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Welcome to the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Food Q&A blog

Ramona Andrews Ramona Andrews | 08:41 UK time, Monday, 16 August 2010

Welcome to the sparkling new ´óÏó´«Ã½ Food Q&A blog. I'm your host and I'm looking forward to helping you find answers to your cookery conundrums. We've been running our messageboard for donkey's years now and love the discussion and debate around recipes, cooking methods, curious (and ordinary) ingredients and foodie finds. Now we're keen to get more chefs and presenters from ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV and radio programmes involved in what we do, while keeping up the lively discussion. Hence our brand new blog...

Right, so let's get down to the business of this Q&A and give you an A to the very first Q...

Ok, so what's the big idea?

We want this blog to work closely with the Food messageboard. From breadmaking, to slow cooker ideas, to kitchen gadgetry, cooking with children, sustainable food, regional cuisine, vegan cookery...the list goes on... you've been sharing advice and tips for ages... From now on, we'll be on the look-out for questions and topics that are popular/intriguing/downright baffling, then putting them to our chefs, journalists and presenters.

Saturday Kitchen's James Martin, Something for the Weekend's Simon Rimmer and The Food Programme's Sheila Dillon are decidedly in and will be responding to some of your queries (once they're back from holidays!). And if that's not enough for your delectation, there'll be video treats answering your culinary queries. We're hoping our faithful team of non-celebrity experts - many of you! - will continue to step in to offer your guidance.

Plus, each week one of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Food team will do a round-up of notable websites and blogs around a theme. We're hoping you'll contribute by sharing what you've found and perhaps making suggestions on things you'd like us to cover. Leave a comment below with your ideas. If you have a cookery question that needs answering, get stuck into our messageboard.

Blog FAQs

24/08/10 - I've had quite a few questions about the new blog and messageboard, so have decided to put them all in one place...

Why have you started a blog?

We value the enthusiastic community of people who come online to offer advice and share food problems on our popular messageboard. We've decided to focus the combined blog and the new Q&A messageboard around what's most popular with our audience: the sharing of tips, knowledge and expertise.

The combined messageboard and blog gives you the chance to get to the heart of some of the food issues and cookery questions touched on in ´óÏó´«Ã½ programmes. We want to get you closer to chefs, presenters, food writers and food industry insiders and the issues that concern them.

What should I expect?

If you need a quick response to your question, we plan to post at least three times a week. Posts will include regular from chefs such as Simon Rimmer and James Martin and posts from the presenter of Radio 4's The Food Programme, Sheila Dillon. Other experts will also pop onto the blog from time to time to discuss the issues raised in their programmes.

How can I ask a question?

If you need a quick response to your question, get onto the messageboard to hear from other members of the community. The messageboard is also the place to go if you're planning ahead and need help and advice, or if you want to discuss an interesting food issue.

From time to time chefs, presenters and other food experts will host specific threads on the messageboard around a particular issue. We'll let you know in advance about their visit so that you can send in questions. We'd advise against you starting a new thread on the messageboard to ask a chef a question, as the messageboard moves so quickly that it's unlikely to be seen. We can't guarantee your question will be asked and answered, but we'll do our best. However please feel free to comment on any of the issues raised by our contributors on the blog.

Will the contributors answer my question if I comment on a blog post?

We'll be letting the contributors know if their post generates a lot of interest and we'll encourage them to respond to queries when they can, but we can't guarantee that they'll respond directly to your comment.

Why has my post been removed?

Contributions to our messageboard and blog are checked by a team of trained moderators to make it a safe and enjoyable place to be. Contributions need to meet the House Rules, the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s editorial guidelines and UK law. Moderators do not post to the messageboard. Find out more about how we check messages.

If you have any other questions about how the blog and messageboard will work, please comment on this post and we'll do our best to answer.

Ramona Andrews is the host of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Food Q&A blog and messageboard.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Welcome Ramona and thank you for putting your face to your name. It's nice to be able to "see" to whom we are responding.

    Rosie

  • Comment number 2.

    I'd like to second Rosie's welcome, and I'm glad that we now have a name for our host. I'm looking forward to seeing the new board.

  • Comment number 3.

    Thank you for the opening welcome.

  • Comment number 4.

    Welcome Ramona. So much nicer to know a name

    I will try VERY hard not to quote from a certain song.

    But probably fail

  • Comment number 5.

    Thanks for the welcome and good luck with the new site.

  • Comment number 6.

    Hi Ramona,

    Nice to meet you.

  • Comment number 7.

    Hi Ramona, lovely name BTW!

    Lets see how this new look foodie place goes!

  • Comment number 8.

    Hi Ramona and thank you for the welcome.
    Looking forward to seeing the new board.

  • Comment number 9.

    Hi Ramona, looking forward to seeing the new board develop. Fingers crossed for a smooth ride.

