Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Wednesday’s Helping: Calamari or squid

A slinky seafood
Squid are mollusks related to the octopus and cuttlefish. They have 10 tentacles and vary in size from one inch to more than 70 feet. For cooking purposes, an ideal size squid is 12 inches or less. The meat is firm and white with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Be careful not to overcook squid or else the meat will turn rubbery. Calamari is the Italian name that many fine dining restaurants prefer to call squid. The edible parts of the squid are the tentacles and main section of the body, which can be stuffed or sliced into rings. Look for squid sold fresh, frozen, and canned. Also, chefs can use squid ink (a defense mechanism) to make squid-ink pasta. How do you like calamari?

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