Cooking With Alcohol

[Kenngo1969]

I'm not going to indict social drinkers.  I'm under a covenant which most of them are not, and even those who are under such a covenant no longer attach the same significance to it that I still do. (If they did still attach such significance to it, obviously, they'd still keep it, or at least they'd try to do so.) I honestly don't know if I've ever consumed any alcohol that "hasn't cooked out."  I do know that, on occasion, I've eaten a mystery chocolate or two (or a few) that has had alcohol in it.  In my weakness, I haven't coughed, gagged, spit, washed my mouth out with soap, or gone to the hospital to get my stomach pumped.

 

I may have made a similar comment much earlier in this old thread, but as disappointed as the Lord might be by those who no longer keep covenants they once made, I think He's even more displeased when we use interpretations of such things as the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Tithing as brickbats with which to beat our fellow Saints over the head.  If someone asks me if I think cooking with alcohol violates the Word of Wisdom, my opinion is that, generally, it doesn't.  Your standing is between you and God; my standing is between me and God; and anyone else's standing is between him and God. I'm not going to use my personal interpretation of the Word of Wisdom to indict someone else who believes, or who does, differently.

Edited August 15, 2015 by Kenngo1969

[Paradox_58]

I'm not going to indict social drinkers.  I'm under a covenant which most of them are not, and even those who are under such a covenant no longer attach the same significance to it that I still do. (If they did still attach such significance to it, obviously, they'd still keep it, or at least they'd try to do so.) I honestly don't know if I've ever consumed any alcohol that "hasn't cooked out."  I do know that, on occasion, I've eaten a mystery chocolate or two (or a few) that has had alcohol in it.  In my weakness, I haven't coughed, gagged, spit, washed my mouth out with soap, or gone to the hospital to get my stomach pumped.

 

I may have made a similar comment much earlier in this old thread, but as disappointed as the Lord might be by those who no longer keep covenants they once made, I think He's even more displeased when we use interpretations of such things as the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Tithing as brickbats with which to beat our fellow Saints over the head.  If someone asks me if I think cooking with alcohol violates the Word of Wisdom, my opinion is that, generally, it doesn't.  Your standing is betweenyou and God; my standing is between me and God; and anyone else's standing is between him and God. I'm not going to use my personal interpretation of the Word of Wisdom to indict someone else who believes, or who does, differently.

 

Thank you, kenngo. Most LDS don't keep the WoW completely, in any case, and to focus on the few don'ts seems silly to me. I don't use alcohol in my cooking but I am an herbalist, and have occasion to buy vodka or Everclear to make herbal tinctures. I don't consider this a violation of the Word of Wisdom when I use these herbal tinctures. Some of these posts have put me in mind of a couple of things: one was a former Relief Society president in the first Alcoholics Anonymous group I attended. She used vanilla as her drink of choice because she could buy it without raising any eyebrows or having to go to the liquor store in Utah. 

 

The second thing was the song an uncle of mine regularly included in our family reunion talent show--"Away, away with rum, by gum..." each verse describing the dangers of: 

We never eat cookies because they have yeast; one little bite turns a man to a beast, And can you imagine a greater disgrace, than a man in the gutter with crumbs on his face.

We never eat fruitcake because it has rum; one little slice puts a man on the bum. And can you imagine a sorrier sight than a man eating fruitcake until he gets tight?

 

Let's not forget that bishops, apostles, and even Joseph Smith himself enjoyed beer and wine on occasion; even whisky from time to time!

[Steve-o]

If you like the taste of alcohol be my guest. However very little of the alcohol gets burned off in the flambe process.

SEE http://www.bsciresourcecenter.com/proddetail.php?prod=ArtJanEnews

I don't know how that works, but thanks. I figure if you light something on fire, the fire will die when the fuel is gone. I appreciate it.

[ERayR]

Does Flambe = strong drink?  Does a cup of beer in a beer batter recipe = strong drink?  If it bothers you don't do it.  If it doesn't happy eating.

[ERayR]

Let's not forget that bishops, apostles, and even Joseph Smith himself enjoyed beer and wine on occasion; even whisky from time to time!

 

Don't use others actions to justify your own.  Whether you do or whether you don't is your choice.  If it bothers you don't do it.  If it doesn't happy eating.

