In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> On Wed 15 Oct 2008 09:25:53p, sf told us...
>
> > On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:19:30 -0700 (PDT), amandaF
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>What is the difference between dry sherry versus Reese's "Cooking wine
> >>(Sherry)"?
> >
> > Salt. Buy a cheap dry sherry to cook with... Gallo is fine.
> >
> >>Are they the same?
> >
> > No.
>
> Cooking sherry is vile. One taste would convince you. :-) Barbara's
> right. Buy an inexpensive drinking sherry to cook with.
>
> Personally, I prefer substituting Sercial Madeira for sherry in most
> recipes. It's a rather dry madeira and perfect for cooking. For sipping,
> I prefer a Malmsey Madeira. It is sweeter and has a rather complex flavor.
>
> This substitution is strictly a matter of personal taste.

I've not tried Madeira for cooking.
What recipes do you routinely use it in? I mostly use dryer red or
white wines, or port for dessert dishes.
--
Peace! Om

"He who has the gold makes the rules"
--Om

"He who has the guns can get the gold."
-- Steve Rothstein

On Thu 16 Oct 2008 09:34:47a, Omelet told us...

> In article >,
> Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
>> On Wed 15 Oct 2008 09:25:53p, sf told us...
>>
>> > On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:19:30 -0700 (PDT), amandaF
>> > > wrote:
>> >
>> >>What is the difference between dry sherry versus Reese's "Cooking
>> >>wine (Sherry)"?
>> >
>> > Salt. Buy a cheap dry sherry to cook with... Gallo is fine.
>> >
>> >>Are they the same?
>> >
>> > No.
>>
>> Cooking sherry is vile. One taste would convince you. :-) Barbara's
>> right. Buy an inexpensive drinking sherry to cook with.
>>
>> Personally, I prefer substituting Sercial Madeira for sherry in most
>> recipes. It's a rather dry madeira and perfect for cooking. For
>> sipping, I prefer a Malmsey Madeira. It is sweeter and has a rather
>> complex flavor.
>>
>> This substitution is strictly a matter of personal taste.
>
> I've not tried Madeira for cooking.
> What recipes do you routinely use it in? I mostly use dryer red or
> white wines, or port for dessert dishes.

Generally, I use it in recipe that calls for sherry, but Maderia specific
dishes include those with chicken, pork, or beef. Chicken in a Madeira
sauce that includes citrus rind and raisins, pork medallions with a Madeira
and butter sauce, filet mignon with a mushroom and Madeira sauce. There
are many possibiliites.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)

*******************************************
Date: Thursday, 10(X)/16(XVI)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
3wks 4dys 13hrs 26mins
*******************************************
It's a damned poor mind that can only
think of one way to spell a word.

In article >,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> > I've not tried Madeira for cooking.
> > What recipes do you routinely use it in? I mostly use dryer red or
> > white wines, or port for dessert dishes.
>
> Generally, I use it in recipe that calls for sherry, but Maderia specific
> dishes include those with chicken, pork, or beef. Chicken in a Madeira
> sauce that includes citrus rind and raisins, pork medallions with a Madeira
> and butter sauce, filet mignon with a mushroom and Madeira sauce. There
> are many possibiliites.

That sounds good, thanks! :-)
I don't cook meat with fruit as often as I should. I DO like it.

My tropical chicken recipe is a perfect example, but I've never tried
adding wine to that.
--
Peace! Om

"He who has the gold makes the rules"
--Om

"He who has the guns can get the gold."
-- Steve Rothstein

On Oct 16, 9:34 am, Omelet > wrote:
> In article >,
> Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Wed 15 Oct 2008 09:25:53p, sf told us...
>
> > > On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:19:30 -0700 (PDT), amandaF
> > > > wrote:
>
> > >>What is the difference between dry sherry versus Reese's "Cooking wine
> > >>(Sherry)"?
>
> > > Salt. Buy a cheap dry sherry to cook with... Gallo is fine.
>
> > >>Are they the same?
>
> > > No.
>
> > Cooking sherry is vile. One taste would convince you. :-) Barbara's
> > right. Buy an inexpensive drinking sherry to cook with.
>
> > Personally, I prefer substituting Sercial Madeira for sherry in most
> > recipes. It's a rather dry madeira and perfect for cooking. For sipping,
> > I prefer a Malmsey Madeira. It is sweeter and has a rather complex flavor.
>
> > This substitution is strictly a matter of personal taste.
>
> I've not tried Madeira for cooking.
> What recipes do you routinely use it in? I mostly use dryer red or
> white wines, or port for dessert dishes.

