# Wines for cooking?



## debbie24 (Sep 14, 2006)

whenever i'm looking for a recipe i always skip over recipes that call for wines because i just dont know what to use.  hubby & i dont drink so we dont know much about alcohol or wines and there are so many different ones in the wine isle.  what is a good red & white wine i can have on hand that will work in most dishes that call for wine and that i can keep in the refrigerator for a while (since we wont drink them)?  

i do have some white wine & some red wine somewhere in the house that were given to us, would those be ok to use?


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## Alix (Sep 14, 2006)

Sure debbie, what you have on hand is fine. If you are only using it to cook, then whatever will be fine. Try not to use a sweet wine for cooking. Thats the only advice I have for you. Otherwise, fly at it!


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## Seven S (Sep 14, 2006)

consider ver jus

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Verjus.htm


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## Andy M. (Sep 14, 2006)

Deb:

There are lots of good wines for cooking in the $10 range.  

For both reds and whites, you can buy four packs of small bottles (about 8 ounces each).  If a recipe calls for half a cup, you can refrigerate or freeze the rest.

For that matter, you can buy any wine and freeze that in ice cube trays or other small containers for future use.

For whites, look for chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.

For reds, look for merlot, pinot noir or shiraz.

You can buy dry white vermouth, which is a fortified wine and it will keep for a very long time in the cabinet.

Never, ever, buy cooking wines.  they are awful tasting and are loaded with salt.


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## ChefJune (Sep 14, 2006)

White wines with too much oak (inexpensive Cali Chardonnays, usually) won't cook down to a tasty syrup... nor inexpensive, young Cabernet Sauvignons, as they have too much tannin.  Otherwise, all else is fair game.

You will not be able to keep it, even in the fridge, for more than a week, as they will oxidize, and change character completely.  I often use whire vermouth, a fortified white wine that will keep much longer, refrigerated. Dry Sherry and Marsala are also fortified, ahd thus have a longer shelf life.  They don't work in ALL situations, but will be tasty for many dishes.


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## Alix (Sep 14, 2006)

People actually keep wine for a WEEK in the fridge? LOL, mine is lucky to last a day or so!


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## pdswife (Sep 14, 2006)

Debbie... you can buy wine in a box that last forever.

We don't drink wine either but I do use it in cooking and this seems to work just fine.


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## mudbug (Sep 14, 2006)

buy the wines in the boxes.  no oxidation, and they are fine for cooking.


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## mudbug (Sep 14, 2006)

kitchen elf agrees with me and trish.  I've seen the pictures of her kitchen.


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## GB (Sep 14, 2006)

I agree with the boxed wines for cooking. I have been using them for about 5 years now (no not the same box ). They are perfect for cooking.


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## Sandyj (Sep 14, 2006)

My daughter bought a box of Franzia merlot this summer, and I've borrowed from it for cooking (most recently, used in a reduction gravy for roast leg of lamb), and, while cooking, always serve myself a glass, too. The gravy came out well, and I thought it tasted quite nice on its own!


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## philso (Sep 17, 2006)

Sandyj said:
			
		

> My daughter bought a box of Franzia merlot this summer, and I've borrowed from it for cooking (most recently, used in a reduction gravy for roast leg of lamb), and, while cooking, always serve myself a glass, too. The gravy came out well, and I thought it tasted quite nice on its own!


 
don't take this the wrong way, but i'd just like to point out that after a glass of wine, a lot of things taste pretty good.


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## Sandyj (Sep 18, 2006)

> don't take this the wrong way, but i'd just like to point out that after a glass of wine, a lot of things taste pretty good.


 
That is too true!!!


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## Barb L. (Sep 18, 2006)

Wines come in boxes ?  Not a wine drinker, so never heard of it coming in boxes.


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## GB (Sep 18, 2006)

Barb, here is a photo of one of the more popular (but probably not the best) boxed wines.


