In the spirit

True to my last caution about sources, this snippet came from someone I jotted down as "Rita".

Not that I can't come up with all of this myself, but ... from someone else, if only from a vague formless miasma from the past, it seems so much more authentic.

Herbs and Wine

If you ever have a half a bottle of wine left over from a party, add some herbs to it and keep it in the refrigerator for use in cooking.

Use as a reduction sauce, in marinade, or to flavor stew or Italian style tomato sauce. For best results, use within a few weeks.

Herbs for red wine:

basil, bay, chives, garlic, lovage, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme.

Herbs for white wine:

bay, chervil, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lovage, savory, tarragon, thyme.

Rita's Tonic

Steep a couple handfuls of fresh rosemary sprigs in a bottle of red wine for 4 days; serve as a cordial. Or float 1 or 2 sprigs in a glass of wine for 1 hour. Rosemary’s healthful properties include taming headaches and tummies.