Squid and Octopus

Started off the cooking day by cleaning 5 squid. If you have never cleaned squid it is a messy frustrating event. I was unlucky enough to puncture the ink sack on the first one I tried and the ink shot out all over my face, the chef's face and clothing. There was laughter from the chef's helper and me. The chef was not laughing. There is no picture of this event, but it is firm in my memory bank. We got them done, but it was a struggle. I had to rip out their eyes, turn them inside out, remove the cuttle bone, rip off the tentacles, then strip off their skin. Lordy. We made two different things with the body parts: a salad (with boiled octopus, boiled shrimp, boiled squid, carrots, celery, red peppers white wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and olive oil)and a dish of squid (with ink and ground tentacles) and orzo.They were both extremely tasty, much to my surprise. Also made a wonderful crostini with boiled white fish (boiled, then drained, then whipped with olive oil), a rolled fillet of fish with eggplant and a fish fillet with spaghetti. If you want to see some graphic squid pictures, and more, go here.

The walk to the restaurant where I take lessons usually takes 45 minutes. The walk home, head reeling from wine, food and lessons, usually takes and hour. It is usually dark, rainy, and cold. Tonight was no exception. I am thrilled that I haven't gotten lost in a few days, so I looked in the windows of the stores as I wove around umbrellas and people gesticulating on cell phones. Italians seem to talk with their hands, even while holding an umbrella and talking on the cell phone and smoking a cigarette.