Why i love blogging!

I believe in people. I believe that in every one of us, there is a huge potential. Potential for goodness. Potential to bring peace. Potential to love. Potential to invent the next big thing that will change the world for better. Potential to help your neighbor. Potential to evolve ideas.

I believe in listening. Listening to what others have to say. Listening to different opinions. Listening to people who agree. Listening to new ideas. Listening to new challenges. Listening to calls for help. Listening to different languages. Listening to different religions.

I believe in talking. Talking about what you believe in. Talking about what your ideas. Talking about how you can contribute. Talking about the ones you love. Talking about the ones you don’t like. Talking about the things you enjoy. Talking about the things you dislike.

That’s why I love blogging. I love blogging because I believe in people, I believe in listening, and I believe in talking. Because it’s our differences that make us stronger. There are millions of bloggers, communicating every day, on millions of different topics, all important to them, and to a few others. That exchange is fundamental to our lives and our happiness.

I blog about food and drinks on Hungry Frenchman. I have no pretension of being a great writer. Actually, because English not my mother tongue, I’m not a good writer. My words are limited, but my ideas are infinite. I convey ideas. The idea that a great meal or dish can bring happiness. The idea that sharing a drink (and sometimes more!) with good friends is a priceless moment, that one should enjoy fully. The idea that great quality food is such a gift that we should cherish it and sustain it. The idea that food and drinks bring people together.

Every recipe I give, or restaurant review, is aimed to help the few who read me or are interested in what I write. I love hearing their comments. I love when they disagree and provide suggestions on how to make things better. I’ve learnt so much actually from the people who read my blog. I love even more when they thank me for a recipe they’ve tried at home. It usually goes like this: “thank you so much for the recipe. I’ve tried it at home, and it was a great success! My family loved it!”. Every time I receive that type of feedback, it’s overwhelming. I’ve just created a moment of happiness for some folks. That’s my contribution to the world. That’s why I love blogging.

Do you love blogging?

Spaghetti bolognese (bolognaise)

I love spaghetti bolognese (bolognaise in French!). It’s such a simple and yet delicious dish. Yesterday, I had several folks from work at home, and they were supposed to cook us dinner. We’ve picked spaghetti bolognaise because it seemed easy, and everybody could do with some pasta after a long day of brain activities. The pasta turned out great, and I can guarantee that it had the secret ingredient that makes every dish amazing: love!

Dice a big onion and brown it in a tiny bit of olive in a pan that will hold the bolognaise. Add some minced garlic (5-6 cloves – you can have more if you like it!). Then add minced beef (1 pound for 4 people). Let cook for 5-10 minutes, under high heat, until some juices come out. Then add some veal stock (1/2 cup for 4 people) and let simmer. Usually, the longer you let simmer, the better. You can do this under very low heat, for hours, until the liquid has almost evaporated. If you’re in a hurry, you can cook the meat under high heat (it will go faster). While the stock is evaporating, add some minced parsley and dry oregano and tomato sauce (1 cup). Once the liquid has almost evaporated (you still need some liquid in there!), add some roughly chopped basil, salt, pepper, mix well, and let rest for as long as you can (even a day!).

When you’re ready to eat, cook the pasta (you should know how to do that!), drain well, and then mix the meat with the pasta.

Thanks to Mark for the onions dicing, Rahul and Jim for the shopping, Vero for the support 🙂

Enjoy!

Swordfish recipe, so easy!

I love swordfish. The fish obviously, and the movie! I love it because it’s so easy to cook and yet so delicious. If you’re in a hurry one evening, and want to create a funky recipe, that presents very well on a plate, and taste delicious, try this one:

Prepare a salsa. Usually, I dice cucumbers and peeled tomatoes, chopped some spring onions and cilantro, mix all this with a tiny bit of jalapeno pepper and garlic. I sprinkle the mixture with some olive oil and lemon juice (or lime juice). You can actually also buy it all ready, but it tastes so much better when you do it yourself!

Rub the swordfish with salt and pepper (lot of salt actually!). On high heat, grill each side for 2-3 minutes, until it gets brown. Then reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the fish is cooked in the inside, but not dry. There must still be some juices coming out of it! Times vary based on the size of the fish, but it could take another 10-15 minutes.

To serve, put some salsa in the middle of the plate, and add the fish on top of it.

Enjoy!

New York strip loin roast, with peppers and red onions

Believe it or not, I usually don’t roast beef. I know it’s crazy, but it’s the truth. A few days ago though, I’ve decided to give it a try, and just invented my own recipe. I actually highly recommend it – it’s easy, and you guys will have such a great time!

First of all, pre-heat your oven to 450F. I’m sure you’ve picked some meat with a lot of fat on the bottom (that’s the best part!). Place some garlic cloves (skin off) and bay leaves between the fat and the meat. With the help of a knive, insert garlic cloves and bay leaves in the meat itself (just make an incision with the blade, don’t butcher your meat!). Rub the meat with a tiny bit of olive oil, and a decent amount of pepper and salt (especially if you use Kosher salt).

Put the meat in an oven proof dish, and in the oven, then cook for 15 minutes at 450F.

While the meat cooks, roughly chopped some yellow, orange peppers and red onions. You can also add some red ones if you want. You need enough vegetables to put at the bottom of the meat dish. In a pan, mealt some butter, and quickly brown your vegetables. Put aside (they have to still be very crunchy!).

Remove the meat from the oven, and turn down the temperature to 350F. Remove the meat from the dish. Place at the bottom of the dish all the vegetables. Lay the meat over the veggies. Cook for 20-30 minutes for rare, 30-35 minutes for medium rare, 35-40 minutes for medium etc… I usually cook it until the meat is at 125F and then let it rest for 15 minutes.

Add some fresh parsley in the parsley, mix well, and serve with the meat! Enjoy!