In kitchens throughout the world, chefs use various alcohols to enhance or alter the flavor of a dish, most without giving it a second thought.

But what happens when a person abstains from alcohol for health, religious or other reasons? Can a pregnant woman consume a dish made with wine? Could children become intoxicated? Will the alcohol “cook out” of a recipe?

To answer these questions, the Daily Herald consulted a dietitian, a medical educational specialist, the United States Department of Agriculture and four Utah chefs. So take the true-or-false quiz below, and see how much you know about cooking with wine.

True or false? All the alcohol used in cooking “cooks” out of the meal.

• Answer: False

Alcohol has a lower boiling point than other liquids (approximately 170 degrees). This has led many to think that alcohol will “cook out,” or completely disappear from a dish. But even when water reaches its boiling point, it doesn’t mean that all the water is gone. So what happens when you add wine to a recipe?

The Agricultural Research Services of the United States Department of Agriculture created a commonly referenced source in 1989 that reports the alcohol remaining after food preparation. (See graphic.) Food consumed immediately without cooking will have 100 percent of the alcohol used in the recipe. Food that is flamed will have 75 percent of the alcohol left; while only 25 percent of the alcohol remains in a dish that has been baked or simmered for an hour.

Matt Caputo, owner of Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli in Salt Lake City, said it’s nearly impossible to get every trace of alcohol out of a dish when it’s used as an ingredient. “However, there is no intoxication risk when adding such a small dosage to a recipe,” he said. “Usually, recipes call for a very small amount, and because of this the alcohol won’t ever have an adverse effect.The reason things are labeled non-alcoholic is because there is no risk” of intoxication.

Colton Soelberg, co-owner of Pizzeria 712 in Orem, agrees and adds, “The truth is, if people really felt concerned about [cooking with alcohol], they wouldn’t use vanilla extract either, which sometimes has up to 25 percent alcohol in it.”

So although some alcohol may remain in a recipe, there is typically no risk of intoxication when the measurements are followed exactly.

So what food usually has wine in the list of ingredients? Nora Nyland, Brigham Young University Dietetics Program director, says, “Generally, wine is an ingredient in sauces, and the name of the wine will often be listed, i.e., chicken marsala, chicken madeira, beef burgundy, or it might say ‘in a light wine sauce’or ‘finished with a port reduction.’Sherry is often used in seafood bisque [soup]. Flambé desserts such as bananas foster or cherries jubilee have alcohol that is set aflame. Knowing the names of wines helps identify them on a menu.”

True or false? Alcohol releases flavors that would otherwise not be released.

• Answer: True

Cooking with wine adds a flavor to the dish that cannot be replicated. David Bench, manager of the Lion House Pantry in Salt Lake City, says, “Although we don’t use wine in our cooking, we do recognize that adding wine to a dish adds flavor and brings in a flavor that is unique to its substance, just like any other combination. For example, when vinegar and sugar mix they create a new flavor as a combination, you don’t just taste the vinegar and sugar individually, a new flavor is created. The same goes for wine.”

While alcohol does play a unique role in forming distinctive flavors, if you do feel strongly about keeping alcohol out of cooking for religious or other reasons, Nora Nyland, BYU Dietetics Program director, suggests going to the Gourmet Sleuth Web site for a list of possible substitutions (www.gourmetsleuth.com). For instance, the Web site recommends combining raspberry extract and brandy extract as a substitute for brandy. The site also recommends white grape juice or chicken broth as a substitute for white wine.

True or false? “Cooking wines” are not the same as other wines.

• Answer: True

First, let’s talk about what cooking wine is. Cooking wine is an inexpensive wine usually used as an ingredient, not as a beverage. However, because cooking wine typically stays on the shelf for a long period of time, salt is added to the wine to slow the oxidation process.

Most chefs agree that cooking wine is a substandard substitute for traditional wine. Matt Caputo, owner of Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli in Salt Lake City, says that cooking wines “tend to add a lot of salt. In fact, they add the salt so that you could never just drink the wine straight. So, in essence, you get what you pay for.”

If you use cooking wine, you’ll need to take this added salt into account, and perhaps adjust the recipe accordingly, so as not to ruin your dish. Mary Crafts, co-owner of the catering business Culinary Crafts in Orem, says, “It’s better to leave [cooking wine] out than use this product.”

True or false? Restaurants usually cook with wine.

• Answer: True

This is true, especially with high-end restaurants. Wine is used in most sauces and can be used in several other dishes as well. Mary Crafts, co-owner of Culinary Crafts in Orem, says, “Most restaurants cook with wine and they are not required to note such items on the menus.”

This is because cooking with wine generally presents no intoxication risk. Colton Soelberg, co-owner of Pizzeria 712 in Orem, adds, “I can only speak from my experience, but every restaurant I have worked at uses wine or some other type of alcohol. We don’t typically note whether or not alcohol is in a dish unless it is playing a leading role in a sauce.”

Nora Nyland, BYU Dietetics Program director says, “Though I choose not to cook with alcohol at home, when I eat at a restaurant I really don’t worry about anything containing alcohol that is cooked or flambéed. The amount used is generally small. … I do avoid ‘uncooked’ alcohol dishes that might be used in some desserts or appetizers.”

If you are not sure how a dish is prepared, feel free to ask before you order.

True or false? Eating cooked dishes containing wine while pregnant has adverse effects on the baby.

• Answer: False

The first thing to do is take a look at why pregnant women are asked to not consume alcohol during pregnancy. The Texas-based American Pregnancy Association Web site says, “Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the chance that a baby will be born affected by a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are the full spectrum of birth defects that are caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.”

However, you’ll notice that most of the warnings say not to “drink” alcohol. Marsha Leen-Marshall, teratology educator with Pregnancy Risk Line, Utah Department of Health, said, “With pregnancy, the concern with alcohol is possible FASD, which comes as a result of the amount of alcohol the baby is exposed to during pregnancy. The small amount of alcohol left in cooked foods or alcohol used in some desserts has never increased the risk for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders or caused Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.”