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Stromboli (food)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stromboli
Homemade stromboli
TypeTurnover
Place of originUnited States
Region or statePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Created byNazzareno Romano
Main ingredientsBread dough, cheese, meat or vegetables
  •   Media: Stromboli

Stromboli are a type of baked bread filled with various Italian cheeses (typically mozzarella) and Italian cold cuts (typically salami, capocollo, and bresaola) or vegetables, served hot. The dough is either Italian bread dough or pizza dough. Stromboli are an Italian-American dish invented in Philadelphia by the mid-20th century.[1] The dish is ultimately named for the volcanic island off the coast of Sicily, by way of the 1950 Roberto Rossellini film of the same name.[2]

Stromboli are similar to a calzone or scaccia, and the dishes are sometimes confused.[3][2] Unlike calzones, which are always stuffed and folded into a crescent shape, stromboli are typically rolled or folded into a cylinder, and may sometimes contain a thin layer of tomato sauce on the inside.[4]

Preparation

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Many American pizza shops serve stromboli using pizza dough that is folded in half with fillings, similar to a half-moon-shaped calzone.[2] At other establishments, stromboli are made with a square-shaped pizza dough that can be topped with any pizza toppings and is then rolled into a cylindrical jelly roll shape and baked. Other variations include adding pizza sauce or deep-frying, in a similar manner as a panzerotto.[5]

Origins

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There are several claims regarding the origin of the name stromboli for food in the United States.

Romano's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria claims to have first used the name in 1950 in Essington, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia, courtesy of Nazzareno Romano, an Italian immigrant. The pizzeria owner had experimented with pizza imbottita, or "stuffed pizza", and added ham, cotechino, cheese and peppers into a pocket of bread dough.[5] His future brother-in-law suggested he name it after the recently released movie Stromboli, notorious for an off-screen affair between married actress Ingrid Bergman and married director Roberto Rossellini, resulting in a love child, Isabella Rossellini.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Vadala, Nick. "The stromboli: A Philly original, courtesy of Romano's". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  2. ^ a b c d Daley, Bill (March 26, 2013). "Calzone v. Stromboli". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  3. ^ Shuster, Jim (May 10, 2012). "The Stromboli vs. the Calzone", Gilroy Patch. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  4. ^ Delany, Alex (2 May 2018). "What Is the Difference Between a Calzone and a Stromboli?". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  5. ^ a b Vadala, Nick (June 17, 2014). "The Stromboli: A Philly Original, Courtesy of Romano's". Philly.com. Retrieved April 16, 2016.

Further reading

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  • Mariani, John (1999). The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. New York: Lebhar-Friedman Books. ISBN 0-86730-784-6. OCLC 41319951.
  • Romano, Pete. Nazzareno Romano's Grandson.