Islam and Chicken Marsala

[~Jackie~ 30]

UmmSq~~ I like your 'urine' analogy.

my ex wouldn't eat pizza that had been cooked an oven NEXT to a pizza with pork, cuz the pork juices are left in the oven.

jJ

[Tunisia216 2]

Just a quick google but :

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qi...28144355AAsHJsh

Many of those suggest that the wines can easily be substituted for various juices (cranberry, grapejuice, etc) and have the same taste. Maybe your Mom could make 2 of the dish one with the alcohol and one with the juices for your wife?

Question:

What is the closest recipe to Chicken Marsala? (without using alcohol)?

I am on medication which prohibits alcohol (even though most wine burns off when cooking). Does anyone know of a non-alcoholic dish that resembles Chicken Marsala? Thank you

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

My husband is in the same situation that you are, and for the last 20 years I have made a simple substitution for wine in recipes as follows:

Use apple juice in place of white wines.

Use cranberry juice in place of red wines.

You may have to adjust the amount to slightly less than the recipe calls for, since there won't be as much evaporation during cooking.

My husband has also used the same substitutions when working at restaurants that don't allow any wine on the premises because they fear employees getting drunk on the job. He has never had any customer complaints, nor complaints from his employers based on these substitutions.

Source(s):

My husband is an Italian chef.

[sara..... 371]

I think that as u have accepted Islam that you are going to find many foods that you can no longer eat. It is not just her that can not have foods that have wine or anything like that in them, you also need to start checking the ingredients of everything u purchase from the market

It might be helpful to make a list of the foods that are haram for both of you to eat and give a copy to your mom so that when the both of you or even just you go to ur parents house to eat they will take care not to serve any of those items to u or her.

one of the things that we do when we go to my sisters home to eat is we supply the meat that is halal for her to use, she married a catholic man and took his religion.

anyways is just an idea for u when there will be meat involved in the dinner

sara

[Y's_habibitk 2]

Would you ask a guest to eat something they didnt like? Would you cook something you knew that guest couldnt stomache if you knew they were coming to dinner? nah, you wouldnt and I doubt your mom would either.

This isnt a big deal really... your fiance',soon to be wife is forbidden to eat it. It's not just a dislike. Accept that you cant change her mind.

so just dont cook/or ask her to eat dishes with alcohol. Its that easy

Eat it for lunch at work if you are craving it so badly. Ask your mom to make you a batch and then take it to work with ya

[Staashi 371]

You might want to have a heart to heart discussion with yourself regarding what you accepted in conversion to Islam. I have traditionally found that people who convert for love, convert out of convenience and some spur of the moment ideal that because they love somebody it will all just work out in the end. Well that is bullsh!t. It never works out - because commitment to one's faith is greater than love of somebody else - or at least the dedication required to maintain your faith. It should be for your love of Allah/God that you made this decision and not for anyone else.

You might want to step back, reevaluate, and work through an actual discernment process. Professing your Shahada to her parents after no discernment process, to me, seems like a half-azz measure to get her family to accept you. In reality, I don't know if there is a way to apologize and say that you made a mistake and need to rethink what you've done, but you took on a religion, which isn't just about faith, it has practical everyday applications as well that you are not in agreement with. These lifestyle modifications are complex - that is what makes being a muslim in today's society so difficult. You are going against the grain in almost all of society's accepted mores, but because of your devotion to Allah you maintain your composure and your drive to do what Allah requires of you. If you were raised in a muslim family, they are the norm, if you convert, then there comes "the hard part", but it shouldn't be so complicated because it is part of the commitment one makes when they discerned into this faith - but since you didn't discern and just jumped in, well then you're up a creek without a paddle.

All the best to you, you're gonna need it. If you were born and raised Catholic, which I assume if you're Italian you probably were - this is gonna be a heck of a lot more difficult than just not eating fish on Fridays during Lent.

