to feed kids my "special" bolognese?

[SunSoakedStone]

Had friends over last night so made what I thought to be an inoffensive bolognese.

When my friend discovered I used in the recipe she went MAD, saying how harmful it was to DCs.

Ended up giving her DDs cheese on toast, which is fine, she can feed them how she likes. But is she right- is it harmful?

I would ask DS but he has a hangover and won't speak to me (joke! before anyone starts!)

I don't see the problem, surely it's only a splash of wine and some will evaporate during cooking (with a bolognese you should simmer/reduce until most of the liquid is gone anyway). There must be an absolutely tiny amount of alcohol in a child-sized portion of the finished dish...

Well my DH puts a splash of red wine in the bolognese he makes for himself and the children.

The alcohol evaporates and they like the taste.

She was being a little OTT I feel.

And vodka jelly for pudding.

A friend of mine makes s.b. with FOUR stock cubes. Yuck. Red wine in cooking is delicious. Good for children to try new things always. :)

I always put white wine in a risotto and DD has been eating that since she was about 9 months old. She's never seemed pissed or overly emotional afterwards if that helps?

My 8m ds has bolognese. With in it

He lurves it too!

If our dcs weren't allowed anything with wine in it they'd be eating cheese on toast 6 nights out of 7!

Though I take bytheway's point. One of my students is unable to have alcohol. Even a risotto 'with white wine' from M&S (ie tiniest amount) leaves her clutching the toilet bowl for hours.

Should possibly point out (under the circs) that said student is in her 50s

Now trifle. That's another matter

Not all alcohol burns off in cooking. Common misconception.

But does it matter? A splash of wine diluted in a batch of bolognese sauce never did anyone any harm. DD has been eating it since weaning.

Children grow up drinking diluted wine in France.

We are doing them a favour in giving them our "special bolognaise"- We are teaching them to drink responsibly!

I assumed from your title that you made the bolognese with "special stuff" like the League of Gentlemen. Wine sounds much better.

Oh help. I've just made a list of all the things my children eat with alcohol in, I thought it all burns off?

Bolognaise
Gravy
Casseroles
Stir fries
Baked fish
Mince pies
Christmas cake
Christmas pudding - though I did remember not to give them brandy butter
(and any drink that ds2 can stick a straw in when no one is looking)

Right I'm going to need a crap mother t-shirt can any of you ladies help? And possibly looking at the long list of food stuffs I can insert alcohol into the address of the nearest AA

Haven't got time to read the whole thread at the moment [marking place], but I thought you'd like my DS1's comment which must have been when he was about 3 (he's 6 now) which was 'I only like wine in things' .

We have it in lots of things and had brandy in the stroganoff yesterday - adds flavour!

Well, Delia's bolognese has red wine in it, so that's good enough for me. Mind you, since it spends four hours in the oven I think we can assume there's no more than a trace of alcohol left in the finished sauce.

But I really wouldn't expect any bolognese to be "harmful" - certainly not worth going MAD about.

I wouldn't say it is harmful - but it is worrying to me the number of people on here admitting to breaking the law.... which other controlled substances would people be happy to have a friend put in their kids food?

bonkers, it burns off, there's prob more alcohol in a box of very ripe blueberries!

(and I don't even drink but'll put wine in some cooked food and share it with my DC)

I don't believe the 'it doesn't burn off' statistics quoted. When I make bolognese, I add the wine to the original sauce and boil it until it is maybe a third as much. Then it all cooks for ages. Surely, since alcohol is more volatile than water, the alcohol MUST have boiled off. If that much water evaporates, then the alcohol should have.

I did serve the wrong Christmas pudding to DD once. Oops.

at breatheslowly

I know it's illegal to supply alcohol to under 5s, but in cooking as well? Really?

No there's no medical issues with alcohol metabolism in sure of that!

Personally I think alcohol tastes revolting, and I can always taste it when it's been added to food - bleugh! Out of politeness, I wouldn't stop my children eating it if you served it to them, but I'd be surprised if they actually ate any of it anyway. I would probably feign fullness after a few mouthfuls myself...

alcohol evaporates at 78 degrees C. So if you've brought your bolognaise to the boil then it's gone!i

ariadne1 Water boils at 100 degrees, yet if you boil a pan of water, you don't expect it to all disappear and become an empty pan do you?

All alcohol will not be removed. However whats left will not be an issue to anyone.

if you boil a pan of water for long enough, of course it will disappear eventually, leaving you with an empty and burnt pan!

Yes sassymcnassy which is why simply "boiling" the bolognaise won't remove all the alcohol, you need to boil it for a very long time, longer than you would likely boil a bolognaise.

Doesn't it burn off then? I always though it did. You learn something every day...

I must be a very bad mother!

My Bolognese always contains wine, as does my sausage casserole.

I am currently into making stew twice a week which contains 500ml of either wine , cider or ale depending on what meat I'm using. I don't put any other liquid in other than the alcohol.

The kids love it!