I Just Want To Eat! 8/10/25 I Just Want To Eat! 8/10/25

Recipe: Baked Brie

President Cheese sent me a Brie to come up with a recipe and of course baked Brie is what comes immediately to mind. I mean Brie with a good bread is fine, but I often get Brie bites or baked Brie in restaurants, so, why not make my own? It is an easy recipe that will make for a great appetizer and takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Preheat the oven at 400 F
Put the Brie in a skillet and make some incisions with a knife on the top crust. so it is easier to dip a piece of bread ion it.
Pour a bit of olive oil on top.
Add small tomatoes on the side and top them with slices of bread (I used a baguette).
Pour olive oil over the Brie, bread and tomatoes. With a brush, spread the olive oil evenly.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The Brie should be soft and creamy at that point.
To reheat, bake for 10 minutes at 325 F

Et voila!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment! Merci!

I Just Want To Eat! 12/27/14 I Just Want To Eat! 12/27/14

Recipe: Pork Belly and Tofu Bao (buns)

I love BAO, these steamed buns of all sorts of shapes that you can find in Chinese restaurants. I love it so much that I was curious to know how to make it and decided to try myself. I made two versions: pork belly for me and tofu for Jodi (not entirely vegetarian as it contains fish sauce). It is not that this recipe is complicated, but it takes some time.

Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

For the buns:

bun flour (Bot banh bao - bought on the internet - it is available on Amazon)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the pork belly:

2 lb pork belly
2 tbsp coarse salt
2 tbsp pepper

For the marinade:

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup spring roll sauce (sweetness to counterbalance the vinegar)
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
4 green onions
2 tbsp garlic
1 tsp powdered ginger

For the garnish:

Hoisin sauce
cilantro
iceberg lettuce

Step 1: Roasting of the pork belly - 2h15

When I received the pork belly I ordered, it was cut into three slabs. So I put each slab 1/2 inch from each other and rubbed them with a mix of salt and pepper. Then, I put them into some aluminum foil that I closed, not too tight, but put enough to avoid the juice to leak as the pork, while cooking will release a bit of it.

I then roasted the pork belly for two hours in the oven at 275 degree Fahrenheit. This slow cooking process will give a tender and juicy meat. If you have a bigger slab of pork belly, cook it longer at a slightly lower temperature. After two hours, you obtain a perfectly cooked pork that you will slice evenly:

Step 2: preparation of the marinade

Cut the green onions in small even pieces (you will use the white and light green part of the onion). In a saucepan, sauté the onions, the garlic and the ginger, mixing with a spoon and making sure it does not burn. When the garlic starts to be brown, remove from the heat.

In a bowl, put the rice vinegar, spring rolls sauce, soy sauce, water and the mixture of onions and garlic you just prepared. Mix all the ingredients together.

Step 3: sauté the tofu and pork belly

In a saucepan, sauté some slices of tofu in olive oil, at high heat, flipping them after 5 minutes.

In another saucepan, do the same with the pork belly, but flip the slices once brown. They will release some fat that will be used later.

Step 4 - Marinate the pork belly and tofu

Pour half of the marinade in each pan, cover and cook at lo heat for 25 minutes.

Step 5 - Making the buns

To make the buns, I simply followed the recipe on the package:

In a bowl, pour the milk and vegetable oil, add slowly the flour and mix with your hand for 10 minutes until obtaining a firm dough. Let it rest for 15 minutes and then knead for 5 more minutes.

Flatten the dough with a rolling pin. Cut the dough in a round shape with a glass or bowl and flatten again with a rolling pin. Fold delicately in half and put on a piece of wax paper. With the packet of flour, you will make approximately 12 buns. Put in a steamer (i use a couscoussier) for 25 minutes. Let the buns cool for 5 minutes.

Step 6: Serve!

Open the buns delicately. Spread some hoisin sauce inside, on both sides, and put a slice of pork belly or tofu, topped with iceberg lettuce and cilantro. Et voila!

Bon appétit!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

I Just Want To Eat! 12/1/14 I Just Want To Eat! 12/1/14

Recipe: Bugnes

Bugnes are some sort of beignets that are popular in Central-Eastern France, the most known being the bugnes de Lyon. There are two sorts: the soft and the crunchy, the difference between the two being the presence of yeast (soft) or not (crunchy). It is not difficult to make, but takes a bit of time as the dough has to rise.

Time: 3 hours

Ingredients for 50 bugnes:

1 lb all purpose white flour (450g)
4 oz of butter (125g)
1/2 cup powdered sugar (75g)
confectioner sugar
a pinch of salt
2 packets of yeast
2 drops of orange flower extract
4 eggs
1/4 cup of milk

Preparation of the bugnes:

Put the eggs, the milk (lukewarm), the powdered sugar and the yeast in a bowl. Mix for 5 minutes and then, let it sit for 30 minutes. Add the pinch of salt, the orange flower extract, the melted butter and then, slowly add the sifted flour, while mixing the ingredients (I use the hook in a KitchenAid mixer), until obtaining a soft dough that does not stick (you can add more flour if too sticky). Let rise for 2 hours.

