A Culinary Arts Education in Cooking with Wine

The Culinary Art of Wine Marinades

There are several reasons that wine makes a terrific marinade for meat. Not only can wine impart a delicious subtle flavor to meat, but the alcohol and acid in the wine also tenderize it, reducing meat's toughness. Be careful when marinating seafood: since it's usually already tender, marinating for too long can actually toughen it.

Chef School Tips: Cooking with Wine

Once you've marinated, it's time to start cooking. The following tips can make or break your favorite recipe:

• Use a quality wine. Don't use any wine for cooking if you wouldn't drink it. This applies mostly to "cooking wines", which have salt added to prevent fermentation.
• Add it at the right time in the cooking process. Too early, and the wine's flavor won't be strong enough. Too late, and it may dominate rather than enhance the dish.
• Use dry wine, unless the recipe specifically calls for sweet wine.

If you enjoy learning cooking techniques like these and cooking gourmet meals for friends and family, perhaps you'd benefit from a formal culinary education.

Enhance Your Skills at a Culinary Arts School

You'll learn many other tips and techniques if you take cooking classes at a culinary arts school. If you love food and have a knack for creating delectable dishes, perhaps you'd make a great professional chef. Explore the culinary arts, and let your culinary education at a quality school prepare you for a delicious culinary career.

Sources

• "Cooking with Wine," Hormel Foods
• "Cooking with Wines," About.com
• "How to Cook with Wine," eHow.com