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## bullseye (Sep 18, 2006)

Has anyone heard of the boxed wines labeled "Killer Juice?"  I have had the Chard and the Cab (don't know if there are others), and enjoy them both for cooking, as well as imbibing while cooking.  They are pricier than most box wines, but are supposedly higher end Napa excess produce at a much lower price (~$22 for 3 litres).  I enjoy the fact that they seem never to go bad.  GB--we always cooked for the public with Franzia, with very good results.


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## mudbug (Sep 18, 2006)

I get the Aldmaden Mountain Burgundy box quite often.  It's about $17 or so and also tastes pretty OK.


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## Sandyj (Sep 18, 2006)

Barb, this is probably old news to everyone but me, but I found out that the wines that come in boxes are so well sealed in their bags that they stay fresh for a long time. Now that I've tried using the boxed Franzia merlot in a few dishes, I will probably buy some to keep for cooking, and hopefully it'll keep!


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## Barb L. (Sep 18, 2006)

I have seen those- lol, but never the spout !  Awful big- too big for me for just cooking- which isn't often-(with wine).  Just my shrimp scampi !  Thanks GB for the input !!​


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## GB (Sep 18, 2006)

bullseye said:
			
		

> GB--we always cooked for the public with Franzia, with very good results.


I have the end of a box of Franzia in my house right now. I bought a box of Trove to replace it. I haven't tried it yet, but the woman at the liquor store said it was the best box wine they carry.


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## bullseye (Sep 18, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> I have the end of a box of Franzia in my house right now. I bought a box of Trove to replace it. I haven't tried it yet, but the woman at the liquor store said it was the best box wine they carry.



Trove, eh.  I'll have to check it out--purely from a scientific research standpoint, of course!<G>


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## FryBoy (Sep 18, 2006)

Dry Sherry and Dry Vermouth are also good choices. They will keep for months after being opened, and they have a lot more flavor that other white wines. Gallo makes decent dry sherry, and I like Martini & Rossi Vermouth.

For red wines, consider the little 4-packs of 187ml bottles (about 1 coup each). The Australian brand Lindeman's or the California brand Sutter Home are good choices. None of these have much tannin or oak as they're cheap and made for early consumption.

BTW, someone suggested that it's the cheap California Chardonnay's that have too much oak. In my experience, the cheapies don't have all that much, and it's some of the more expensive brands that are over the top with oak. One good choice is Columbia Crest from Washington, about $5 for a 750 ml bottle -- very little oak, good fruit.


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## kitchenelf (Sep 18, 2006)

Barb L said:
			
		

> I have seen those- lol, but never the spout !  Awful big- too big for me for just cooking- which isn't often-(with wine).  Just my shrimp scampi !  Thanks GB for the input !!​



Barb - you'd be surprised at what you'll put wine in if you have it on hand already.


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## RPCookin (Sep 18, 2006)

kitchenelf said:
			
		

> Barb - you'd be surprised at what you'll put wine in if you have it on hand already.



This is a fact.  Nothing better for deglazing a pan after cooking your meat course to make a base for the sauce.... also great for mushrooms sauted in butter and wine with shallots or garlic (my DW's fav).  I can go through a bottle of white in no time... I'm a little bit slower in using up the red...


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## BreezyCooking (Sep 18, 2006)

For cooking I always try to have the following in house:  dry vermouth, dry sherry, marsala, a dry red California jug wine (usually Merlot or Burgundy), & a dry white California jug wine - usually Chablis.

Total investment for all of the above, which serve my basic cooking very well - a whopping $35.00.


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## jennyema (Sep 18, 2006)

I have kept opened sherry, vermouth and marsala on the shelf for at least a year.

I freeze wine that I won't be drinking.  What little of that there is.


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## FryBoy (Sep 18, 2006)

kitchenelf said:
			
		

> Barb - you'd be surprised at what you'll put wine in if you have it on hand already.


As W.C. Fields said "I always cook with wine -- sometimes I even put it in the food!"


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## Barb L. (Sep 18, 2006)

RPCookin said:
			
		

> This is a fact.  Nothing better for deglazing a pan after cooking your meat course to make a base for the sauce.... also great for mushrooms sauted in butter and wine with shallots or garlic (my DW's fav).  I can go through a bottle of white in no time... I'm a little bit slower in using up the red...