I have never used it in anything. The Kung pPao Chicken recipe asked
for it and I was curious about it, assuming that the Chinese
restaurant used it in their cooking.
> --
> Peace! Om
>
> "He who has the gold makes the rules"
> --Om
>
> "He who has the guns can get the gold."
> -- Steve Rothstein

On Thu 16 Oct 2008 06:40:50p, amandaF told us...

> I have never used it in anything. The Kung pPao Chicken recipe asked
> for it and I was curious about it, assuming that the Chinese
> restaurant used it in their cooking.
>

Hmm... I didn't know that. I have seen sherry listed in Chinese recipes.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)

*******************************************
Date: Thursday, 10(X)/16(XVI)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
3wks 4dys 5hrs 11mins
*******************************************
Civilization is defined by the
presence of cats.

"amandaF" wrote

> I have never used it in anything. The Kung pPao Chicken recipe asked
> for it and I was curious about it, assuming that the Chinese
> restaurant used it in their cooking.

A translation there. Most asiatic recipes get translated to use dry sherry
vice 'rice wine' (sake or mirin are japanese names for it).

The chinese do not make 'sherry'. Many USA places will sub Sherry though
for the wines (rice based frequently) than they do use. Hence, the
confusion.

On Oct 16, 8:49 pm, "cshenk" > wrote:
> "amandaF" wrote
>
> > I have never used it in anything. The Kung pPao Chicken recipe asked
> > for it and I was curious about it, assuming that the Chinese
> > restaurant used it in their cooking.
>
> A translation there. Most asiatic recipes get translated to use dry sherry
> vice 'rice wine' (sake or mirin are japanese names for it).

Oh, that's why that recipe says rice wine or dry sherry. Since I don't
want to make a trip to Asian part of the town just to get rice wine, I
went to the grocery store, the closet one, actually to get a small can
pine apple but there was only big ones. So I asked the store manager
about dry sherry and found Reese's brand cooking wine (Sherry) . I
wasn't convinced that that's what I needed.
>
> The chinese do not make 'sherry'. Many USA places will sub Sherry though
> for the wines (rice based frequently) than they do use. Hence, the
> confusion.
I figured that it is is the US version of Chinese food but I like that
food if not cooked too greasy. I had Kung Pao chicken back home many
time. Totally different than here.

"amandaF" wrote
> "cshenk" wrote:

>> > I have never used it in anything. The Kung pPao Chicken recipe asked
>> > for it and I was curious about it, assuming that the Chinese

>> A translation there. Most asiatic recipes get translated to use dry
>> sherry
>> vice 'rice wine' (sake or mirin are japanese names for it).

> Oh, that's why that recipe says rice wine or dry sherry. Since I don't

Yes. The tastes are often acceptably swapped. Not always, but many
'weterners' not familiar with the taste of rice wines, are unaware of when
it can or can't be swapped. They tend to 'assume it always works'.

> want to make a trip to Asian part of the town just to get rice wine, I

Agreed. It's one of those things that should wait til you have more things
in mind. My local Asian Grocery is 3 miles away and only easy to get to
when coming back home from the chiropracter's office. I keep my list ready
and go then.

> went to the grocery store, the closet one, actually to get a small can
> pine apple but there was only big ones. So I asked the store manager
> about dry sherry and found Reese's brand cooking wine (Sherry) . I
> wasn't convinced that that's what I needed.

It probably will do 'ok enough' but if your particular recipe uses much
waterchestnut, I find that sherry will stand out as 'wierd' to my tastebuds.
Could just be me. I have a small bottle of sherry (saved off from a
friend's larger one) for it's rare time when sherry is needed and my mirin
or sake dont work for a particular recipe.

>> The chinese do not make 'sherry'. Many USA places will sub Sherry though
>> for the wines (rice based frequently) than they do use. Hence, the
>> confusion.

> I figured that it is is the US version of Chinese food but I like that
> food if not cooked too greasy. I had Kung Pao chicken back home many
> time. Totally different than here.

Yes (grin). I've had Kung Pao chicken in Singapore and Hong Kong. Not
quite the same between both places but delicious just the same. Had it here
Stateside a few times and only the one 'hole in the wall' place in Spokane
Washington did it true justice. There's a place here in Norfolk area that
has a version I actually like too, but it's hard to not 'grin' when calling
it Kung Pao Chicken because it's so far off the mark of authentic, it could
easily be a completely different dish!