  • Comment number 10.

    Hi Ramona

    Looking forward to more food hints and tips going both ways. And recipes????

    Still not entirely sure what the Blog will do or be for if we still post questions, tips, advice on the Food Q & A Message Board but daresay things will be clearer when I am back from my hols.







  • Comment number 11.

    I would like to add my welcome to our new host.

  • Comment number 12.

    Hello Ramona - best wishes for a successful, new look ´óÏó´«Ã½ "Food". And yes, it's nice to have a real person, a face to respond to... still, it's probably good that you don't have to look at some (most?!) of . :-D

  • Comment number 13.

    So are we allowed to start our own threads here? Not sure how it works.

    And there's no smileys now? Or have a missed that?

  • Comment number 14.

    Hello Ramona, Just want to echo all the others, thanks for the welcome, and i'm looking forwards to seeing the new board develop

  • Comment number 15.

    Welcome Ramona. I think I posted a snag earlier and it said I was in pre mod....but that was over an hour and a half ago. Still no sign of it.

  • Comment number 16.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 17.

    Well let's just all wait and see with fingers crossed. Nice to see a person and not just an alias.

  • Comment number 18.

    Hi Ramona, Welcome.

  • Comment number 19.

    Ah pre mod

  • Comment number 20.

    Re my comment - in pre mod? yet my reply on the Pork scratchings went straight through - I really don't understand why the difference.

  • Comment number 21.

    Hi Ramona

    I echo other posts; nice to put a name to a face.

    Cheers
    NLB

  • Comment number 22.

    Got through pre mod within minutes

  • Comment number 23.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 24.

    Hi Ramona,
    Thanks for the welcome.

  • Comment number 25.

    That individual post got cleared in minutes.

  • Comment number 26.

    Sorry if I missed it in among all the stuff that has been bouncing back and forth over the last few weeks but is this new format open 24/7 or will there be restrictions?

  • Comment number 27.

    Well, it is exciting to be on the new format. I hope it lives up to expectations! I presume comments from overseas posters will be welcome?

  • Comment number 28.

    Echo your above post.
    Why shouldn't Overseas posters not be "TT"? I can see no reason.

  • Comment number 29.

    My name seems to have changed to you the word you?

  • Comment number 30.

    tT I was refering Texas Titch TT.

  • Comment number 31.

    Oops sorry tT. I think you'll find that is your default name for your posts. my posts refer to you. That is me, my posts.

  • Comment number 32.

    Snag ging a ging

  • Comment number 33.

    tinyTrishkins or now you is very confused.....byeeee

  • Comment number 34.


    Him Ramona,

    On the pork scratchings post/blog/article, I tried to post a link to other methods, which I thought might be of interest. I now see that my post has been removed for being off topic. Does this mean that posting links on this blog is not allowed?

  • Comment number 35.

    Think as I said earlier we will need a bit of guidence during the embrionic days of the new way of things. Don't think any of us, baring one already trying it on, want to go out of our way to disrupt things or break the rules. More a bit of we may require some fine tuning.

  • Comment number 36.

    Hi Ramona and welcome.

    Good luck with the new site and hope we get some really good and interesting topics.

  • Comment number 37.

    One element is missing........... the ability to reply to another poster.

  • Comment number 38.

    When posters contribute a recipe to this blog, who will own the copyright?

    For instance, if I post a recipe here, how can I be sure that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ won't use it in one of the TV programmes and make it look like the celeb chef has invented it his/her self ?

  • Comment number 39.

    Surely you reply to another poster on the message board and you comment, if you want to, on the blog Wokman?

    Nobody needs to post on the blog..... after all pork scratchings (the first blog post) interest me so I posted a comment but if there was a blog about semolina puddings I wouldn't be tempted to comment...

    I think there has been a lot of odd info bandied around the message board and clarification is needed about how all this works...

    I read it that there is a blog which you can choose to comment on or not, a message board which you can choose to ask questions or reply to questions or not and the added extra that the host or powers that be might select interesting message board questions to pass on to visiting chefs/cooks/food writers....

  • Comment number 40.

    #37 Wokman

    This is how you reply, if you want to respond to a poster on the blog. I think! It too can become interactive but I think most likely started only by a host of sorts.

    So just reference the post number and posters name and off you go.

    Don't see quotes, but use the old fashioned "....... ......." if nothing else if you want to respond to a small outtake of text.

    Hope that helps.

    C

  • Comment number 41.

    Hi host....again. Just wanted to see if this blog thingy knows who I am....it kept signing me a you ( the word you )yesterday even though I am logged in as tinyTrishkins.

  • Comment number 42.

    Thanks for all your lovely welcomes. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the blog and messageboard with all of you.

    Just to give some answers to your questions, you can still start your own threads on the messageboard, but please stick to the topic in hand on the blog.