 Now that might be smething we would like, all like bella's  thanks for the idea-- My Mom never cooked w/wine, and Iam 61 and trying new things-- (never too late I guess)  I do prefer white wine though.


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## Hades (Sep 18, 2006)

I don't know what kind of imports make it to the US, but a young, not too expensive riesling (from Luxembourg or Alsace) is my favourite for cooking with white wine.  They're not spectacular for drinking (atleast not the cheap ones) but they're clean and fresh tasting and work realy well with just about anything you'd want to make a white wine sauce with.
For reds there's not too many wines that can top a Côtes du Rhône.  I shy away a little from Syrah wines from the new world (Australia for example) as they are often oak ripened making them less suitable for cooking.


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## carolelaine (Oct 3, 2006)

Are you guys leaving the merlot in the pantry, or if you keep it that long to cook with do you refridgerate.  I cook with wine all the time, and silly me never thought about the boxed ones.  This is a great tip.


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## BreezyCooking (Oct 3, 2006)

Carolelaine - I keep my dry vermouth, dry sherry, marsala, madeira, & all my dry red wines in my pantry.  Only the whites are refrigerated.  Everything seems to do just fine.


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## Andy M. (Oct 3, 2006)

I wouldn't keep opened merlot in the pantry beyond a dya or two.  Refrigerate the unused portion or fill an ice cube tray and make merlot-cicles.  They can be put into a plastic bag after freezing.


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## mudbug (Oct 3, 2006)

RPCookin said:
			
		

> This is a fact. Nothing better for deglazing a pan after cooking your meat course to make a base for the sauce.... also great for mushrooms sauted in butter and wine with shallots or garlic (my DW's fav).


 
*Bowing down in recognition of great wisdom of DW*  amen amen amen


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## legend_018 (Jun 13, 2007)

Today I bought a bottle of pinot noir red for a red cooking wine and a chardonnay for a white cooking wine. Will that do? The place I went to absolutely had no dry vermouth. The white wine is called Mirassou Chardonnay.


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## Andy M. (Jun 13, 2007)

The red will do fine.  

In general, chardonnays are not always the best.  A lot of California chards are aged in oak for an 'oaky' flavor.  That can become bothersome in cooking.  It's worth trying what you bought.  Australian chards are less oaky.

A good choice is sauvignon blanc.  There is a great selection available at a reasonable price.

You should be able to find dry vermouth easily.  It's the other main ingredient in a martini.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 13, 2007)

Just be sure to buy an unoaked Chard - if you stick with wiines in a box you are pretty much guaranteed that.  Pinot Noir?  There are less expensive wines to buy to cook with.  Chablis would be a good wine to buy - and it's fairly inexpensive.  But buy the box.  

I keep a box of Chardonnay (no Oak fermentation) and a box of Cabernet Sauvignon or Burgundy in my cabinet to cook with.  Both of these fit the bill for most wines to cook with.


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## ChefJune (Jun 13, 2007)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> The red will do fine.
> 
> In general, chardonnays are not always the best. A lot of California chards are aged in oak for an 'oaky' flavor. That can become bothersome in cooking. It's worth trying what you bought. Australian chards are less oaky.
> 
> ...


Andy is spot on, but in this case, the Mirassou Chardonnay is not very oaky, and should be okay. (no pun intended  )


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## Andy M. (Jun 13, 2007)

Thanks, June.  I don't know the Mirassou so couldn't comment directly.


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## college_cook (Jun 13, 2007)

Rule of thumb for cooking with wine is that if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it.  I prefer using a pinot gris or a gewurtztraminer for my white, and I've had a lot of luck with Australian Shiraz for reds.

Another nice white to cook with is Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine.  Tasty too!


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## kitchenelf (Jun 13, 2007)

college_cook said:
			
		

> Rule of thumb for cooking with wine is that if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it.  I prefer using a pinot gris or a gewurtztraminer for my white, and I've had a lot of luck with Australian Shiraz for reds.
> 
> Another nice white to cook with is Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine.  Tasty too!



