Kicked Up Calamari with Creole Olive Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 pound cleaned squid (thawed if frozen), bodies cut into 1-inch rings, tentacles trimmed
• Creole Olive Salad, recipe follows
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 cup bleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup masa harina (available in Latin markets and many supermarkets)