A centuries-old maxim says never cook with less than a good wine because a bad one will impart its inferior qualities to your food. The flavor and bouquet of supermarket products labeled "cooking wine" are, in one word, inferior. If a cooking wine contains alcohol (not all do), the cook must contend with another negative. The manufacturer must by law make the alcoholic cooking wines undrinkable by infusing them with copious amounts of strong flavoring ingredients, such as salt or MSG. These additives throw recipes based on regular wine out of kilter.

** Asian Recipes **