h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey Effers,

The don't have a smiley that shows apple crumble but have this - can't beat a cuppa IMHO

Cheers pp. And how did you know it was my favourite? Strong Assam blend. I'm as fussy about my tea, as my apple crumble.

I'm a bit of a tea fiend. I have a cupboard in my house dedicated almost entirely to various forms of tea, black, green, red, various blends, fruit/herbal tea but I have to say I keep coming back to a nice cup of Tetleys Nothing better after a night out, before you go to bed..... and if you can get someone else to make it, so much the better!

Yes I'm what's called conservative about tea. Only Indian blends. No herbal stuff for me. I'm also very fussy about making it right. Run cold tap for a few minutes to get fresh water from the mains system. Warm pot, before adding tea leaves. Add freshly boiled water immediately to tea leaves in pot. Cover tea pot to maintain temperature for 'drawing'. After about 4 minutes add tea to cup with milk already in it.

*Never* use reboiled water.
*Never* add milk to tea, always vice versa.

Ok I'm not always so fussy. But I always only add freshly boiled water to the tea bag. And give time for infusion. I always buy top quality tea bags. And I *never* drink herbal teas.

Ah you see, I'm a bit ultra sensitive to caffeine or something so I can't drink tea the hour or two before I go to bed but I have cammomile and lotus flower tea which is nice. The rest of my herbal teas are a bit of a remnant from when I went off the tea for Lent (mostly because I was worrying myself with how much I was drinking but partly to raise money for the Alzheimers Soceity)

I'm a bit pedantic about the tea making as well.... my little brother reckons I was a geisha in a former life cos, if I have the time to faff about, I really go to town, warming the pot, getting the good china out, etc.

I think this country took a big step backwards when we stopped having proper tea (with cucumber sandwiches just so ) and went for cafe lattes in styrofoam cups!

Oh I still love my cucumber sandwiches.

I also love coffee. Strong dark blend, Columbian stuff. I used to always grind the beans fresh and buy them in big bags from some shop in Soho, but Sainsbury's now do a vacuum packed strong ground Italian stuff which tastes as good. I have that now. I don't find any cafes here that make it like, like I like it. The French serve great coffee though. I sometimes like the small espresso stuff. I've got a proper Italian espresso thing you put on the gas hob.

I've never had that problem of buzziness from caffeine. I have it too much naturally anyway I think.

And I've got a thing for fish. Do you like fish? And that includes the best cod and chips, as well as other stuff.

This link is good for what's in season, for everything.

http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/sd_calendar.htm

I'm not snobbish about any of this. It's just I've got a taste for good stuff and you can't undo that once you've got it.