Hot and Sour Squid

Squid—or calamari, as it is more lyrically called—can be a ghastly affair. First comes the cleaning, which is like an episode out of a Stephen King novel. Then comes the cooking, which often yields tasteless rubber tires. I’ve no answer for the first problem, but this dish is a fine remedy for the second! The squid is blanched, which leaves it velvety and fine, and is then tossed into a Hunanese mélange of spicy vegetables.