LP8 is done and I am quite happy with the results. A bit tiring what with all the excitement and jitters and a rush project at the same time! (Tensed for what? Hmmm maybe thinking about how many would participate…

Normal life resumes (tee hee!) and I wanna share this stuffed pusit (squid) recipe. I did this a week after I cooked my calamari relleno. We all liked it and so I thought another round won’t hurt. No minced meat this time around but instead I chopped the head and tentacles and include them in the filling. Below is basically the same recipe but of course amended according to what I did here.

Ingredients:
2 large squids
1 small shallot, chopped
2 tbsp of chopped garlic
1 small tomato, chopped
salt & pepper
butter

Clean the head and tentacles of the squid, chop them, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside. Clean the inside of the squid and peel the outer colored skin off as this tends to toughen with cooking. Rinse under cold water and pat with paper towel to remove any excess water. Rub salt, pepper and half of the crushed garlic all over and inside and set aside as you prepare all the other ingredients for the squid filling. Here’s a guideline on cleaning squids.

Fry the remaining garlic on little oil until golden brown. Add the chopped squid head and tentacles plus the shallots and saute for about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and pour on a small bowl, sprinkle with a dash of salt and mix with the raw tomatoes. Using a spoon, stuff the squids with the mixture and seal ends w/ a toothpick. Extra filling may be sauteed with a veggie side dish.

Fry the stuffed squids on butter over medium to high heat for about 2-3 minutes to remain tender, with juices sealed inside to mix w/ the filling. Like I said in my previous post, fry it for about 5 minutes your squid will be on the chewy side, more than that it might turn into rubber. The secret to tender squid is to cook it either quickly on high temp or for around 30 minutes.

Place on a platter, make few slices through the meat and serve right away. Best served with plain rice alongside steamed vegetables and hot soup.

Iska

I am not a professional cook. My only claim to having a culinary background is a short stint as my dad’s teen ‘sous chef’ in his carinderia ages ago. Dad ran small eateries since I was a young kid - serving standard ‘turo-turo’ food ranging from the likes of menudo, adobo, pritong isda, dinuguan, binagoongan, bopis, munggo, pinakbet and giniling to merienda fares like goto, ginataan, pancit bihon, halu-halo and saging con yelo.

My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.

Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.