Chili Squid

I can now clean, collect the black ink, season with chili and deep fry a giant squid for you! Oh the love of Leith's cooking school. Here's Steve with his big tentacled friend.

On another note, one of the Christmas activities with the kiddies will be pasta making, they'll love that and their Mum will love the flour-y floor! I made tortellini the other night; they were filled with 3 cheeses so only ate a few which is unfortunate as the three I had were delicious.

Nero di SeppiaLooks gross (to some) but it is delicious. It is spaghetti with squid ink. It is lovely and has a slightly salty taste that is hard to describe - you must try it for yourself. If you are brave enough, get to the fishmonger and have him sell you fresh squid with the ink sacks still attached and follow the recipe below. This dish was served to me on a sunny terrace in Sicily. Mmmm!

Nero di Seppia Pasta

• 1 1/4 pounds (600 g) extremely fresh squid, uncleaned
• 3/4 pound (320 g) spaghetti
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste diluted in a little water, or 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• A small bunch parsley, minced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt
• Peppercorns

Preparation:

Begin by cleaning the squid: carefully separate the heads with their tentacles, then remove the guts, setting aside the ink sacks (be careful not to break them). Wash the squid well under cold water, dice the bodies, and chop the tentacles.

Open the ink sacks and collect the ink in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a pot and wilt the garlic without letting it brown. Add the squid, the minced parsley, and a generous dusting of freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, checking every now and then to make sure it's not sticking (if it does add a little hot water). Once it has simmered, mix the tomato sauce or paste with the white wine and add it to the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes more, uncovered, then dilute the sauce with a little hot water and simmer for a half hour more, covered. At this point the sauce should be neither soupy nor too dry.

Half an hour before mealtime bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, salt them, and add the pasta. At the same time stir the squid ink into the sauce, adding the amount that suits your taste. Drain the pasta, season it with the sauce, and serve. The wine? The remainder of the white you used in cooking it.

Carluccio's 'exotic food'
Am a bit tired this week but will fill in the blanks for the last two posts shortly... I think the Christmas season is upon us and all things are hectic at the moment. I have made a mental note to avoid Oxford Circus until mid January - it is like being in a sardine can trying to walk along the street...it's utterly frustrating & gross! Mayor Ken needs to sort it out.

Anyhoo, onto food...I had this super delicious squid ink pasta at Carluccio's the other night (I don't think I am eating at home at all this week). I brought some home in a doggy bag and some of B's friends were here who are from the norf (North) saw it and shrieked, 'what on earth are you eating??!' I love the northerners - they are so fun - I explained that the black color comes from the ink of the squid. It is an unusual type of ingredient for a pasta sauce but it is delicious! I offered a taste, but it was 'way too exotic' for them.

Instead they happily drank their champagne and went off to a party in their fancy dress - the house was full of Pink Ladies from Grease, a Cher look a like, Spider Woman, Wonder Woman and Shrek. Needless to say there were two large bags of recycling today full of wine and champagne bottles - the sign of a good pre-party!

Good food, good friends and good wine (or champagne) - that is what life is all about...

Bellas & bellinis at Terroni
It was a mini reunion with mommies and the teacher, only the politician was missing. We headed to Terroni at Yonge & St. Clair for a good catch up and a great meal; we got both! It was good to see the two mommies all dressed up and looking fab (no milk stains on their clothes or in their Lululemon 'home' gear) They ordered Bellinis - which is new to the Terroni menu - and were great fun.

Bellinis on the menu is quite shocking as I don't think southern Italians drink them and Terroni prides itself on being super southern Italian (e.g. no cutting the pizza, no deviations to the toppings etc). Bellinis originated in Veneto which is in the north of Italy and most people know that northern Italians dislike southern Italians and sometimes give them the derogatory name of - Terrone/i (which is where Terroni's name comes from) It is a rude word that northerners call southerners which when translated means people of the terra (land-farmers). Ask an Italian about the love-hate relationship that northerners and southerners have with each other. The Bellinis were made with Prosecco and peach sugo di frutta (fruit nectar) which are both very popular in southern Italy (even though Prosecco also comes from Veneto?!).
Will have to investigate this more...

I ordered the black ink spaghetti which was great but not amazing like the one at Grano (Yonge & Eglinton). The reason for this was that the one at Grano is actual white spaghetti with the black squid ink - which makes your plate, teeth and lips completely black and disgusting while the one at Terroni is a black squid ink pasta which is very easy to eat, you stay clean all over and don't turn your pearly whites into vampire fangs. The only downside to keeping clean / the Terroni version is the taste is half as potent and delicious as the black ink sauce...try them both and you will see what I mean.

We ordered the mushroom appetizer and the ladies ordered the amazing pizzas. I had a lovely glass of red too....mmmm, like most Torontonians, I never get tired of eating at Terroni.

(I have more pics but my laptop is acting up - will post when I get through to the Mac helpdesk)