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Food matters

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 09:47
by Sue
Unlike in England I havent done a lot of baking since I have been here and now can never remember which is plain and which is self raising flour. My husband being Northern Irish and having discovered buttermilk in Eds I want to make soda bread which requires plain flour. Can someone please tell me which is which.

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 09:49
by thumbelina
Farine de ble is plain flour. Farine à gâteaux is self raising.

Food matters

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 10:07
by Sue
Thanks Thumbers. Why do these senior blonde moments render you useless. It was something I knew but which wouldn't come to mind!

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 10:12
by thumbelina
Happens to the best ofus!

Hey, I've had blonde moments all my life! :roll: Now adding senior moments to those blonde moments it's a miracle that disasters don't happen every day !! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Soda Bread

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 10:49
by Lanark Lass
We make soda bread 50% farine pain + farine multi-cereal. This works well. Our recipe also calls for cream of tartar but we haven't found this yet in Roussillon so take it out from the U.K.

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 10:58
by thumbelina
I rather fancy I've seen cream of tartar at Intermarche in Ceret LL.

Cream of Tartar

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:07
by Lanark Lass
Thanks for that. I'll check out Ceret next time I'm over (only returned to U.K. Tues, alas). Had a look in St Andre Intermarche (my local) whilst over but none there.

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:08
by thumbelina
Np. I'll have a look too next time I'm there.

Re: Soda Bread

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:12
by Roger O
Lanark Lass wrote:Our recipe also calls for cream of tartar but we haven't found this yet in Roussillon so take it out from the U.K.
Strangely enough (don't ask me why!!) but ask for crème de tartre in your local pharmacie!!

True that Intermarché might stock it as they have very good patisserie sections!!
In many of the larger intermarché branches the patisserie is in a separate section - like an annex.
We have two here in Carcassonne like that where you are more likely to find your product!

As it's a byproduct of winemaking, maybe Santiago could start a sideline?

Food matters

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:28
by Sue
I want to make a white only soda bread being the most popular in northern ireland and my recipe calls for bicarb of soda. I have obtained this on ebay along with baking powder for making suet free dumplings for pot au feu. I have not been able to find either of these 2 ingredients out here and rarely go back to England!

White Soda bread

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:39
by Lanark Lass
Sue, just use the farine pain for white soda bread. We found bicarbonate of soda no problem in our local supermarket in France.

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:51
by thumbelina
LL's right, Sue. Bicarb is easily found at the supermarket as is baking powder. Sachets of baking powder aren't where you think they would be! They are normally near the little sachets of vanilla sugar, tubs of mixed peel, bottles of orange water etc.

Food matters

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:54
by Sue
Thanks Thumbers and LL. I will look next time I am shopping in one of the larger supermarkets as I tend to use Lidl and Eds both of whom are good in many areas but while remaining basic in others.

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:54
by Roger O
You can also buy "bicarb" in larger Intermarchés and Leclerc. I'm pretty sure Auchan has it in the "pharmacy" section?
Ask for bicarbonate alimentaire.
I have a cylindrical one in front of me marked bicarbonate alimentaire "Cerébos" pale yellowish with pictures of "nice things" on it.

I bought two exactly like this in Intermarché a few weeks ago.
Image

Suet is more or less unknown in France. You'd have to order it, though I have seen it on the Côte d'Azur in shops where there is a massive concentration of Brits! You could phone http://www.englishshopandtearoom.co.uk/ in Pezenas (Herault).
There is quite a lot of info about it on Peter's forum (Languedoc Page).
In fact, there was a very long thread in there (also with a lot of flak!!) on the subject
http://the-languedoc-page.com/phpBB2/vi ... php?t=2609

Food matters

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:57
by Sue
Thanks Roger that was very helpful. I am so used now to making my suet free dumplings which are very light using baking powder I will stick with those. I am sure they must to some extent be healthier than the suet ones or am I just trying to convince myself!

Re: Food matters

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 11:58
by thumbelina
Sue wrote:Thanks Thumbers and LL. I will look next time I am shopping in one of the larger supermarkets as I tend to use Lidl and Eds both of whom are good in many areas but while remaining basic in others.
I've never seen either of them in Lidl, Sue. Your best bet is one of the other supermarkets. You'll get it at Carrefour in Argeles, for sure!

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 13:37
by thumbelina
Sorry, Sue - forgot to add, you do know that baking powder is called Levure chimique don't you?

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 13:43
by Kathy
I got Baking Powder in Carrefour mind it took me ages to find . As Thumbers said it was in the sugar aisle, goodness knows why.

Food

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 13:47
by Sue
I thought levure was yeast!

Posted: Thu 29 Oct 2009 13:51
by thumbelina
I know! It is! Levure boulangère is bread yeast.

Levure chimique Alsacienne is marked on the back of the packet as poudre a lever.

It took me ages to work it out!
:D