[ksfisher]

Should we stop shopping at stores that make money off selling alcohol.  They also are taking advantage of the weakness of others by displaying it.

 

You can do what you want.  My comment only presented what "I believe."  I personally come from a family with a long history of alcoholism and have seen how it destroys people.  I have no desire to enrich the pockets of anyone who has makes money off of that misery.  Those are my personal feelings, you can do what you'd like.

Edited August 14, 2015 by ksfisher

[Rain]

If a person doesn't know the food was cooked with alcohol they can't be guilty of breaking the spirit of the WOW, although it would be more polite to let your guests know.

We eat at restaurants that quite often cook some meals with alcohol without knowing it. While on my mission in Austria my companion and I went to visit a home where he had lived before to visit his old hausfrau. She served us tea and cookies during our visit. Since missionaries had lived there before we assumed she knew we didn't drink black tea. We told her the tea she gave us tasted good and asked what kind it was. She told us it was black tea. We stopped drinking it and told her it was against our doctrines to drink it. She apologized for serving it but we assured her that since we didn't know it was black tea that we did not commit any sin.

People also served us chocolate candies with liquid centers that I am pretty sure was beer or something containing alcohol.

I agree. I just find it rude and very disrespectful if someone serves it knowing the other person wouldn't consume if known. Edited August 14, 2015 by Rain

[Rain]

Thank you, kenngo. Most LDS don't keep the WoW completely, in any case, and to focus on the few don'ts seems silly to me. I don't use alcohol in my cooking but I am an herbalist, and have occasion to buy vodka or Everclear to make herbal tinctures. I don't consider this a violation of the Word of Wisdom when I use these herbal tinctures. Some of these posts have put me in mind of a couple of things: one was a former Relief Society president in the first Alcoholics Anonymous group I attended. She used vanilla as her drink of choice because she could buy it without raising any eyebrows or having to go to the liquor store in Utah.

The second thing was the song an uncle of mine regularly included in our family reunion talent show--"Away, away with rum, by gum..." each verse describing the dangers of:

We never eat cookies because they have yeast; one little bite turns a man to a beast, And can you imagine a greater disgrace, than a man in the gutter with crumbs on his face.

We never eat fruitcake because it has rum; one little slice puts a man on the bum. And can you imagine a sorrier sight than a man eating fruitcake until he gets tight?

Let's not forget that bishops, apostles, and even Joseph Smith himself enjoyed beer and wine on occasion; even whisky from time to time!

You, or someone else has a longer version of this upthread. Not trying to be critical. I'm just finding it funny how many things are being repeated. This thread is 4 years old afterall.

President McKay and his rum balls/cake has been shared 3 times.

Perhaps the subject matter has something to do with it. Lol

Edited August 14, 2015 by Rain

[Stone holm]

Yes, I have this wonderful recipe for cooking a turkey with red wine, rum, white wine, a little beer...then you throw away the turkey and drink the broth.

[Kenngo1969]

You know, if we're receptive to, and follow, the Spirit, there are apt to be multitudinous interpretations of the Word of Wisdom, each (and all) of which may well be "correct."  As just one of an infinite number of possible examples, it may not be forbidden by the Word of Wisdom, but if you're allergic to it (or would otherwise react adversely to ingesting it), I would say that's part of Your Personal Word of Wisdom.  Eli Herring made a personal decision about what it meant, for him, to keep the Sabbath.  He did not use that interpretation as a brickbat with which to beat Steve Young or anyone else who made a different decision.

[thesometimesaint]

I don't know how that works, but thanks. I figure if you light something on fire, the fire will die when the fuel is gone. I appreciate it.

 

There is plenty of alcohol left over in the flambe process. It takes about 15 times more air than fuel for combustion. Much more/much less and it can't burn. Even those wonderful yeast breads we all love have very small amounts of alcohol in them even after baking. It is so small an amount that unless you're allergic to alcohol it won't cause you any problems. So enjoy.

[ERayR]

I have a problem with those who read more into the 89th section of the D&C and then expect everybody (member or not) to live by their readings.

[VideoGameJunkie]

I feel I break the word of wisdom every time I have to take pain medication for my herniated disk pushing on a nerve in my neck and my right shoulder.

[Calm]

You do not.

Ask your bishop.

[mfbukowski]

I cook with alcohol all the time.   I have a little backpacking stove that burns alcohol and works very well. 

