That Secret Ingredient?Squid!!

Squid is one of those foods that 's either met with smiles or frowns.If done right it's a nice alternative to shrimp or scallops.Squid can be made in a variety of  delicious dishes from pasta to stew. It's truly versatile, appealing to seafood lovers who want to change it up a bit.

David Tanis wrote about it in his column A City Kitchen. in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Squid and its' cousin, cuttlefish is eaten a variety of various ways in different parts of the world.It can be sauteed in garlic, parsley and lemon for a bright, fresh taste Cooked in a rich sauce containing its' own ink, it 's at home in risotto, pasta or paella.Squid or calamari can be stuffed with breadcrumbs for a take on a popular Mediterranean dish. Want crunch? Then try the Chinese "salt and pepper' squid that has a whisper of the famed Five Spices.Many other cultures enjoy barbecued or fried squid as well. Mr Tanis reminisces about a dried squid he bought off a street vendor while visiting Thailand. It was briefly toasted over hot coals, flattened to the thickness of a potato chip and served with a spicy dipping sauce. The Spanish sell a paper cone full of flash fried cuttlefish rings called chipirones  that  are doused with lemon juice. Of course the Southern Italians have calamari. Done right it can be crispy and slightly chewy , perfect for dipping into marinara sauce.

Mr. Tanis doesn't offer a quick crispy snack. Instead he proposes a stew made with the sea creature. It's an out of  the ordinary  idea. Squid and stew usually aren't combined, yet it is popular in some parts of Spain.The Catalans usually cook it with chickpeas and tomatoes, sort of like a thick chowder. Clams are sometimes tossed in too. Mr. Tanis first ate in in a restaurant north of Barcelona. It was done in such a way that it looked like braised veal but tasted like pot roast.It's an easy stew so novice chefs can give it a try.Use a heavy soup pot and start with chicken broth, an onion, a thyme sprig and white wine. Add some carrots and turnips along with chopped leeks and peas. Cleaning it , however, is not for the squeamish. The head and innards have to be yanked out through the tail (where the tentacles are). The tail can be cut off and used in the stew or saved for calamari. The backbone or cuttle also has to removed.It's a clear bone, resembling hard plastic. The squid's skin can also be removed. It's simply tearing it away from the flesh for a cleaner look.

Squid stew sounds like a perfect dish on a winter's night. It's rich with the taste of the sea and the land. It makes for an interesting supper.