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

Hi, Paul,
I have just seen your question about chocolate, I think I gave my reply when I talked about children's food-- Ferrero Rochas. I also said about it in other numerous occasions.
For me the main ingredient is quality cocoa powder, also honey + you need cocoa butter, but I use hazelnut or almond butter instead or cream of coconut. I flavour it with vanila , orange or mint oils etc.
I eat it every day three times a day-- and I am still size 10, I think.
Have a Merry Chrismas!
I have to freeze some of my rye bread, which I baked a couple of hours ago.
virtual from Olga and real

Dear Olga,

I can't tell you how pleased I was to get your message. Not just for the info it contains, and thank you for that, but for the fact that we can communicate. It's lunch time now, but when I get some time later on I'll explore how you did it. I'd consigned myself to thinking we couldn't talk for two days or more.
Merry Christmas to you and yours, hope you have a lovely day, and I'm sure I'll be back in touch later on.
I'm looking forward to making my own under your guidance.
Love, Paul

I meant to say I've just made the best sourdough loaf ever - with 200g rye flour. I intend to increase the rye gradually.

HI, Paul,
That was so great-- your SD RYE bread!
I don't have a lot of people to talk about bread, to discuss subtleties of it, the fact that it is always different, but always GOOD. Even my "failers" are better than their commercial success ( I mean the breads sold in supermarkets like speciality bread).
I also would like to teach the people here how to bake bread and of course to learn more, so I would like to ask your advice. Is it possible to talk on the phone one day? Or maybe we can exchange our e-mail adresses.
In a lot of ways I feel very isolated here, in Congleton. I am sure there are people passionate about food and environment, but I think I am a bit of a food exteremist in that respect. And it is difficult for people to relate FOOD they eat with their well being.
I read about people like me in J. Blythman's book Bad Food Britain . I really recommend this book. While reading it-- I feel that I am not alone.
Chocolate is another passion of mine-- it is just the super fast food-- a real gift of Gods. I am sure you agree with me.
I hope you had good healthy Christmas, everybody enjoyed the food and each other's company.
I will talk to you tomorrow.
Have a Good Night,
from Olga

Hi, again.
I have just remembered, there was a Food Programme on BBC 4 on Sunday, they talked about salt (?)SD bread made with the help of potatoes and maise flour, I think. The idea was that first settlers didnot have yeast, so they only used to bake SD breads. I don't think i have facilities on my PC to listen to the programme but you might.
from Olga

Hi Olga!
My New Year's getting heathier all the time.
My daughter suffers from bloating (she's only just informed me) when she eats white, sliced bread. She had some of my sourdough today with no ill effects, so I'm going to send her home (to Basingstoke, we're in Taunton) with a sourdough starter. My recent expertise with sourdough is all down to these boards, and you've played a major part in encouraging me.
Of course we can talk on the phone. I'm always happy to talk about bread. It might be better if I was to ring you first - my wife isn't so keen on the Food boards as I am.
So email me on [email protected] and we can swap numbers then.
Thanks for the info about the Food Programme - I'll listen tomorrow.
Cheers, Paul

Just joining in to wish you both a very merry Christmas.

ATB
Ian (whose wife makes him wonderful bread - but who makes his own bacon and sausages to go in sandwiches made from it.)

How do you do this, Ian?
I searched in h2g2 for IaninFrance earlier and got nowhere. Myself and Olga have a conversation - and there you are!
What's going on?
(By the way, I'm OK for the next ten minutes - I've just visited my Drambuie bottle!)
Cheers, Paul

Hi, Paul,
Thank you for your e-mail and your kind words-- I am bit surprised, that I played some role in converting you to use natural fermentation where it is possible.
In summer we will try to do kvass-- a fermented drink based on rye bread.
I could not find IaninFrance at the moment-- I have just checked WHO IS ON LINE-- you are, Paul, but Ian is somewhere cooking or having lunch.
I send him ver best wishes too!
I was impressed by Ian's B&b-- such a beautiful way of living!
He is embodiment of Slow Food Movement IMO.
If I ever have a chance, I will come to France to spend some time at his holistic retreat. I wonder, if there are some jobs there in the field etc.
I am going to have my breakfast or shall I call it brunch, now.
Rye bread, maybe porrige and chocolate spread, made with cocoa powder, cream of coconut and banana, vanila, agave syrop, maca etc. All mixed together-- and spread on bread.
I will be on line now, so we will see if Ian joins us.
I have a question for him.
I have mirin, but I only used it in chocolate, as it is sweet.
What is a simple way to enhance the flavour of a dish by using mirin?
Talk to all of you later.
moreand bread from Olga

Hi, Ian,
I hope you will join us later, when you get to your PC.
I talked to Paul, but there was a question to you.
It is not urgent.
What a wonderful partnership-- you and your OH -- making proper food together and sharing it with those you love!
from Olga

Hi Olga,

What I meant was that all the discussions we've had - you, Nzfoodie, Mamta and others - about sourdough over the past few weeks encouraged me to give it another go.
I've tried several times in the past and it's all come to nothing - mainly because of my lack of organisation. Now I've got into a routine, I've finally cracked it.

