It's probably been close to two weeks since we went to the crane-in-a-dumpster Greek restaurant out in Niles, for it was way before our move to the new apartment. ("Crane in a dumpster" is a Japanese expression meaning a gem in an unexpected place; "crane" here is that elegant, migratory bird, not the construction equipment that might be more closely associated with a dumpster.) Anyway, Mykonos on Golf Rd. is one of my favorite Greek restaurant in the area. Serving up consistently fresh seafood and good broiled meats at reasonable prices, Mykonos could very well be better than at least some of the mainstays in Greek Town.

Our visit on that day, though, was somewhat troubled: Mr. Waiter was a bit short on his English ability, and brought me a huge plate of fried calamari, instead of the baby squids grilled with a dash of lemon. The mustached guy, probably in his late forties or early fifties, looked more fitting to be fishing out in the blue Aegean Sea on his impeccable white boat--or maybe contemplating the next move on the chess board while sipping ouzo at a shady sidewalk table of a café--than waiting tables at a restaurant in the ocean-less Midwestern suburb. Since he was obviously doing his best, I didn't feel like sending the plate back to the kitchen. So I took the huge heap of fried calamari, which I was sure I wouldn't be able to finish in one sitting. Munching my way through the crunchy and tender, I was already starting to think what I would do with the leftover.

Somehow, by the end of the meal, my mind was set on transforming the Greek calamari into something Thai. (Don't ask me why.) The next day, I heated up the now-soggy calamari in the oven toaster till crisp again, and made some dressing by mixing equal parts of sweet chili sauce and lime juice. To accompany the fried calamari, I roasted a summer squash, sliced into medium-sized discs. With a handful of sliced red onion and a bunch of cilantro (both of which were added to the dressing, after being finely chopped) and another handful of Vietnamese pink mint, the Greek calamari successfully morphed into a refreshing Thai dish. (I have to admit, I felt a funny pride in this transformation.)

And even better yet, I finally got to use the antique (?) Japanese (?) tea cup we picked up at the Volo Antique Mall. Its orange trim looked quite nice against the otherwise ordinary, greenish glass plate!