The pasta recipe that seduced Scarlett Johansson

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzpVmyzbYLg[/ame]

?Chef? Releases The Recipe Of The Meal Jon Favreau Made To Seduce Scarlett Johansson

The story goes that Chef Choi was walking Favreau through the steps as they were shooting the scene. When it was decided they had the shot they started breaking down for the next scene. Johansson was eating the pasta long after they stopped filming . . . nice girl!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQgqP5ODZZs[/ame]

 

You two don't have laminated lists?

 

Butter can add a wonderful element to oil-based pasta sauces. It also brings things together with its ability to emulsify easily. (Marcela Hazan used to emulsify her olive oil clam sauce with butter and - wait for it - a Tbs or two of Reggiano.)

 

It's a movie, man.

Plus two people doing the same thing doesn't necessarily yield the same thing. (Not to slam on your cooking skills.)

 

2Tbs of lemon juice sounds like a lot. There's this sweet spot where you wouldn't taste much lemon, just experience the brightness. That I like. (Most cooks dilute white vinegar with water to add brightness without introducing other flavor elements.)

 

Lurpak carries such a punch that I won't use it in baking, unless butter is the main flavor. (Usually butter cookies, German coffee cake, etc. I should try making croissants with it.)

But on the right bagel . . . it's like seeing the face of God.

 

I stick to American because it doesn't overwhelm the other flavors.

No salt is the best bulk purchase IMO, as you can add as much salt as you like -- you can even vary the type of salt (gray, flaked, white sea, etc.)

 

After trying it straight I modified the OP recipe and got a better result.

-- I cut the lemon juice in half, maintaining brightness while cutting back on the dominant lemon flavor.

-- I cut the red pepper by half, though I can see it either way.

-- I cut the salt out, subbing ~1Tbs of gray salt dissolved in 2Tbs pasta water. (The gray salt won't dissolve if it's added directly. It also re-crystalizes when the water cools by even a little. The solution is to fish out the garlic pieces from the oil once they've cooked through and add the salt-water concoction to the flavored oil while it's still on the heat. If the garlic pieces aren't fished out, they'll absorb a ton of salt.)

I really liked it. The minerality of the salt woke the whole thing up.

Here's the gray salt I like:

Amazon.com : The Spice Lab French Gray Sea Salt, Light Grey, 1 Pound : Fleur De Sel Coarse : Grocery & Gourmet Food

Good value but every once in a while a tiny pebble shows up.

If I make this again I'll probably play around with the herb (most parsley I get at home is incredibly powerful. It throws things off balance, IMO.)

I hope this was helpful.

 

I'm on a flip phone with a lens that goes fisheye immediately. And there's not much to see here: shiny spaghetti with chopped parsley. (They must have tripled the parsley portion to make the dish look right on camera.)

 

Another fine butter. And that color . . .

Here's one of the most revered US butters:

Thomas Keller's Favorite Butter -- Grub Street

When she first started, she couldn't take a day off. She had a few cows grazing on prime feeding land that had to be milked twice a day, every day, plus the churning. When Keller tasted it, she owned him . . . and he showed the sort of loyalty that made it possible for her to sustain a business.

 

She's "seduced" in the first OP video clip . . .