Calzone literally meaning "trouser" or "stocking" in Italian refers to a type of pastry from Italy. It is prepared using ingredients akin pizza gaining the shape of a crescent by being folded before cooking. In a usual calzone recipe, it is filled of mozzarella and tomato including ingredients similar to the ones in pizza toppings.
History of Calzone
Similar to pizza, it has its roots from the ancient times that can be traced as back as the origins of flat bread already prevalent in the Ancient Egypt. More so, flat bread coated of herbs were commonly served during birthday celebrations of the Pharaoh.
Despite references of dishes resembling to pizza being made in the history of Mediterranean cultures, the pizza popular today that can be called “real pizza”, was born in Naples.
In the early times, pizza was prepared using a kind of bread dough, flattened using one’s hands and having coatings of lard or cheese and baked in a much hot oven blazing with wood.
It was during the 18th century and very particularly in 1730 that it was a thought profound leading to include tomato for the topping, thereby creating the pizza marinara. It was later sent to America along with Neapolitan migrants and further took off to the other parts of the world.
Ingredients Used and Popular Methods of Preparation of Calzone
It is a common sight in Italy to find calzone or calzone resembling sandwich over lunch counters or street vendors as they can be simply had during a casual saunter.
Calzone recipe in sweet variations are generally in the size and shape of a cookie found around particularly in Marche.
Fried calzone recipe normally containing stuffing of mozzarella and tomato known as Panzerotti is common in Puglia.
The Sicilian cudduruni pizza or cuddiruni or is another sister calzone recipe with stuffing of onions or at times other vegetables including potatoes or olives, broccoli, cheese, anchovies and mortadella.
The pizza dough is rolled and folded as two with stuffing with end braided before frying.
Popular Calzone Variations
The United States calzone recipe incorporates generally pizza dough stuffed with cheese commonly mozzarella or ricotta cheeses, although certain types can contain Parmesan or Provolone or a local cheese substitution and salami or ham with vegetables or different other stuffing. It is generally served alongside marinara sauce across the side as dipping or with topping of garlic and olive oil infused with parsley.
The dough is baked in an oven after being folded over, closed on one edge and salted.
Calzone resembles stromboli, although in traditional sense they are two separate preparations. A usual mistaken belief is that the difference among the two of them is due to the ingredients used. The ingredients are in fact according to the choice of the chef. Even though many of the strombolis are made by rolling, strombolis are also known to have been made similar to a calzone, with the simple difference being the sauce which is present on the side of a calzone and the stromboli contains the sauce inside the folded crust.
In Middletown, Connecticut, there are many restaurants offering scacciata that resembles a calzone, although stuffed of broccoli, potatoes, spinach and onions, and at times sausage. Scacciata in history were made by Sicilian migrant settlers in their homes in the North End area of Middletown.
Calzone is a common preparation made in the kebab shops of Scotland which is filled with a variety of döner meat, shish kebab, chicken tikka or a combination of all, normally served along with spicy onions (which are common with popadoms). It is familiar for being served along with a hint of whisky over the top which is flambéed before the on-looking customer.
Calzone Bari style is a calzone recipe from Puglia, an area having age old fashioned traditional gastronomy, the basic calzone recipe which is a delectable Mediterranean dish containing red tomatoes with black olives.
Pizza Margherita is a dish that includes very basic of the ingredients turning out to be a real feat in Italian cuisine.
Roman-style pizza is a pizza or calzone recipe from Lazio and Rome, is characteristically lean and crisp. The typical Roman-style recipe made at home, has toppings including capers and anchovies.
Panzerotti, pasty and Empanada are other calzone-like dishes.
Miscellaneous Facts about Calzone
The popularity of Calzone soared high when it occurred in an episode of Seinfeld, where the personality or George fetches calzones for his superior who gets immensely satisfied of the feel of the calzone and asks George to get more calzones. This results in boosting his rapport with his superiors till a tipping accident prohibits George from entering the Italian restaurant which makes the calzones. George tries to get his boss gripped onto other varieties of breaded wide-ranging lunch sandwiches, although not one are identical as the calzone.