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!)

alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat 85% retained

alcohol flamed 75% retained

no heat, stored overnight 70% retained

baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture 45%

baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:

15 minutes - 40%
30 minutes - 35%
1 hour - 25%
1.5 hours - 20%
2 hours - 10%
2.5 hours - 5%

So, frankly, if a bolognaise/stew has been cooked properly there'll be virtually no alcohol in it.

The friend was very rude. If there were medical reasons why alcohol was extremely dangerous to her DC then surely that would have been the moment to share them - and NOT rudely. Even if she was genuinely convinced that cooked alcohol was harmful there are ways and ways of saying things without going "mad".

I nearly always put wine in spag bol, which is the same mix I'd use for lasagne. I also use it to cook mussels, and occasionally in other recipes like chicken with white wine sauce. Shock horror .... I also use it - raw - in Saint Delia's chocolate truffle torte (amaretto), and in good old fashioned trifles (kirsch). My kids have eaten all of this without any ill effect at all from when they were toddlers.

I'm so glad I clicked on this thread! I'm currently cooking a (delicious!) stew with quite a lot of red wine in it... I usually make DD something else when we have stew as wasn't sure she could have it... now I know she can you've saved me having to cook anything else ;)

Alcohol does NOT disappear with cooking!

www.ochef.com/165.htm

HOWEVER, I would still give wine bolognese to a child. As someone who's studied biology, I can't see any possibilities for harm. It's not like you're serving them a big glass of the stuff!

Oops, someone beat me to the data! Apologies!

In my bolognese I put one large glass of wine, this then makes 6 generous servings. So at most you are talking about 1/6 of a glass of wine, a significant amount of which has burnt off as I pop mine in the oven for three hours.

I also out Guinness in my shin of beef stew, yumminess. Oh and as for tiramisu, in all its non burnt off glory.

InPraiseOfBaccus yep, but loving your apt name here!

Bacchus even....