    Denadar – I can’t see the post you’re referring to and I certainly didn’t remove it. We definitely welcome links to elsewhere on the web if relevant to the topic.

    I’ve been told that new user premod is currently set to two posts and/or 12 hours on the blog.

    In the meantime, please can you ask general questions about the new blog/messageboard here:

    /dna/mbfood/F2670471?thread=7695737

  • Comment number 43.

    Hi Ramona

    Question 41.....why am I still refered to as 'you'

  • Comment number 44.

    As asked elsewhere then. Would you agree that both us and yourselves are going to need a little leeway and time to adjust to what with a few tweeks looks quite promising.

    tT I'll try again. The posts I make are titled you. It is a term that identifies your own posts.

  • Comment number 45.

    Ah....The penny has dropped! Cheers Bazzer! Stupid system I know it's me.

  • Comment number 46.

    We all, including Host Ramona and Mods are on a learning curve. Just give it a while and I think a lot of us will benefit from the best of "both" ;-) worlds

  • Comment number 47.

    Hi Ramona - lovely name.

    Thank you for inviting us here - only just found this blog:)

  • Comment number 48.

    Hi Ramona, yes great name.

    Glad to see much more modern graphic design, at last.

    Not sure how this will all work with one big Q&A board? A bit like POV board in that it moves too fast and we get multiple threads. Any news on a search facility yet to help with this?

  • Comment number 49.

    This is not exactlty clear

    It seems to be a Q&A without a means of submitting a Q?

  • Comment number 50.

    Thanks Ramona!

  • Comment number 51.

    Hi there,
    Just wanted to clear up the process of asking a question. If you expect an immediate answer to your question, get onto the messageboard for a fast response from other members of the community:

    /dna/mbfood/F2670471

    The messageboard is also the place to go if you’re planning ahead and need help and advice, or if you want to discuss an interesting food issue.

    From time to time chefs, presenters and other food experts will host specific threads on the messageboard around a particular issue.

    Please feel free to comment on any of the issues raised by our contributors on the blog.

    I'm going to put together a blog FAQ post together next week answering many of the queries we've had on the blog and messageboard.

    Thanks,
    Ramona

  • Comment number 52.

    Thanks Ramona - but that doesn't answer the question, where do the questions come from that are answered by the bloggers? For example - "How do you make pork scratchings at home?"

    If we can't ask the experts questions, why set it up as a Q&A format?

  • Comment number 53.

    With the blog posts so far, the overarching question has been teased out of the contents of the TV or radio programme that it relates to – this is something that I work on with the contributor to get to the heart of their knowledge on a subject. The web-round ups (generally written by me or someone else in the team if I’m away) will come from issues discussed on the messageboard.

    If people reading the post have more questions that come of the discussion, please come on and ask other readers or the contributor.

    We plan on setting up ‘trouble-shooting’ surgeries with some chefs - depending on what’s on telly - and hope to run a regular Q&A session with James Martin for those of you that are interested, so there will be plenty of opportunities for asking cookery questions.

  • Comment number 54.

    are the bbc food links going to be this way permanently or will they fixed.
    I am glad to see food message boards were closed permanently and deleted.

  • Comment number 55.

    The link to the messageboard from the homepage should now be working fine. You can find the messageboard here:

    /dna/mbfood/NF2670471

  • Comment number 56.

    Ramona:

    Thanks for the newest service and hope you will be giving us the public interesting ideas and answering our question...

    (d)

  • Comment number 57.

    i watched great british waste menu tonight and what did i learn from such a programme tonight absolutely diddly squat was very disappointed.seemed like a joke to all the people who took part in the show when they seemed initially genuinely concerned over why food wasteage cost the UK economy 2 billion pounds a year and the impact not only on food prices for poor families in the uk but all over the world.we hardly got to the crux of the problem which i believe is about money, the common agricultural policy and the fact that most large supermarkets and large distributors of food would rather throw food away than redistribute,recycle or sell at a cheaper price to people.to compound the issue the bbc hires celebrity chefs who charge extortionate prices for extravagant food and wine in restaurants whom 90% of the population would never see are brought in to show us how to "save our scraps".what bloody cheek.the point of the show was clearly missed this should have been more on lessons of how we could conserve or preserve the food in our fridges and cupboards an appeal for better distribution or recycling of food considered unattractive or unaesthethic, lobbying for better standards for what is compensated to farmers due to the C.A.P and less about WHAT CELEBRITY CHEFS CAN DO WITH 2 CARROTS POTATOES AND EGGS FROM THE BINS OF BRITAINS SUPERMARKETS.was

  • Comment number 58.