Gewürztraminer has a tendency to be floral and sweet - what did you use it for?  That might be the key.  I can certainly see how it would delicately flavor scallops.

Prosecco isn't expensive at least but when cooked, it just turns into a still wine.  I'd have to drink those bubbles and use something else to cook with   It is my duty to "save the bubbles"


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## legend_018 (Jun 13, 2007)

ChefJune said:
			
		

> Andy is spot on, but in this case, the Mirassou Chardonnay is not very oaky, and should be okay. (no pun intended  )



Thanks - that's good to know. So I'm assuming the 2 wines I said I bought can be left in the cabinet after they've been opened for cooking usage. I bought the Mirassou Chardonnay for white wine and a pinor noir bottle for red. I didn't buy the box(s) although came close. The red wine was only $7.99


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## Andy M. (Jun 13, 2007)

If you're keeping the wines for a while, keep them both in the fridge.  They'll last longer.

You could even freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays for later use.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 13, 2007)

And, if your pinot ends up being a bit vinegary (which it will eventually because they don't last more than a few days) - just make a vinaigrette - or marinate a steak or some ribs.


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## legend_018 (Jun 13, 2007)

kitchenelf said:
			
		

> And, if your pinot ends up being a bit vinegary (which it will eventually because they don't last more than a few days) - just make a vinaigrette - or marinate a steak or some ribs.



I thought I read in this thread that pinor noir for red was a good red wine for cooking and that it would also last in the cabinet. That is why I bought it. I could of sworn in this thread and maybe in one other one, the suggestions on what to buy for red and/or white wines were the types you could keep for a long time in the cabinet. 

I don't use red and/or white wine for cooking every day or even every week. It depends on what I'm cooking. I don't have room in my freezor because we stock up on a lot of meat. I might just go back to what I usually do and buy the cooking wines from the isle that has those smaller cooking wines. The ones people don't suggest because of the salt content I believe. I've been using those for years. 

I would like to keep a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white wine in my cabinet.


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## legend_018 (Jun 13, 2007)

I probably should of just bought the boxed wines. I could keep them in the refrigerator - although it will take up room. Definetely can't keep them in the freezor. That was one of the selling points though....buy nice cheap bottles of wine instead of the "not recommended" cooking wines and still be able to keep them in the counter.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 13, 2007)

You don't need to keep the boxed wines in your refrigerator.  I keep mine in my cabinet near my stove.  They will last for a good year.  Hey, we'll help you find some recipes to use wine in.  I don't use it all that often either, which is why I like the boxes.  The reason the boxes work so well is because no air get to the wine to oxidize it.  It stays fresh for a very long time.  And yes, don't use cooking wines, they are VERY salty and just don't leave the flavor of the wine in the food.

Use what you have and don't worry about it today.  If you have some pinot noir left over just take some chicken thighs, along with some shallots or onions, carrots, and potatoes, and make a stew.  Add some thyme, salt, pepper, of course, and how could I forget - GARLIC!  The same can be done with the white wine.  

We'll help you use that wine up - it won't go to waste.


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## jennyema (Jun 13, 2007)

Opened bottles of wine will go bad (sour) in a matter of a week so (probably less) depending on what type they are. I'm not sure who led you to believe that pinot noir and chardonnay -- or any wine for that matter -- could be kept out on the counter indefinitely because that is not so. Sorry. Keeping them in the fridge legthens their shelf life but not indefinitely.


That's why people recommend

(1) Buying boxed wine, for the reasons K-elf said.
(2) Buying a six pack of small airplane sized bottles.
(3) Buying dry vermouth as a sub for white wine, as a fortified wine like vermouth is shelf stable for a much longer time.
(4) Freezing leftover wine -- you can freeze it in a ziplock so that it is flat and takes up very little room.


