Archive for November 2009
The odd cousins of Pizza
Homemade stromboli is well worth the time and minimal effort.
For some a slice is too messy, or does not offer enough bread to filling ratio. For these individuals the pizza family has a few odd cousins, just like the rest of us. Meet the Italian Calzone and American Stromboli. Both are constructed using fillings, but the method differs.
The original pizza take-off is a type of turnover, the Calzone, which is Italian for hanging fold or trouser. This dish takes pizza dough and stuffs it with cheese (usually mozzarella cheese and Ricotta, but some varieties contain Parmesan, Provolone). It can end there, or have ham, salami, vegetables, or a variety of other stuffings. It often contains an egg, the yolk of which should be runny. The crust is then folded over and sealed on one side, salted and fried or baked. Now Americanized, many include tomato sauce – these would omit the egg.
Once a cuisine reaches America rarely is it exempt from tinkering by those seeking to improve one dish or another. The Stromboli is the result of such tinkering. Created in the 50’s, it takes similar ingredients to a calzone but the dough is not folded in half, but rather rolled similar to a burrito and then baked. It can be served whole or sliced with sauces for dipping. The name is from the 1950 film by the same name featuring Ingrid Bergman.
Next up, our first review – wait and see what’s hot outta the oven.