Edited June 18, 2009 by Staashi

[catknit 144]

Just to re-iterate what everyone else has said - it's between her and God. If she doesn't feel it's appropriate to eat, do NOT force it.

Also, even the USDA has conducted tests - alcohol does NOT burn off completely.

Not to throw fuel onto the fire BUT there is also the concept of intent. If, after sharing some cookies at the movies [for example], you read the label and find there WAS vanilla extract in them - well, was the intent of eating the cookies to become intoxicated??? Nope, it wasn't. To me that's always been a gray area - what should you do in that case? There is no physical way to consume enough alcohol from baked cookies to EVER become intoxicated without first literally choking to death on the cookies....

And, given many Americans lifestyles encompassing processed food, to COMPLETELY avoid any questionable additives, you'll need to cook just about everything from scratch.

Also, as noted, there are "ok" foods that contain minute traces of alcohol. Fruit and fruit juices naturally contain very small amounts. Just how it is. And they are OK - it's how God made them .

And I believe - and maybe some of our Indonesian Muslims can shed some light on the - soy sauce [though fermented and containing some alcohol] has been deemed by some as ok [it's part of the natural process of preserving foods or something similar? at least that was the logic I read once in a food industry journal - it wasn't completely accepted by the masses though]. Once upon a time I worked in a regulatory department in food processing and dealt with the Koshering Unions and some halal consultancy firms [which are few and far between in the US]. Questions do come up whether or not a single part per billion can change the religious status of items...

[morocco4ever 63]

Hey guys,

So, I have an interesting and possibly stupid question. I was talking with my fiancee the other day (were getting a K1), and I was telling her about this delicious Italian recipe that my family likes to make called "Chicken Marsala". I'm sure at least some of you have heard of this. It's chicken, made with a sauce that's made from primarily cream and Marsala wine with mushrooms. Now, when I told her this, she said it sounds delicious but said she will not eat it because it contains wine (she doesn't drink alcohol obviously because it's against the religion).

Now, I explained to her that the alcohol evaporates when cooking the sauce, so there is no alcohol and it will be fine. She wouldn't have it. She refused and said she doesn't believe it's right. What bothers me is my mom makes it all the time, so when we eat dinner together, what will she not eat? I would never make her drink alcohol, but this is different. It's such a good recipe and a lot of other recipes are made with alcoholic beverages for flavoring, like pasta with vodka sauce, hot sauce with bourbon, jack daniels bbq sauce, along with the marsala sauce. This bothers me cause she's gonna be missing out on so much good food that's a big part of our culture even though there's no alcohol in the food after it's cooked!! This seems like it could be considered such an insignificant issue but it's bothering the heck out of me. Do other American-Muslims think this way about this as well?

With all due respect, you said you converted to Islam in front of her family. That means that, not only did you make a promise to her parents to be a man they can trust, you also took an oath to follow Allah and the tenets of the faith. I also remember that you said she wasn't very observant, but she may surprise you. Observant Muslims avoid alcohol. Your fiancee wants to follow the faith as it has been prescribed. Your early acts toward her should not be to try to convince her to do things that violate her beliefs. You should use her as your example as you learn more about living as a Muslim, if that is what you intended when you converted. If you're not thinking to do that, you may make a big mistake by marrying her, then trying to change her.

Western cultures are full of pitfalls for practicing Muslims. I was born Muslim and have lived in the west on and off thoroughout my life. For nearly 30 years, I was married to a Christian man, which required much accomodation to each other's beliefs. While individual Muslims may have varying comfort levels when it comes to haram foods, we have been told to avoid wine and spirits and pork specifically. Apparently, this command is important to her, and she has made that clear to you.

One major duty that you have to each other, no matter what faith you practice, is to respect and facilitate the spiritual well-being of your spouse. That means, as the husband of a Muslim woman, and a new convert to Islam, you have an obligation to grow in the faith. Growth must include a willingness to allow yourself to accept the fact that, if you are sincere in your conversion, your life will change, God willing, for the better. You should also help your dear mother to understand the dietary requirements a Muslim is to follow, and why we follow them so that she can choose to be significant part of your growth as a Muslim.

