I'm a big fan of Italian food, especially pasta dishes, and Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy has a great selection of both.  The recipes are organized by region, 12 regions to be exact.  The diverseness of the dishes, even the pasta dishes is one of the amazing aspects of Italian food.  Whether or not you are familiar with one, none, or all of these regions of Italian cuisine I'm pretty sure you'll learn more as Lidia presents her favorite dishes from each.

For the pasta lover, you'll find a large number of fresh pasta recipes.  This includes not only the common egg-based recipes but also many that do not use eggs with sauces tailored for each particular type of pasta.  For the meat and fish lover the variety is just as great.  As we'd expect, Lidia presents the recipes so that we can easily make them at home and lends her guiding touch throughout.  She and her daughter also help us see a bit of Italian life within each of those regions.

While I'm really into the dozens of pasta recipes in this book I thought I'd share one that was a bit more exotic - the spicy calamari from the Calabria region.

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Spicy Calamari (Calamari Piccanti)

amazon.com

Serves 6

It always pleases me when such a simple recipe can be so good. But every ingredient and every step must be perfect-the calamari, fresh; the olive oil, the best; and the pan must be hot for the quick cooking. I always prefer to buy whole calamari and clean them myself (you can see how easy it is to do in my book Lidia's Italian- American Kitchen). I also like to leave the skin on the bodies, because it takes on a lovely color when cooked. However, now that squid are frequently sold already cleaned, which is a convenience, the body skin is usually peeled off as well. So, if you like the skin, as I do, ask the fishmonger at your market to leave it on. If that's not possible, don't worry: the dish tastes marvelous either way. (And if you are not a fan of squid, you could also prepare scallops, swordfish, or even a fillet of cod using this recipe.)

• 2 pounds cleaned calamari, whole bodies (skin on or off) and tentacles
• 3/4 cup extra- virgin olive oil
• 6 plump garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Recommended equipment: A heavy-bottomed skillet or saute pan, 12-inch diameter or wider

Dry the calamari well, and put in a large bowl. Pour over them 1/2 cup of the olive oil, and add the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and the peperoncino. Toss to coat and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

When you are ready to cook the calamari, make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the chopped parsley until emulsified.

Set the skillet over high heat, and when it is very hot, lift the calamari out of the marinade with tongs, let drain briefly, and then lay a batch of them flat in the dry skillet. Sear the calamari, turning several times, until the edges of the bodies and the tentacles are caramelized and crispy, about 2 minutes per batch. If you are using unskinned calamari, the skin will darken to a deep-reddish hue.

As the calamari come out of the skillet, arrange them on a warmed platter. When all of the calamari are done, drizzle the dressing over them, and serve right away.

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