. I talk to someone every day from recovery. I don't get to a lot of meetings - but I'm here every day reading or sharing - I'm working with my sponsor - I'm on the board for our club - I do silent service work for aa and humanity every day.
I started singing in a choir - and so I attend church every Sunday and I even hand out communion. I have no issue holding a wine glass or dipping my own bread in 1 drop of wine.
I have to take iodine drops which are 40 percent alcohol. I have a bottle that is the equivalent of about 1 shot. I take 3 drops a day. So far, I haven't made it through that one shot over the past year and a half. I have gotten 'sh*t' from people - and I really don't care. I know that I know my craving is gone. I use listerine and I don't worry about food with alcohol.
I am also in a place where if you paid me one million dollars, I would not drink ONE beer for it. I know that I could probably drink it and be fine - but I know full well what this disease is in my mind, epigenetically, and what my allergy actually is in my mind and body.
To me - it's a no brainer - I'm allergic. If you told me I was allergic to strawberries and if I ate one I might die - I wouldn't risk it.
If I ever think it's okay for me to take alcohol and be okay, I know that is the mental aspect of my disease telling me it might be okay, because I would never consider that for strawberries.
To me - this is what the program offers: Sanity.
If I think I can 'go back' on being allergic to something - that is insane thinking. When I compare my thinking around my allergy to alcohol to my allergies to anything else, if the mental aspect of my disease is telling me 'I'm not allergic anymore" I can recognize that as insanity and let that thought pass as if it was a passing car.
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Thanks for everything. Peace and Love on your journey.
Some of us are outright allergic to small amounts of alcohol, others not at all, and some folks will have a psychological problem with knowing that food contains a little alcohol. Safe thing to do would be don't do it, especially if you're obsessing about it.
I listened and took that advice to heart for 1 full yr even tho I suspected I would be fine with one drop of alcohol. Excellent words to live by. When in doubt: don't. Xxx
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Thanks for everything. Peace and Love on your journey.