I understand that you have lived your life one way until now, and that you view your fiancee as Muslim-lite. Yet, but marriage is a major life change that, to be successful and to thrive, needs compromise and patience from both partners. Your wife needs to be patient with your responses to the limitations of behavior her Muslim practice requires. You need to be able to compromise with the boundaries she will have as she tries to resist temptations that would move her away from her faith.

You may want to consider taking your time so that you can adequately assess each other's expectations and boundaries before you marry. It sounds as if there is much you have still much to discover about each other.

None of my words were meant to offend. I am merely trying to address the issue in the best way I can. I hope this helps.

If you respect your fiance then you respect what is important to her, even if it doesn't make sense to you.

[Henna Rose 0]

Hey guys,

So, I have an interesting and possibly stupid question. I was talking with my fiancee the other day (were getting a K1), and I was telling her about this delicious Italian recipe that my family likes to make called "Chicken Marsala". I'm sure at least some of you have heard of this. It's chicken, made with a sauce that's made from primarily cream and Marsala wine with mushrooms. Now, when I told her this, she said it sounds delicious but said she will not eat it because it contains wine (she doesn't drink alcohol obviously because it's against the religion).

Now, I explained to her that the alcohol evaporates when cooking the sauce, so there is no alcohol and it will be fine. She wouldn't have it. She refused and said she doesn't believe it's right. What bothers me is my mom makes it all the time, so when we eat dinner together, what will she not eat? I would never make her drink alcohol, but this is different. It's such a good recipe and a lot of other recipes are made with alcoholic beverages for flavoring, like pasta with vodka sauce, hot sauce with bourbon, jack daniels bbq sauce, along with the marsala sauce. This bothers me cause she's gonna be missing out on so much good food that's a big part of our culture even though there's no alcohol in the food after it's cooked!! This seems like it could be considered such an insignificant issue but it's bothering the heck out of me. Do other American-Muslims think this way about this as well?

Western cultures are full of pitfalls for practicing Muslims. I was born Muslim and have lived in the west on and off thoroughout my life. For nearly 30 years, I was married to a Christian man, which required much accomodation to each other's beliefs. While individual Muslims may have varying comfort levels when it comes to haram foods, we have been told to avoid wine and spirits and pork specifically. Apparently, this command is important to her, and she has made that clear to you.

Just curious, It was my understanding that Muslim women are only permitted marriage to Muslim men according to Islamic law. Whereas Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian or Jewish women as they are women of the book. Thanks for clarification I love Chicken Marsala, BTW

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Hey guys,

So, I have an interesting and possibly stupid question. I was talking with my fiancee the other day (were getting a K1), and I was telling her about this delicious Italian recipe that my family likes to make called "Chicken Marsala". I'm sure at least some of you have heard of this. It's chicken, made with a sauce that's made from primarily cream and Marsala wine with mushrooms. Now, when I told her this, she said it sounds delicious but said she will not eat it because it contains wine (she doesn't drink alcohol obviously because it's against the religion).

Now, I explained to her that the alcohol evaporates when cooking the sauce, so there is no alcohol and it will be fine. She wouldn't have it. She refused and said she doesn't believe it's right. What bothers me is my mom makes it all the time, so when we eat dinner together, what will she not eat? I would never make her drink alcohol, but this is different. It's such a good recipe and a lot of other recipes are made with alcoholic beverages for flavoring, like pasta with vodka sauce, hot sauce with bourbon, jack daniels bbq sauce, along with the marsala sauce. This bothers me cause she's gonna be missing out on so much good food that's a big part of our culture even though there's no alcohol in the food after it's cooked!! This seems like it could be considered such an insignificant issue but it's bothering the heck out of me. Do other American-Muslims think this way about this as well?

