Tuesday, September 16, 2014

A movie recommendation and my current favorite thing to make for dinner.

Long time, no post! I'm going to try to get back in the blogging habit. Thanks to those who emailed and encouraged me to post again.

Chef_2014

This summer a Cooking Club friend invited me to see the movie Chef. I went in not knowing much about the film but found it to be completely delightful: a feel-good, witty story featuring the music and food of Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans and Austin (warning: the movie will make you hungry).

Chef will be released on DVD (linked below left) on September 30th. The soundtrack (below right) is also great.




In one scene in the movie, Chef Carl, played by Jon Favreau who also wrote and directed the film, prepares a late-night dinner for Scarlett Johansson's character. I was so taken by the pasta he made that I found the recipe online: Pasta Aglio e Olio. I prepared the version from the movie once and then found Ina Garten's rendition of the same recipe and decided I prefer that one because it has less olive oil and parsley and more Parmesan. I just wish I could master the way Chef Carl twists the pasta so artfully into a bowl.

Pasta twist
(Source: Food and Wine)

I have made this Spaghetti Aglio e Olio many times this summer. It is an incredibly fast dinner to prepare and I usually have all of the ingredients, except perhaps fresh parsley, on hand. I'm amazed that a recipe with so few ingredients can be so delicious.

I hope you have a chance to enjoy the movie, the soundtrack, the pasta or all three.

IMG_6545
The cast of ingredients

IMG_6546
The ingredients after I've sliced, chopped, and grated everything. Notice a glass of wine has now joined me for this endeavor

IMG_6548
The pasta and garlic sauce boil and simmer in separate pots

IMG_6549
Just after stirring in the Parmesan and parsley

IMG_6550
Yum yum yum


Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

Serves 4.

2 tablespoons Kosher salt (for the pasta water)
1 pound dried spaghetti
⅓ cup good olive oil
10 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1½ cups reserved pasta water
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to the directions on the package. Set aside some of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan large enough to hold the pasta. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges. Be careful not to overcook. Stir in the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and one teaspoon salt to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Sauce should be reduced by about one-third.

Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes so that the sauce can be absorbed. Stir in the parsley and Parmesan and toss well (if you add the parsley too soon or while the heat is still on, it will clump fiercely and refuse to separate - trust me on this one). Add salt to taste and grate some fresh Parmesan over each serving.

11 comments:

JoAnn said...

I have missed your blog posts SO MUCH. A lot of people have gone to Instagram or Facebook instead of doing blogs, but they are no substitute. I was going to ask you why you were not posting, but did not want to annoy you.

CHEF is on my list of must-see movies.

I first had Spaghetti Aglio e Olio in 1975 in an old Italian restaurant, with oilcloth tablecloths, in downtown East Liverpool, Ohio. My father-in-law took us there. Downtown, BTW, is one block long. I loved it then and love it now. Someimes I add some small-diced tomatoes if I have fresh ones, at the last minute.

SO GLAD YOU ARE BACK!!!!

melissabinmo said...

Glad you are back too! Just printed Ina's version of the recipe. Look forward to trying it. Curious as to what else you serve with it? Salad and bread?

I went to your blog to double check an ingredient in 3 Bean Buffalo Chili. A favorite in our house.

Maggie said...

Welcome back! I've missed your posts!

Tami said...

She's back! I am happy to see you are blogging and sharing recipes again. The movie looks good too.
Missed you!

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Ahhh. Found you at the perfect time. Need a good movie and a good recipe <3. I have been out of the blogging world these past months too.

bevy said...

I too have been a horrible blogger. It's been THREE years since I wrote. However, some dear friends convinced me it was time to get back in. Hope we both don't let our friends down!

DORA PLESS said...

I am Mrs. Dora Pless from USA, i want to share a testimony of my life to every one. i was married to my husband, and i love him so much we have been married for 4 years now with three kids. when he went for a vacation to Singapore he meant a lady called STEPHANIE, he told me that he is no longer interested in the marriage any more. i was so confuse and seeking for help, i don't know what to do until I met my friend miss joy and told her about my problem. she told me not to worry about it that she had a similar problem before and introduce me to a man called Dr. Ugo Wonders who is man of God for her ex and bring him back to her after 2days. Miss joy ask me to contact Dr. Ugo Wonders I contacted him to help me bring back my husband and he ask me not to worry about it that the God of his fore-fathers will fight for me. He told me by two days he will re-unite me and my husband together. After two day my husband called and told me he is coming back to sought out things with me, I was surprise when I saw him and he started crying for forgiveness. Right now I am the happiest woman on earth for what this great MAN OF God did for me and my husband, you can contact Dr. Ugo Wonders on any problem in this world, he is very nice, here is his EMAIL contact: generalspelltemple@gmail.com or call him on  +1 386-336-9876

Frisco Taxi Cab said...

Thank you for another fantastic article. Where else may anyone get that type of information in such an ideal way of writing? I have a presentation subsequent week, and I’m on the look for such info.

Lillian J. Turner said...

Instagram A Way To Achieve Success In Small Business

MyBlogger Club

Guest Posting Site

Best Guest Blogging Site

Guest Blogger

Guest Blogging Site

Emily Sarah said...

Effective Love Spells That Work To Bring Back Your Man Permanently No Matter Why He Left.”
I just got my ex husband back through the help of Dr Unity love spell Experts.
My name is Emily Sarah am from Tx,USA. My husband left me for another woman, This was just 3 years of our marriage. The most painful thing is that I was pregnant with our second baby. I wanted him back. I did everything within my reach to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so badly because of the love I had for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to my friend and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back , I had no choice than to try it. I messaged the spell caster called dr unity, and he assured me there was no problem and that everything will be okay before 11 hours. He cast the spell and surprisingly 11 hours later my husband called me. I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that had happened He wanted me to return to him. He also said he loved me so much. I was so happy and went to him that was how we started living together happily again.thanks to dr unity . if you are here and your Lover is turning you down, or your husband moved to another woman, do not cry anymore, contact Dr.Unity for help now..Here his contact,
WhatsApp him: +2348055361568
Email him at: Unityspelltemple@gmail.com
His website:https://unityspells.blogspot.com

Barbara Pantuso said...

Great post. Good job.
tinychat.com