[mfbukowski]

I feel I break the word of wisdom every time I have to take pain medication for my herniated disk pushing on a nerve in my neck and my right shoulder.

You most certainly do not.

 

The Lord wants you to fill the measure of your creation and you cannot if you are in disabling pain.

[Calm]

I feel I break the word of wisdom every time I have to take pain medication for my herniated disk pushing on a nerve in my neck and my right shoulder.

If you are, I am and I know I'm not. In fact, I am going to go take some right now without one drop of guilt.

[Rain]

On the rare occasion prescription drugs are mentioned our leaders usually say something like, "misuse of prescription drugs". If you are not misusing medications then you are not breaking covenants by taking them.

[BookofMormonLuvr]

Three conclusions I have reached:

1) "Strong drink" is distilled spirits, not fermented drinks.

2) "Hot drink" is referring to the temperature of the liquid, not the liquid itself.

3) But to each his own.

 

[Stargazer]

I do know that, on occasion, I've eaten a mystery chocolate or two (or a few) that has had alcohol in it.  In my weakness, I haven't coughed, gagged, spit, washed my mouth out with soap, or gone to the hospital to get my stomach pumped.

My late stepbrother was a party animal and was extremely partial to Jim Beam whiskey. He loved it so much that he named a favorite pickup truck "The Jim Beam Special", made a wooden plaque containing this name, and attached it to the tailgate. I was over at his house one day and there was a big bottle of Jim Beam sitting in his liquor display (he had one like one of those western saloons). While he was off doing something else I decided I would find out what the attraction was. I took a shot of it to the bathroom (so I could spit the stuff out after all, so I wouldn't actually drink it), and put the stuff in my mouth. AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH! It was horrible! It took several sluices from the tap before I got the vile taste out of my mouth. Years later, not having learned my lesson, I tried the same trick with some Everclear my wife had bought to make herbal tinctures. Double AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH! I was not sure what I was expecting, but this stuff didn't have an actual taste so much as it seemed to pull every drop of water out of my mouth tissues and turned them into a burned mess. That's what it felt like, anyway.

 

I suppose I must be a poster child for "Don't try this at home, folks!"

 

Alcohol drinkers are quite simply nuts.

 

[Stargazer]

Three conclusions I have reached:

1) "Strong drink" is distilled spirits, not fermented drinks.

2) "Hot drink" is referring to the temperature of the liquid, not the liquid itself.

3) But to each his own.

 

 

Yeah, I agree with your #1, but not your #2.  But I still don't drink the #1's.

[Stargazer]

I feel I break the word of wisdom every time I have to take pain medication for my herniated disk pushing on a nerve in my neck and my right shoulder.

 

VGJ, with all due respect, that's nuts.  The only thing keeping my wife from constant, grinding, and unendurable pain is morphine and oxycodone.  She is not in violation of the WoW, and neither are you.

[thesometimesaint]

My late stepbrother was a party animal and was extremely partial to Jim Beam whiskey. He loved it so much that he named a favorite pickup truck "The Jim Beam Special", made a wooden plaque containing this name, and attached it to the tailgate. I was over at his house one day and there was a big bottle of Jim Beam sitting in his liquor display (he had one like one of those western saloons). While he was off doing something else I decided I would find out what the attraction was. I took a shot of it to the bathroom (so I could spit the stuff out after all, so I wouldn't actually drink it), and put the stuff in my mouth. AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH! It was horrible! It took several sluices from the tap before I got the vile taste out of my mouth. Years later, not having learned my lesson, I tried the same trick with some Everclear my wife had bought to make herbal tinctures. Double AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH! I was not sure what I was expecting, but this stuff didn't have an actual taste so much as it seemed to pull every drop of water out of my mouth tissues and turned them into a burned mess. That's what it felt like, anyway.

 

I suppose I must be a poster child for "Don't try this at home, folks!"

 

Alcohol drinkers are quite simply nuts.

 

 

Gin Gimlet's and Strawberry Daiquiri's actually taste good. But gave them up to join the Church.

[Gray]

I voted no. I don't see the value of straining at gnats. 

[pogi]

I voted no. I don't see the value of straining at gnats. 

 

If the gnat was in my rum I might strain it...then I would add the rum to my Bananas Foster recipe.