Bonjour from Brittany

[Wandering Bob]

Hello fellow Biters,

I'm a retired Brit living in the depths of the Brittany countryside. I've been making bread since the 1980s and now that I have more time on my hands, I'm making simple cakes too, along with plenty of other food. I enjoy merging my experiences of eating & cooking European cuisines in different countries (notably Italy & Slovenia) with more local traditional Breton fare, as well as getting inspiration/suggestions from some of my 'foody' neighbours.

I look forward to finding some new ideas in this forum as well as having the chance to share with you some of my own successes/experiments.

I'm a very keen solo cyclist too. I don't know if this the right place to write about 'biking & baking' but I'll have a go (unless I'm told not to). I did write a few threads on Cycle Chat but the interest level there was pretty low.

 

[Morning Glory]

Hello @Wandering Bob. Welcome to our friendly forum . Bread making is something that interests quite a few of us here (myself included). I've been meaning to make a sourdough culture now for several years and still haven't done so - but I do bake bread most weeks. Have you ever made sourdough?

We are much lower volume than CycleChat but consequently we mostly all get to know each other, which is great! You can be assured that you will get replies to any thread you start here. We usually have a few challenges running but at at the moment we only have one (which happens to have bread as a theme) -
The CookingBites Recipe Challenge: Bread. The deadline is tomorrow though! However, I'm about to launch a new Prize Challenge - so watch this space...

You can tell us what you cooked or ate today on the regular thread What did you cook or eat today (July 2018)? (we love photos). or feel free to join in wherever you like. Above all, have fun here.

 

[Wandering Bob]

I do bake bread most weeks. Have you ever made sourdough?

I make bread every 2 or 3 days but (so far) haven't felt the need to make sourdough. I make a range of different breads that mean I have sufficient variety without feeling the need to push the limits even further. The only thing I struggle to source is good wholemeal flour - I've tried all sorts of complets and entiers but they're just not the same. I'm reliant on someone bringing me a bag of Dove Farm (or whatever) when they ferry over.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

I'm a very keen solo cyclist too. I don't know if this the right place to write about 'biking & baking' but I'll have a go (unless I'm told not to). I did write a few threads on Cycle Chat but the interest level there was pretty low.

I'd suggest posting to the Cafe:

https://www.cookingbites.com/forums/the-cookingbites-cafe.31/

There is a general chat thread, but focused talk like you want would certainly get lost. I do still suggest having a look at the General Chat thread, however, since it can be pretty amusing.

I can what @morning glory said about this being a friendly forum. You'll find a very supportive group here, as well as very talented cooks who are happy to share ideas. I've found that this makes me want to up my game, so to speak, so I can be worthy of all the quality recipes I've seen from others.

 

[CraigC]

Welcome! We love recipes! I've been to parts of France many times last decade for work. My only regret was Andouillette.

 

[Wandering Bob]

My only regret was Andouillette

Thanks for the welcome @CraigC

I can relate to the andouillette comment …. I guess it appeals to the more traditionally-minded French person. One shouldn't generalize but I have found the French to be largely unwilling to embrace new ideas, such as a healthier way of eating. Petit à petit ...

 

[CraigC]

I called that one my "French Misconnection". But I fell in love with the Papillon Black Label Roquefort! I brought back 2 kilos on my last trip and I've found a source here.

 

[epicuric]

@Wandering Bob. It will be great to have a representative for French cuisine on board!

 

[Wandering Bob]

a representative for French cuisine on board!

Thank you @epicuric but I would never claim to be that. What I'll try and bring to the party is anything new (and obviously French) that I'm introduced to locally - plus my own slightly eccentric internationally-influenced mixtures of flavours/ways of working. If it works, I'll share it...