On a tabletop, put a very thin layer of flour so the dough does not stick to it, and spread it with a rolling pin. Use a cutting wheel to obtain a perfect rectangle (redo this step with the discarded dough - there is no waste!).

Again with the cutting wheel, cut smaller rectangles (you can even use molds if you would like a specific shape) and, in each rectangle, make a small incision.

In a frying pan, pour some vegetable oil (1 inch deep), at medium heat. Cook the bugnes in the pan, but be careful: it goes fast. What I did was to count to 5 slowly, then turn the bugne on the other side, count again to five, and then remove them, putting them directly in a bowl containing confectioners sugar. Turn the bugne in the sugar until fully coated.

Et voila!

Bon appétit!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment! Merci!

I Just Want To Eat! 10/4/12 I Just Want To Eat! 10/4/12

Sourdough bread recipe

This is an easy recipe that my friend Benny's wife, Rufina, gave me and that I tried over the week end. It is easy but a bit long because of the time needed for the fermentation process that gives this bread such a distinct taste.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 cup of water

Making the bread:

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and knead until obtaining a firm dough.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 12 to 18 hours.

On a slightly floured surface, fold the dough 2 to 3 times. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Generously flour a kitchen towel and put the dough on it. Shape the dough the way you would like your bread to be shaped. Put some more flour on top of the dough and cover with another kitchen towel. Let stand for 2 more hours.

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the dough on an aluminum foil and cover with another aluminum foil sheet. Put in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Then remove the aluminum foil that was on top and continue to cook for another 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Et voila! It will give you a bread similar to what you would buy in a bakery with a fantastic crunchy crust!

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

I Just Want To Eat! 9/20/12 I Just Want To Eat! 9/20/12

Recipe: Anise Infused Bread

Here is a very recipe to make a wonderful bread that has a subtle anise taste.

For 8 small breads:

17.5 ounce (500g) of white flour

1 tablespoon of salt

3/4 tablespoon of sugar

2 tablespoons of anise seeds

1/2 ounce of dry yeast

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

0.8 cup of lukewarm water

The first thing to do is to grind the anise seeds.

To grind seeds, I use a coffee grinder.

Mix all the ingredients and knead until firm. I have a bread machine and use the setting to only knead and rise as I will cook the bread in the oven.

Let the dough rise for 1h30.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. At the same time, make 8 even portions of the dough and lay them on a cooking sheet or aluminum foil, making sure you either grease it or put some flour to prevent the bread to stick.

In a small ball, make an egg wash by cracking an egg at room temperature and whisking it until the yolk is incorporated in the white.

With a knife, make a X on top of each bread so they open while cooking.

Then brush each bread with the egg wash.

Rest for 25 more minutes; the bread will rise again.

Put the bread in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden.

Et voila!

Bon appetit!

I Just Want To Eat! 7/5/12 I Just Want To Eat! 7/5/12

Recipe: Brioche with chocolate chips

Brioche is a viennoiserie that is similar to Challah bread, where water is replaced by milk, has more eggs, butter and sugar.

The recipe below is very easy to make!

Ingredients for 12 brioches (approx. 2 pounds):

- 1/2 cup of milk

- 4 large eggs

- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter

- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- 3 3/4 cups of white flour

- 2 packets of yeast (I use active dry instant yeast)

Place in the following order the milk, eggs, butter at room temperature and cut in small pieces, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in a pan. Knead until obtaining a soft dough, and let rise for 45 minutes.

Melt some butter and brush generously the inside and outside of a muffin pan (you can use a bread pan also for cooking the brioche). The butter will prevent the brioche to stick to the pan once cooked.

Put some dough in the bottom of the muffin hole and add some chocolate chip in the middle. This time, I put chocolate chips inside the brioche. You can other wise not put anything or put nutella or jam.

Cover with some dough and try to seal the brioche (do not worry: it will crack anyway during the cooking process, revealing some chips). Brush the top with an egg wash. Let rise for another 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Then remove from the oven and let it cool. Et voila!

Bon appétit!

I Just Want To Eat! 3/2/12 I Just Want To Eat! 3/2/12

Recipe: Ghetto Garlic Bread from Coolio!

So everybody probably knows Coolio from the song Gangsta's Paradise he wrote in 1995 for the movie Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pfeiffer. What I did not know until I watch Rachel (Ray) vs. Guy (Fieri) on the Food Network, is that Coolio is also a cook. He even published a cook book called

Cookin' with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price

and calls himself the Ghetto Gourmet. In this book, he will teach you how to be a Kitchen Pimp, explaining what you need in you Pimp-try...

Let me tell you: this guy knows how to cook (taught by his now deceased mother) and he ended up in the finale!

So, I decided to try to cook his Ghetto Garlic Bread, his take on Garlic Bread, made with mayonnaise. I do not have a cook book, so I tried to recreate the quantities.

