Calzone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A calzone (Italian "stocking" or "trouser" or "drooping sack" or "hanging fold"[1]) is an Italian turnover made from pizza dough and stuffed with cheese (usually mozzarella cheese and Ricotta, but some varieties contain Parmesan, Provolone, or a locally substituted cheese), ham or salami, vegetables, or a variety of other stuffings. It often contains an egg, the yolk of which should be runny. It is typically served with marinara sauce on the side for dipping, or topped with garlic and parsley infused olive oil. The dough is folded over, sealed on one edge, salted, then fried.
In Italian the word has three syllables, [kalˈtsone]. Pronunciations of the word in English vary greatly, with UK: /kælˈtsoʊni/ or /kælˈzoʊni/,[2] and US: /kælˈzoʊni/, /kælˈzoʊneɪ/, or /kælˈzoʊn/.[2][3]
Calzones are similar to stromboli, but traditionally the two are distinct dishes, as stromboli usually contains mozzarella cheese and is served with marinara sauce on the side. Moreover, stromboli is rolled to resemble a loaf, whereas a calzone is folded to resemble a semicircle.
[edit] Regional variations
Sandwich-sized calzoni are often sold at Italian lunch counters or by street vendors because they are easy to eat while standing or walking. Sweet versions, usually smaller and cookie-sized, are a specialty in the Marche. Fried versions typically filled with tomato and mozzarella, are made in Puglia and are called Panzerotti.
Somewhat related is the Sicilian cuddiruni or cudduruni pizza. This is stuffed with onions (or sometimes other vegetables such as potatoes or broccoli), anchovies, olives, cheese, mortadella: the rolled pizza dough is folded in two over the stuffing and the edge is braided, prior to frying.
In Middletown, Connecticut, several restaurants offer scacciata, which is similar to a calzone, but is filled with either broccoli, spinach, potatoes and onions, and sometimes sausage. Scacciata were once regularly prepared in Sicilian immigrant homes in Middletown's North End.
A popular dish from kebab shops in Scotland is a calzone stuffed with choices of döner meat, chicken tikka, shish kebab or a mixture of all, usually served with spicy onions (commonly seen with popadoms).
Some calzone recipes include more ricotta than any other ingredient; however, proportions are largely based on the chef's taste, so a calzone's contents can vary substantially from chef to chef.
The Pizza Hut restaurant chain offers a large calzone known as the P'zone. In America, the Hot Pockets brand of microwaveable turnovers are referred to as "Bread Stuffed Calzones" on the label.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ When it refers to the garment, the word normally occurs in the plural calzoni, like "trousers" does in English
- ^ a b dictionary.oed[dead link]
- ^ dictionary.com