BTW, I still don't know how you leave a message in someone's h2g2 page.
Ian told me: "If you leave a message on any member's personal space, it will show up on their "Your messages" page. " But I've looked on his page and I cannot find anywhere to leave a message. It's very puzzling.

Any help in this regard would be much appreciated.

Cheers, Paul

Hi, Paul,
I don't know if I can help. I have just created Me page.
You can enter this page and leave a message for me.
That is what I did when I sent you a message.
I think LEAVE A MESSAGE title appears on a right hand side.
I will try to leave a message for Ian, I think he has his ME entry.
from Olga

Hi,
Paul!
I have just sent a message to Ian, by clicking on his BLUE username. It took me to his space, where I went to post a message ( on a right hand side), and that is what I did.
Have you made any chocolate?
from me.

Hi Olga!

Had some visitors for the past few hours, so I've been unable to respond.
I cannot find a button marked "Leave a message" anywhere. What I have done is to click on 'Discuss this entry' and I think that may well work. We'll have to see.

Not had time to think about making chocolate yet. When we heard the visitors were on their way, they requested a banana and chocolate loaf - their favourite - so I made one of those this evening.

Speak to you tomorrow on the boards.

BTW I'm still waiting for your email.

Cheers, Paul

Sorry for the long delay in answering. I've been having a "family" day today.

I'm afraid I'm not very skilled at using the h2g2 pages. What I do if I want to leave someone a message is to find their h2g2 page as follows. I copy their bbc user ID from one of their posts. Then I go to my own h2g2 page, and copy THEIR user ID over mine. That takes me to their page.

I've just discovered that I can only leave a message if the user has ever created a h2g2 message. I thought anyone could start the ball rolling, so to speak.

Another good way of seeing what people are up to, is to click on their name on any post they make. This takes you to their message list, and if they've ever written on a h2g2 page, or another board (as for your post on The Bull) you can see it. But I'm sure you know all this.

ATB
Ian

Jumping in again

On anyone's h2g2 page, you arrive at a window with their introduction. In yout case it starts "I chose my nickname.....". Well just above that, there's a banner with Conversations Messages, Journal, Friends Guide entries on it. Clicking on "messages" takes you to their message section. Try it on mine http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/U2186673

You'll see that under the messages section it says "Leave a message" and if you click on it, you can. If, on the other hand you go to - say Rosti's page, http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/U6956683 sand follow her messages link, you'll see that because she hasn't ever left a message, it says
"Sorry, but this user must write something about themself before you can leave them a message.

Please check back at a later time."

Hope that clarifies things a bit for you.

ATB
Ian

Hi,Paul,
Hope you had good time with your daughter.
I didn't have much time recently, had to finish some work.
Did you learn how to leave a message on h2g2 page?
Only one day left in 2006! It seems like only yesterday we celebrated 2000!
time passes so quickly, don't you think?
Love,
from Olga

Hi Olga!
We had a lovely time, thanks. It was so nice to see her happy after becoming engaged - and it took our minds off our grandchildren being so far away this year.
Only six months before they come back to the UK.
I was just nipping on here to check something and was quite surprised to see your message. I still haven't got used to the fact that we can post after midnight!
I'll give you a ring tomorrow, and we can have a chat about things that interest us both.
Goodnight and to you!
Cheers, Paul

Hi Olga!

Happy New Year to you and yours, and happy rye sourdough breadmaking and chocolate making.

I'll give you a ring tomorrow evening.

Here's some homemade for you!

Cheers, Paul

BTW my salt raising dough is going well. Tell you about it tomorrow.

Good night!

Hi, Paul,
Thank you for letting me know about Salt-rising bread, I will join the thread ASSp, and will start my SRB. I have corn meal flour, which I buy at Unicorn. It is available in some good health food stores.
I think we all-- breadbakers-- need to meet one day somewhere to share our experiences! what do you think?
and virtual from FBB