Lidia Bastianich's Calamari Photo Is Turning Heads On Instagram
Translated from its native Italian, "calamari" means squid. It's most commonly served battered and fried in American restaurants but can be prepared in a variety of ways. In Spain and Italy, they utilize it in dishes like paella, pasta, and risotto. In Portugal, it's typically served as grilled squid ring kebabs. And in Korea — similar to America — the squid is "deep-fried, then wrapped with mustard or chili sauce in lettuce leaves."
An Italian herself, Lidia Bastianich is no stranger to cooking with calamari. As her website deservedly brags, she is "an Emmy award-winning public television host, a best‐selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business." Understandably, her calamari experience is vast and innumerable; she's cooked many iterations of it including fried, stuffed, and over pasta. But one recent photo of her calamari preparation is truly turning heads.
Grill for the win
Lidia Bastianich isn't just any old school chef, she's a cool one. And cool chefs take their creations to Instagram, which is exactly what she did. A few days ago, the "Lidia's Italian Kitchen" star posted a photo on Instagram reminiscing on childhood memories, particularly fishing trips with her Uncle Emilio to catch fresh calamari. The picture features a squid with mesmerizing grill marks, sitting on top of a simple blend of oil and herbs. "I could eat that entire plate," one commenter said.
The photo represents one of her favorite preparations of the squid, simply grilled. She notes that the grilling can take place on a charcoal grill or on top of the stove in a cast iron pan, and the dish is best made with fresh calamari. While the link is no longer in her bio, the recipe can be found on her website, along with its picture-perfect visual. If you want to try your hand at grilling some calamari, just keep Lidia's advice in mind and make sure you use the freshest squid you can find.