On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 13:09:43 -0500, Adam Fineman
> wrote:

>Richard Periut wrote:
>> Recently I tasted a vodka sauce recipe from a local Italian Ma & Pa
>> place. The place is very good; byob, quick service, and the best Italian
>> food in the area.
>>
>> I ordered a Penne a la Vodka as a side dish, and found it quite good.
>> However, my questions a
>>
>> 1 Vodka is pretty much tasteless, so what does it give the dish?
>> <snip>
>
>As other people have said, tomatoes contain a few compounds that are
>alcohol-soluble. Adding alcohol to a tomato-based sauce will release
>those flavor compounds into the sauce. Vodka is commonly used because,
>while not completely tasteless, has a fairly neutral flavor. Other
>sauces might use white wine. I would avoid red wines as they often are
>too complex to just add to a recipe that is already fairly well
>balanced, especially if the sauce will be reduced further.
>
>You should try it yourself. When I first heard that tomatoes have
>alcohol-soluble flavors, I made a fairly simple tomato sauce and split
>it in half when it was done. I added a shot of vodka to one and let
>them both continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. I could definitely
>taste the difference, and it was not vodka I was tasting. The sauce
>just seemed to have a wider range of flavors.
>
Thanks, Adam. You actually contributed something helpful to the
discussion.




Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

"That idiot Leibniz, who wants to teach me about the infinitesimally small! Has he therefore forgotten that I am the wife of Frederick I? How can he imagine that I am unacquainted with my own husband?"