Safe squid

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I found these at the Cheesestore of Silverlake this afternoon -- and, no, not in a dispenser in the bathroom. (Sure, this is a public service announcement, but not that kind.) These are two very cute packages of Spanish squid ink. They’re tiny, about 1 1/2-by-2-inch packages, each holding maybe half a teaspoon of the lovely black stuff. The folks at the Cheesestore have had them for a couple of months now -- in the refrigerator case, next to the duck fat and salumi. So the next time you want to make your own squid ink pasta or calamares en su tinto (squid in its own ink), you can pick up one or two of these. They’re just right for a single dish, unlike the larger containers you more often find, which are expensive, unwieldy and potentially very, very messy. After all, how often do you use squid ink? Just don’t put these in your nightstand drawer by mistake.

Squid ink, $2 per package; Cheesestore of Silverlake, 3926-28 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 644-7511.

-- Amy Scattergood