STUFFED CALAMARI IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• We purchase our calamari frozen. Thaw them under cool water, removing the weird plastic-like peices that you'll find in the body cavity. Remove the tentacles (they will be used0we boil and marinate some, fry some without brfeading and other with), leaving only the body cavity. Prepare the sauce: heat the olive oil, add garlic (but do not burn), add tomato sauce, basil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar if you like. Allow to simmer while preparing the stuffing. In a large bowl, add two 15oz. cans of bread crumbs (or four cups of fres), one head of minced garlic, a cup of water or milk, and an egg. Add as much cheese as you'dlike, and copious quantities of the chopped fish and squid. Mix by hand until you get a moist mixture, one that will stick together of its own accord (which means you can add water, milk, whatever until you achieve the consistency of, say, a meatball). Now it's time to stuff the calamari. We use those disposable aluminum trays from the super market, but you could also use a casserole dish. Cover the bottom with olive oil. Stuff the calamari-tight but not too tight, as the mixture will expand. Lay the stuffed calamari in the tray in rows (feel free to do more than one layer). Drizzle olive oil and cheese over the calamari, then add more basil to the sauce and pour the sauce over the entire thing. Cover with foil and a lid and then put in an oven that has been pre-heated to 450 degrees. Cook for about an hour (not really an exact science).