"Cooking wine" from the supermarket doesn't taste anything like wine and IMO will make anything you use it in taste worse that if you had left it out. I'd choose a recipe that didn't call for wine or leave it out if the alternative is cooking wine or sherry.


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## legend_018 (Jun 13, 2007)

jennyema said:
			
		

> That's why people recommend
> 
> (1) Buying boxed wine, for the reasons K-elf said.
> (2) Buying a six pack of small airplane sized bottles.
> ...



Thanks for clearing that up.


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## ChefJune (Jun 14, 2007)

legend_018 said:
			
		

> I thought I read in this thread that pinor noir for red was a good red wine for cooking


 _It is._


> and that it would also last in the cabinet. That is why I bought it. I could of sworn in this thread and maybe in one other one, the suggestions on what to buy for red and/or white wines were the types you could keep for a long time in the cabinet.


 _The only wines that will keep "a long time" once opened are box wines or fortified wines, such as vermouth, port, marsala._



> I don't use red and/or white wine for cooking every day or even every week. It depends on what I'm cooking. I don't have room in my freezor because we stock up on a lot of meat. I might just go back to what I usually do and buy the cooking wines from the isle that has those smaller cooking wines. The ones people don't suggest because of the salt content I believe. I've been using those for years.


 _I hope you don't go back to those salty cooking wines.  There is more wrong with them than just the salt.  The quality of the wine used for those is much lower than even the box wines, and the price you pay for those little bottles is extremely high.  You "stock up" on meat and other groceries to save  money, don't blow it on overpriced but cheap (read cr8ppy) wine.  One alternative might be to pick up a couple of four-paks of half bottles.  Sutter Home makes those and they're pretty widely available in drug store wine sections and wine superstores.  They have screwtop closures but their best feature is that they are small amounts so you just open and use what you need.  I'd get their red zinfandel and Pinot grigio or Sauvignon blanc._



> I would like to keep a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white wine in my cabinet.


 _These will not keep more than a day or two opened and unrefrigerated._


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## ChefJune (Jun 14, 2007)

> Hey, we'll help you find some recipes to use wine in. I don't use it all that often either,


  If you had my book, you'd have lots of easy recipes that use wine!  

_ooooops!_ shameless self-promotion!


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## OnlineCooking (Jun 21, 2007)

debbie24 said:
			
		

> whenever i'm looking for a recipe i always skip over recipes that call for wines because i just dont know what to use.  hubby & i dont drink so we dont know much about alcohol or wines and there are so many different ones in the wine isle.  what is a good red & white wine i can have on hand that will work in most dishes that call for wine and that i can keep in the refrigerator for a while (since we wont drink them)?
> 
> i do have some white wine & some red wine somewhere in the house that were given to us, would those be ok to use?



One thing I have always heard is, use a wine you would drink.  I believe Jacques Pepin has said that a few times.


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## ironchef (Jun 21, 2007)

OnlineCooking said:
			
		

> One thing I have always heard is, use a wine you would drink. I believe Jacques Pepin has said that a few times.


 
Most chefs say that, but it should be ammended to a wine that you COULD drink, not necessarily one that you WOULD drink. I could drink some of the wines that we've used for cooking in the different restaurants that I've worked in, but I wouldn't.


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## GB (Jun 21, 2007)

I think possibly an even better way to say it is "Don't cook with wines you would not drink".


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## wysiwyg (Jun 30, 2007)

Amen to Ironchef quotation of Jacques Pepin: If you are going to use wine for cooking, use a good quality wine that you would drink.
If you are in a budget, look for some Chilean or Argentinian red (Merlot, Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon) and for white, Rieslings or Chablis.
As a guideline, the wine should bring extra body to whatever you are cooking but should not be powerfull enough to take over sauce or meet flavors.


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## Claire (Jul 3, 2007)

As some have already said, I'm a big believer in fortified wines for friends who don't actually drink the stuff.  Vermouth, Marsala,Sherry, Port,  etc.  These have a long shelf life.   Unfortunately, I love the stuff and will drink almost any and every wine.  But if you don't, buy a fortified wine to cook with.


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