In a bowl, I mixed:

6 tbsp of mayonnaise,
2 tbsp of minced garlic and
cheese (depends how much you like).

I spread the mixture on a baguette cut in half and toasted it.

It was good, but if you do not like mayonnaise, I do not think it is for you!

Enjoy (I did)!

References:

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coolio

I Just Want To Eat! 1/20/12 I Just Want To Eat! 1/20/12

Roasted Brussels Sprouts!

When I was a kid, I hated brussels sprouts! I could not stand the smell or the taste. I remember that my mom used to prepare them with merguez (lamb sausages) and unfortunately, the sausages were absorbing all the taste of the brussels sprouts! Many years later, I ended up with brussels sprouts on my plate, in a restaurant in New York City. I tried and kind of liked them! So, if you are struggling to get your kids to eat vegetables, it is not desperate and you should try to roast them (the vegetables, not the kids!!!).

The way I roast brussels sprouts applies also to other vegetables like asparagus. I like them slightly burnt so it caramelized them.

First, after washing the brussels sprouts, I remove the buds from the stalk and discard any loosen leaf from the surface. Depending on the size of the sprouts, I may cut them into two parts. Then, I put them on a tray with olive oil, salt and pepper. With my hands, I mix the brussels sprout with the oil, salt and pepper to ensure they all get their little bath. I then cook them in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Et voila!

Bon Appétit!

I Just Want To Eat! 9/26/11 I Just Want To Eat! 9/26/11

Recipe: Baguette with a hint of Olive oil

You probably know the caricature of the French: baguette and beret! Well, the beret is truly a caricature (mastered in the movie

The Truth About Charlie

with Mark Walberg) as you will not see that many people wearing it if you go to France, except if they are a certain age; but the baguette is true! Bread is an institution there! You will find boulangeries very easily, with many types of breads: baguette, sour dough, with olives, blue cheese.... In restaurants, they will always give you some bread with your meal: as much as you want!

When I came in this country, I missed passing by a boulangerie and buying my baguette or ficelle (very thin baguette - outstanding when hot with just butter on it). Well, I then discovered different types of breads (Challah, focaccia, Hero, bagel...) and locations to buy some: whole food (great baguette), Balthazar (bread sold in different stores) or Amy's bread. Then, to counter the fact that there are not as many boulangeries as I would like, I bought a bread machine: it is great! The kneading is better than doing it by hand (I tested on burger rolls) and you can set the machine so when you wake up, you have fresh bread for breakfast. Not to mention the sensational smell of fresh bread in your home!

Here is an easy recipe of French bread where I replaced part of the water with olive oil to give a hint of olive flavor and make the bread moist.

Ingredients for 2lb:

- 1 1/4 cup (30 cl) lukewarm water

- 1/4 cup (5 cl) olive oil

- 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 4 cups of flour (1 cup = 128 grams)

- yeast

Put all the ingredients together and knead them until obtaining a firm, non sticky dough. Let rise for 1 hour. Put the bread on a backing sheet and make some incisions on top with a knife. Let sit for 30 more minutes.

Pre-heat the oven at 375 degrees.

Cook for 30 minutes.

Once done, let the bread cool on a cooling rack. Et Voila!

Bon appétit!

I Just Want To Eat! 8/14/11 I Just Want To Eat! 8/14/11

Recipe: Homemade Burgers

Here is a quick recipe to make a burger from A to Z!

Let's start with making some amazing buns:

For 6 buns:

3/4 cup of lukewarm water
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 onces of yeast

Mix all the ingredients together until you reach a very smooth and soft dough. Add flour until the dough is not sticky anymore. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. To prepare this, I use a bread machine that is awesome and makes the bread very fluffy!

Divide the dough into 6 pieces and put them on a baking sheet with flour in the bottom so the buns do not stick to it. Let rise for another 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (I use a convection oven).

Brush the buns with egg wash (1 egg beaten - some add a little bit of water) and then cook them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the buns are golden.

For the meat, for 5 people:

I use 2 lb organic grass fed ground beef with a ratio of 80/20 fat so the burgers are juicy. I put the meat in a bowl and mix it with half a bottle of dark beer. The beer will help keeping the meat together and it will add some juiciness. No need to season the meat, not even salt.

Now here is the secret weapon: in the middle of each patty, I put a large slice of sharp cheddar! The cheese will explode in your mouth at the first bite and will keep the temperature of the meat hot for a little longer. To do it, I use a small springform pan: put a first layer of meat, then the cheese and then add a second layer of meat. Make sure you close it well so the cheese does not leak while cooking.

I then cook the meat for 15 minutes on a skillet, with no oil, flipping regularly so each side cooks. I finish by putting one large slice of cheddar on top of each patty and cover with a lid so the cheese melts evenly. Once the meat is cooked, it is time for plating!

I always toast the bread so it will give a bit of crunchiness to the burgers. You can then put any topping or sauces you like (I love to mix mayonnaise and ketchup). Et voila!

Bon Appétit!