Name: Stuffed Squid
Yield: Makes 4 first-course servings
Ingredients: 8 (5- to 6-inch-long) cleaned squid with tentacles (1 1/2 lb total), rinsed; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 (14- to 15-oz) can stewed tomatoes, puréed in a blender or food processor; 15 fresh basil leaves; Rounded 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 oz finely grated aged Pecorino cheese (1/2 cup); 1/2 cup finely ground fresh bread crumbs (from an Italian loaf); 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 large eggs, lightly beaten; 8 wooden picks

Culinary archaeologists Susan Lord and Danilo Baroncini named their cookbook Pani Caliatu (available from Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York), for the traditional Aeolian twice-dried bread. For this recipe, the people of the Aeolian Islands use totani (flying squid). The recipe works just as well with squid found in the U.S. Since squid is often sold cleaned and in parts, be sure to get one set of tentacles per squid body to ensure that there will be enough stuffing.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

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