With the trend toward fat-free cookery, one of the most effective ways of cutting fat while enhancing flavor is to add various liquors to dishes.

For example, cooks successfully can wed Kona microbrewed ale with scampi and linguine. Or baste grilling poultry with a sake-laced barbecue sauce. Or dress fresh greens with a vermouth-spiked potion.

Spirits perk up meats and poultry (bourbon-baste roasting chicken or kielbasa over charcoals), fish (gin goes especially well with salmon), vegetables (scotch or vermouth complements the natural sweetness and earthiness of carrots) and fruits (rum crowns flambeed bananas).

For tipsy island favorites, flavorize and tenderize sliced meats by marinating in a sake, whiskey or wine mixture before wok frying with veggies. Marinate sliced eggplant, peppers and squash in vermouth for four hours, drain and grill for an intoxicating array of pizza toppers. Combine equal amounts of beer and veal stock to souse up lamb stew. Add equal amounts of sake and soy sauce when stir-frying udon or other Asian noodles.

A coup de grace is the ubiquitous pork butt. Fill it with a "drunken stuffing" of wine-soaked bread cubes.

Toast to liquor-laced cookery with spirited recipes, such as Bianelli's Pacific Golden Shrimp, voted third-place entree at the recent Kona International Brewers Festival.

36 large shrimps, shelled (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
6 teaspoons butter
12 ounces Kona Brewing Co. Pacific Golden Ale
6 ounces Maui onion, sliced
6 ounces roasted red bell pepper, sliced
18 ounces Marsala wine
6 cups cooked pasta (about 2/3 pound dry)
Maui onion and roasted red bell pepper slices for garnish

Pesto mixture

5 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 tablespoon fresh garlic
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

To prepare each serving of shrimp: Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a pan. Add 6 shrimps and saute on 1 side. Add 2 ounces ale and saute on the other side until pink.

Remove shrimp. Deglaze pan with 3 ounces Marsala. Add 1 ounce each of onion and bell pepper and saute until limp. Add 1 tablespoon pesto mixture and stir. Spoon shrimp back into pan, toss and cook 1 minute. Serve over pasta and garnish with bell pepper and onion slices.

Repeat until all shrimp and pasta are used. Makes 6 servings.

3- to 4-pound fryer chicken, cut in pieces,
or 3 chicken breasts, halved
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried basil

Sake marinade

1/4 cup sake, such as Momokawa Silver Dry Sake
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

Barbecue sauce

1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 bottle Kona Brewing Co. Fire Rock Pale Ale (12 ounces)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped raisins
1-3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
11/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 healthy dash garlic powder
1 healthy dash onion powder
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups ketchup
1 cup grape jelly
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons Vietnamese chile paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Brush on chicken or pork while barbecuing. Or bake chicken wings in a preheated 425-degree oven for 25 minutes; brush sauce on and cook an additional 10 minutes.

2 tablespoons vermouth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup olive oil