Western cultures are full of pitfalls for practicing Muslims. I was born Muslim and have lived in the west on and off thoroughout my life. For nearly 30 years, I was married to a Christian man, which required much accomodation to each other's beliefs. While individual Muslims may have varying comfort levels when it comes to haram foods, we have been told to avoid wine and spirits and pork specifically. Apparently, this command is important to her, and she has made that clear to you.

Just curious, It was my understanding that Muslim women are only permitted marriage to Muslim men according to Islamic law. Whereas Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian or Jewish women as they are women of the book. Thanks for clarification I love Chicken Marsala, BTW

this has been a topic that has been discussed and debated over and over again. Everyone claims they have the right answer to it. I like VWs intake on it and my own opinion is that it is allowed. And my other opinion is that its a personal relationship between a person and their Creator and each person will answer for their own life, so its not for everyone else to say any woman is wrong for who she married.

[AlHayatZween 2]

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Use apple juice in place of white wines.

Use cranberry juice in place of red wines.

Thanks!

i have been experimenting w/ different recipes!

No...no... cooking w/ wine or wine vinegars in our house...

But there's definitely ways to adapt recipes. Chicken marsala is one... turkey tetrazzini... give it a shot...

[Jenn! 918]

But there's definitely ways to adapt recipes. Chicken marsala is one... turkey tetrazzini... give it a shot...

Chicken marsala without the marsala just won't be the same. It would be like a curry with no masala!

If the OP is a foodie, I do feel for him. Wine is used in so many of the best dishes and it's difficult to replicate the flavor with substitutes.

No comment on the religious ramifications, just saying from the perspective of someone who loves to eat!

[Staashi 371]

But there's definitely ways to adapt recipes. Chicken marsala is one... turkey tetrazzini... give it a shot...

Chicken marsala without the marsala just won't be the same. It would be like a curry with no masala!

If the OP is a foodie, I do feel for him. Wine is used in so many of the best dishes and it's difficult to replicate the flavor with substitutes.

No comment on the religious ramifications, just saying from the perspective of someone who loves to eat!

Amen! And especially if you're into Italian food...OMG, I use wine in everything! Thank God I'm Catholic! But you know it's all good...'cause Jesus loved wine, too.

[chrisc85 0]

Wouldnt white/red grape juice be better substitutes instead of apple/cranberry since wine is made from grapes? j/w. has anyone tried this?

thanks everyone by the way. my fiancee is very accepting, she has told me that shell never make me do anything that i dont believe in or am not comfortable with, having to do with religion or not, so i will do the same for her, be sure of that. i just never expected it to go so far as not accepting cooking food with it. it was surprising.

when i was in morocco, i drank alcohol with a lot of my muslim friends who lived there (though they were all guys), so i never expected the food thing to be considered so taboo for her as well. but i guess it varies from person to person. its all good

But there's definitely ways to adapt recipes. Chicken marsala is one... turkey tetrazzini... give it a shot...

Chicken marsala without the marsala just won't be the same. It would be like a curry with no masala!

If the OP is a foodie, I do feel for him. Wine is used in so many of the best dishes and it's difficult to replicate the flavor with substitutes.

No comment on the religious ramifications, just saying from the perspective of someone who loves to eat!

yeh i am a die-hard foodie haha

[Jenn! 918]

Wouldnt white/red grape juice be better substitutes instead of apple/cranberry since wine is made from grapes? j/w. has anyone tried this?

The best substitute would depend on what you're making, so you're probably in for some experimenting.

For example, if I were making a risotto and I could not use white wine, no way would I put apple juice or white grape juice in there! You're better off just using more chicken stock.

[amysaid 9]

Just curious, It was my understanding that Muslim women are only permitted marriage to Muslim men according to Islamic law. Whereas Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian or Jewish women as they are women of the book. Thanks for clarification I love Chicken Marsala, BTW

I guess that would be why he apparently converted in front of her family? Anyway, yes, that is my understanding also.