So it seems the only ways I know how to cook things are hot and fast, low and slow, or medium and...medium. Anyway, having done the hot and fast method on my first squid experiments, I decided to try to do a low and slow next, and, naturally, my mind went to squid stew.
I seasoned the squid strips with salt then dumped them into the Dutch oven to start cooking, too. I didn't want them to cook all the way through just yet, so I waited about 30 seconds before moving on. 
I'm not going to bore you with all of the details. Suffice it to say, I started with some chopped shallots and coarsely minced ginger in sesame oil. Just so you know: it's tough to go wrong with shallots and ginger in sesame oil. The flavor, the aroma, the appearance, the sound, the flavor...these three together hit all of the senses. I mean, I could probably just sauté shallot and ginger in sesame oil and eat it straight with a spoon.
A lady at one stall of the farmer's market sold me a carton of shishitos for $3. At first, I was stoked about the price. Later, I was concerned I wouldn't get through all of them. I had shishitos two meals a day for almost a week before they were gone. This stew used five of them, seeded and chopped in half. Great color and flavor, but not much heat, which was fine for this meal.
After the shallot and ginger had cooked down a little bit, I added some chopped celery and the shishitos. Once I had them cooking, I decided it was finally time to cut up my squid. I had no tentacles left, so it was all mantle for this. I cut a bit of the mantle into some long, thin strips, then chopped those up for some little rectangle shapes.
Some halved grape tomatoes, about a quarter bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and then it was simmering time. I had the heat low and threw my lid on, then left the kitchen for a while. I think I played some piano, then played some video games, and eventually went back to have some dinner. That's the beautiful thing about simmering stew in a Dutch oven with the lid on: you're free to go about your day for a while.
I only had two regrets from this meal: I had no rice, and I think it would have gone great on top of some rice; also, I should have done this before frying it. Everyone seems to have the belief that squid is chewy and rubbery. Granted, if you're frying it, it can get chewy very easily, especially if you overcook it. Even if you don't leave it in for too long, it's a little chewy naturally. However, if you cook it low and slow (and maybe the wine helped), the texture is so fucking different, somewhere between steamed mussels and broiled fish. It's not quite flaky like fish, but not even as mussels. I have used the word "chewy" too much.
Either way, while I love some fried calamari, this meal was enough to fully convince me that squid is best when cooked slow.
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