cooking @ home

You might recall I mentioned before that one of my earliest “dishes” I ever made was simply baking some chicken breasts in the oven and five minutes before they done pouring creamy Italian dressing over them. It was simple and delicious. Well, if that was the first-ever dish I made back in my teens. Then this one here would no doubt be my second one. And likewise is both super simple and delicious. And as you see, one that stood the test of time and that I still make today.

You’ll also see one of the key components in this is liquor. Yes, I do love my liquor — when cooking. Why? It’s an ingredient. It’s very flavorful. Remember extracts, vanilla extract and the rest also come from liquor, and they are likewise very potent tastes, that is,they pack a lot of flavor in a very small, concentrated amount.

So, you’re going to ask me what’s the children’s version of this? Or you might be wondering can you give this to children? In which case you’re probably actually asking one of the most-asked questions when it comes to cooking with alcochol: how much actually stays in the dish and how much is actually burnt off? While prevailing wisdom and tales handed down throughout the years say most of the liquor is cooked off immediately, it turns out that’s somewhere between an old wife’s tale and an urban myth.

Here then, from the USDA, are the actual facts on alcohol or liquor burn off during cooking:

Ok, so back to one of the first questions, can I give this to children? Your call. What does your family do? In Europe, and we Americans often think first of France and Italy, children drink wine and such while quite young and it’s socially-acceptable. Here in “the States” in the past generation such things have been considered a no-no. Although (and I say this with no proof, pun intended) that there’s a more calming down of late as this is not the worse thing in the world, in other words, I think it’s becoming slowy more socially-acceptable. But then in private in the home with family such things always were more accepted. The upshot (no pun this time) is it’s a family thing dependent upon house to house, family to family. So I leave it up to you.

And finally to the last question: Substitutions for liquor in this particular dish? And, as writing compresses time, it’s taken me a while to think up something. For the very reason I said, alcohol like extract packs a ton of flavor in a small amount of volume. I’m thinking you could try nectar. Hit the Spanish section of your supermarket and grab one of the fruit nectars in a can made by Goya. That would probably be the best. Juice? Juice is so watered down. If you have a can of apricots, the syrup would work better than juice (and less than nectar or liquor). All I can say is two things, if you really must, and secondly, taste it for yourself and see if it works. I’m guessing it’s passable as a children’s topping with juice, maybe Maybe a teaspoon of corn syrup and juice. It needs something not only for flavor it needs something to give it body.

Let’s go with nectar first. Juice or syrup combined with a small amount (teaspoon, maybe) of corn syrup is probably second. That said, I’ve never tried it either of those ways and since I’m not America’s Test Kitchen I probably won’t. Let me know, seriously, how either or both of those works out. And if you’ve come up with a different or better substitute.

Hot Apple Topping over Ice Cream
©2007 Harry Kenney

1 apple, peeled, sliced into thin chunks
butter
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup Apricot brandy (or peach schnapps or apple schnapps)
   (non-alcoholic substitutes: nectar, syrup or juice plus tsp corn syrup)
ice cream, preferrably vanilla

Into a small sauce pan on medium heat place in butter, let it melt and add apple slices. Turn and cook until softened. Add sugar and cinnamon. Cook a bit longer. Remove pan away from heat, add in liquor, place pan back on heat another minute or so. When apples are softened but not limp, and there’s a thin sauce, it’s done. Spoon atop ice cream and serve immediately before ice cream melts. Makes two servings.

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