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Lidia Bastianich is one of the most-loved chefs on television, a best-selling cookbook author, and restaurateur. She has held true to her Italian roots and culture, which she proudly and warmly invites her fans to experience.
 
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Scrippelle Ribbons with Apricot-Orange Sauce
This special dessert is so good-and so much fun...
 
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Lidia's Tips: Using Cupboard Items

 
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Cooking Calamari
If you want tender calamari, there are two ways to go about it: either cook them quickly, from 4 to 8 ...
 
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Food Books and Dvds Tableware

Lidia's Favorite Recipes
Lidia brings viewers on a road trip into the heart of Italian-American cooking.
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LIDIA'S
Enjoy Lidia's pastas and sauces!
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Lidia's Stoneware Collection

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January 24, 2013
Cooking Calamari

If you want tender calamari, there are two ways to go about it: either cook them quickly, from 4 to 8 minutes, or braise them slowly for 30 minutes or more. Anything in between and the calamari will remain tough. I recommend quick cooking if you want to enjoy the calamari as the prime ingredient, where the texture of the fish is very important. The long, braising method focuses more on the flavor of the sauce, by extracting the flavor of the calamari into the sauce, and is preferable if you want to make calamari sauce to dress pasta, risotto, or polenta.