Spinoza, Aristotle and Pasta Aglio e Olio

Of the philosophers I've read, Spinoza holds the dearest place in my heart. Why? Because he agrees with me. I had this crazy, crazy idea, and it just so happens that he thought of that hundreds of years before me. I think of everything that exists as being a part of one thing. There is only existence and, within that existence, the things that exist. People are part of that existence, and while we share the property of being human, we also share the property of being a part of this greater thing (call it the universe, call it God, whatever). 

I've mentioned this before: I love pasta. It's such a broad category of food, and each interpretation of pasta gives you a completely different experience. From mac and cheese to ravioli to penne a la vodka, all share the component of being essentially pasta, but are interpreted differently, be it by an intrinsic shape, or a an external imposition (like sauce). This reminds me of Aristotle's metaphysics. What he basically says is that there are primary and secondary substances. Let's say you have penne pasta and spaghetti. Both are made of the same primary substance (pasta dough), but their secondary properties, their shape, make them different from each other. I'm not sure whether or not these philosophical connections have anything to do with my love for pasta, but it definitely makes me understand this category of food in a different way. 

Anyways, I recently saw the movie Chef, and, like everyone else, left the theater with a food lust unrequited. The one scene I can't get out of my head (this may have to do with my philosophy that food is sexual) is that of Jon Favreau's character making pasta for Scarlet Johanssen. The scene itself justifies a trip to the movies. 

You'll see that I've listed two different recipes: the first is my own, and the second is a true Pasta Aglio e Olio, which apparently is the recipe used in Chef. I've not tried the second recipe, but I can imagine it's better than mine. I didn't have parsley, so I made do with basil, but I cannot wait to try the official recipe!

I hope you try either recipe. Be sure to let me know what you think!

My recipe:

• 1 box of bucatini pasta
• half cup crushed pine nuts
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup olive oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
• chopped basil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• freshly grated Parmesan

1. Sautee onions and garlic in a large skillet until translucent.

2. Add pasta with a tablespoon of the pasta water to make the sauce stick.

3. Add remainder of the ingredients, toss thoroughly 

4. Top with freshly grated parmesan to serve

Official Recipe 

• 1 lb. dried spaghetti
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 12 large cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 2 lemons

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the spaghetti, cooking until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir frequently until the garlic is golden brown. Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
3. Add the drained spaghetti directly to the pan. Toss until spaghetti is thoroughly coated with the garlic oil.
4. Remove pan from heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well. Check for flavor and adjust the salt if necessary. Squeeze lemons on to taste. Garnish with more Parmesan.
5. Serves 4.

(courtesy of http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/pasta-aglio-e-olio-for-scarlett-johansson-from-the-movie-chef/)

Kushiyu

Not liking sushi and living in Los Angeles are almost mutually exclusive, and it seems that nowadays, we all have "our sushi place". Mine is Kushiyu. We've been going to Kushiyu for about eight years, and so far, it stands as one of the best sushi restaurants in Los Angeles. Their fish is always fresh, and they have a great menu ranging from traditional sushi, to more contemporary rolls and japanese fusion.

As with any meal, the chef is key. Our chef, Katsu Hisanaga, studied the culinary arts in Japan. He's mastered French and Japanese cuisine, and learned the art of sushi making under the instruction of an Iron Chef. Doesn't get much more awesome than that. Eight years of trips to Kushiyu, and Katsu still impresses us with his intricacy and meticulous, passionate attention to detail. I was just there a few days ago, and I told him I was going to culinary school. He gave me this bit of advice: "Always remember, when you're cooking, the final spice is heart." With an attitude like that, it's no wonder everything he hands us tastes unbelievable.

On the top is the Lemon Roll. This is my favorite roll, probably ever. It has spicy tuna and avocado on the inside, tuna, avocado, and paper thin slices of lemon on the outside. The whole thing is topped with lemon ponzu and chili oil. It's a really light roll. The lemon, ponzu, spicy tuna, fresh tuna and avocado compliment each other wonderfully.
On the bottom left is the Hotate sushi, and on the bottom right is the Tai sushi (which Katsu has topped with lemon and truffle salt). 

This is also a Lemon Roll, but Katsu made this one special. I love these fried green onions!

 Hotate sushi

 Two kinds of Tai sushi

Albacore Sashimi Special. I love how light this is. It has cilantro, fried green onions, onions, ponzu and toasted garlic. It also comes in the form of a roll (spicy albacore inside and avocado inside, albacore, onions, ponzu outside).