When I was in Japan, I would commonly 'Americanize' dishes somewhat to my
own tastes. A big one was to use mirin or sake like they do, but in reduced
amounts. Sometimes the dashi (fish stock) would be swapped for chicken
stock (a very common swap that does *not* always work though western
cookbooks will say it does).

A sample since I'm on a roll?

There's a rice dish I make frequently. I learned it there (Sasebo) and
since have encountered USA/Canada 'knockoffs' that get posted by folks as
'authentic'. I'm not saying the western version is 'bad' but it's so
totally different, it shouldnt have the same name.

This is 'rice porridge' (a near version of other lands is called congee or
juk). I'll post only the simplest version. The real one has 20-30 types of
'little bits of things' added.

Authentic:
rice- about 2 cups (medium calrose or short grain)
Dashi- strong (first use of the fish and seaweeds)- about 7 cups
ebi (dried small shrimps) 'to taste' (1/2 cup or more)
2 ts (potentially up to 1 TB) sake or mirin

This is a soupy mix, intended to be so. Miso often stirred in before
serving. It is a common fast breakfast food, often made right in the
ricemaker.

Westernized:
rice- long grain, 2 cups
chicken broth- 7 or 8 cups
fresh shrimp or frozen, 1 cup

This is also a soupy mix and is used for lunch or may be served with dinner.
Miso would not be added (if they even knew what it was). May see
worstershire sauce or dry sherry. Although this isnt 'bad tasting' its
totally different and a person from Japan probably wouldnt recognize it. It
would be done on the stovetop also which would feel 'wierd' to modern
Japanese.

India-version:
rice- brown basmati, 3 cups
vegetable stock- 7 cups
curry powder
minced onion
peanuts
miso- red

Yes, had a friend in Japan who 'Indianized' this and said there was
something like it at home (Mumbai I think) but it wasnt as soupy. She also
called this 'rice porridge' in following the name Sasebo had for such a dish
but as you can see, it's definately not the same thing at all. Oh she had
one other ingredient, but I'm not sure if it was nutmeg or cinnimon or both.
It was used sparsely. She may have also added just a little sugar (she
liked raw granulated beet sugars). (She was married to a USA sailor and
lived in our building. Had a really long first name which we shortened to
Miri).

Grin, fun little ramble there.

On Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:49:04 -0400, cshenk wrote:

> "amandaF" wrote
>
>> I have never used it in anything. The Kung pPao Chicken recipe asked
>> for it and I was curious about it, assuming that the Chinese
>> restaurant used it in their cooking.
>
> A translation there. Most asiatic recipes get translated to use dry sherry
> vice 'rice wine' (sake or mirin are japanese names for it).
>

mirin, with its added sugar, is not a good substitute. sake would likely
produce a good result, but different. amanda would be better off buying a
dry sherry from taylor or gallo, which probably costs about the same as
'cooking wine' sold at the grocery, given the size of the bottles. sherry
keeps well.

a chinese restaurant may use rice wine with added salt, but almost never (i
would think) cooking sherry.

your pal,
blake

"blake murphy" wrote
> cshenk wrote:

>> A translation there. Most asiatic recipes get translated to use dry
>> sherry
>> vice 'rice wine' (sake or mirin are japanese names for it).

> mirin, with its added sugar, is not a good substitute. sake would likely
> produce a good result, but different.

Agreed. Sake is a more natural cross to dry sherry. Mirin may do in some
recipes, but you'd adjust any added sugar to accomodate. Just like if the
recipe was written around cooking sherry, and you used sake instead, you may
need to adjust the salt.

> amanda would be better off buying a
> dry sherry from taylor or gallo, which probably costs about the same as
> 'cooking wine' sold at the grocery, given the size of the bottles. sherry
> keeps well.

Yes. Though she has some now I gather? It will keep well for a very long
time, just like a bottle of sake or mirin used for cooking will keep.

> a chinese restaurant may use rice wine with added salt, but almost never
> (i
> would think) cooking sherry.

;-) hopefully! But you never know! All in all, depending on the cuisine
she is trying to replicate, she'll find the added 'fruityness' of the sherry
may be a distractor in some dishes and in others, may add a sweet depth she
will like.

My general rule of thumb (not totally hard and fast, just works as a
generic). If it uses peanuts, water chestnuts, or dashi, then dry sherry
tends to be a negative element. If it uses chicken or vegetable stock (and
not peanuts or water chestnuts) and minimal seaweeds, then sherry tends to
work quite well and may even be better.

If the recipe says 'plum wine' then Sherry seems to work well as an
acceptable swap if you dont have plum wine handy.