    Think this blog idea is already becoming a bit cumbersome. Now before anyone starts about not hard to scroll, just step back and think in just a few more weeks this particular original post will still be at the bottom of a growing number of threads and posts. Just how large and comprehensive can the Home Page Blog list become? Will anyone new to the board even bother with trying to find a, they don't know what, blog? Titles create interest but when a blog reaches a few hundred plus posts it's going to take some ploughing through.
    Now I'm not knocking the concept but it does seem a rather hackneyed way of communicating and participating.

  • Comment number 59.

    i was going to post this on ask the host thread on message board but that is not possible due the fact when am I logged in. the message board appears as blank page. I have a feeling this condition is common and is prevent may people from post on the message board.

  • Comment number 60.

    Thanks for your comments about the layout of the blog. If you look around ´óÏó´«Ã½ blogs, you’ll see this is how our blogs are generally formatted, though I agree it can be difficult to find all the posts if you're not used to the structure.

    Re comment #59 - can you let us know what browser you're using so that we can look into the problem?

  • Comment number 61.

    sorry i forgot the problem is in firefox 3.6.8

  • Comment number 62.

    ramona i just try explorer on friends computer the issue not the browser.
    we even try setting up new account. the difference seem to be that you all forgot one simple thing when reprogrammed the board. you eliminated the do you approve of rules page thus you basically have made it impossible for all new bbc id posters from joining the food q and A board.
    ps here url of bad page is /dna/mbfood/NF2670471

  • Comment number 63.

    the page is blank only if i am logged in. if do not long in the page is blank thus the problem is on you end not mine ramona

  • Comment number 64.

    How can I not succeed in whipping up egg whites to make macaroons???

    I cannot seem to get them to the "stiff peak" level !

    I do them in a stainless steel mixing bowl of a Kenwood stand mixer.

    What am i doing wrong?

    Gary

  • Comment number 65.

    Hi Ramona,

    After seeing Paul Hollywoods Scones, I convinced my wife to make some.

    They looked brilliant, but left a taste of Bicarbonate of Soda after eating.

    Have you any clues to what may have gone wrong!

    Philip White

  • Comment number 66.

    I am looking to buy some really good saucepans, can any one recommend a good make. I don't have a budget but want ones that will last and that are good quality.

    Vicky

  • Comment number 67.

    We have now fixed this problem (comment #63 and others) and new users should have no trouble signing up.

    Thanks for all your cookery questions on this blog post, but you’ll get the quickest and most thorough answers by asking our online community of messageboarders on the Food Q&A messageboard. Here's the link again:

    /dna/mbfood/NF2670471

    Re comment #65, I will pass this question onto Paul Hollywood and will let you know the answer as soon as I can!

  • Comment number 68.

    A question I hope Madhur or James can answer. I have cooked the yogurt spiced lamb shanks that Madhur cooked on the programme some time ago. I don't think the sauce spllit the first time, but the 3 other times it has split.

    Is there a way round this or do cooked yogurt sauces always split?

  • Comment number 69.

    For the first time I have a glut of white wine grapes. How do I know when to harvest and what can I do with them?? Thanks for any help/advise given.

  • Comment number 70.

    I love so many of the recipes on cooking programmes but my partner, (like many other people) has diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. So many recipes use loads of butter/animal fats, sugar, and salt. Please can celebrity chefs take this into account occassionally and come up with something suitable for these people.

  • Comment number 71.

    I make my own curds for my yorkshire tart. I,m left with about 400mls of whey. Can anybody tell me a use for it or do I just throw it out.

  • Comment number 72.

    Just a quick reminder that you should use the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Food messageboard for any cookery queries:

    /dna/mbfood/NF2670471

    Many thanks,
    Ramona

  • Comment number 73.

    Good luck with your blog

  • Comment number 74.

    I am quite confused by all the info on the net about the time and oven temperature for a 1 kg. sea bass covered in rock salt to cook to perfection.
    I get from 10 min. to 1 hour and from 180 to as hot as possible.
    Anyone?

  • Comment number 75.

    Hi
    Me too is very interested with Antonio carluccio's left over bread. After google for while finally found it. It's under 'Antonio Carluccio's Southern Italy Feast'. Click recipes tab/browse all recipe/page 5. As the recipes are in ascending order, just scroll down and you will find 'Pane Casereccio (Rustic Pugliese Bread)'. Hope everyone is happy now...

  • Comment number 76.

    I would dearly love to learn the classics, much as we see my Michel Roux. But where do I go? There are so many cookery schools advertising on the internet most of which appear to be only interested in catering for groups. I don't want to end up with a group of people who are there for a laugh. I want to attend a school where I can have fun yes but not have the event ruined by a group of office people who only want a laugh.
    The schools are expensive and I can't afford the waste time trying them out one by one until I have no money left.
    So is there a central site for schools in the UK or across Europe where you can search against the type of school they are? Or can a professional chef recommend a school on here?

  • Comment number 77.

    All this user's posts have been removed.Why?

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