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Recipes & Food PreparationWhat are some red wine substitutes when cooking? Is the glycemic load lowered when soaking grains?
Question
Hello, I have quite a few questions about cooking since I do most of it in our home: There are many meat recipes in Nourishing Traditions that require red wine, “dry?” red wine, vermouth, etc; what would be good substitutes for those? Also, there are recipes with starches, like brown rice, with long periods of soaking, does this lower the glycemic load at all, or just make it more easy to digest, and should still be eaten sparingly?
Answer
Generally, there are no substitutions for these ingredients when they are used in cooking. You would need to experiment with individual recipes to determine what works well for you. The rate at which alcohol burns off depends upon the length of cooking time and the temperature at which the food is cooked. A great aspect of eating the way you have been instructed in Attaining Optimal Health is the tremendous variety of food available to you!
I am not aware of any definitive studies that prove whether the glycemic load is affected by soaking the grains. However, books such as Gut & Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell McBride reference studies showing that many people tolerate grains better when these are soaked before cooking. Because grains have a higher glycemic load than many other foods, it is always best to eat them sparingly, preferably with high-quality fat and protein.