Ray many people use denatured alcohol to get a feel for the color the wood will be if oiled. Some people will use mineral spirits. If you use rubbing alcohol it has more water in it and could raise the grain of the woods. I won't go into the many varieties of basic shellac, dry, liquid, flakes, wax unwaxed,. But again if using for food you may want to consider it for your final finish. Good luck and if there are other questions I can help with I will try.