Sunday, April 06, 2008

Sausage Calzone

Sausage CalzoneThose Italians are marketing geniuses I think. To invent the pizza is proof enough but to repackage it then call it something new shows the depth of intelligence we're talking about when it comes to Italy. I love it.

Calzone really is nothing but pizza inside out but I don't look at that as a shortcoming, in fact it just makes me love calzone all the more.

I have to ask--do you say "cal-ZONE" or "cal-ZO-nay"? You get those Italian words like provolone, calzone, marscapone and it seems to me that since they're Italian words they ought to have that vowel syllable on the end but we dumb ol' Americans give it that silent E treatment.

I was raised to call it "pro-vo-lo-nAY" (no fake accent or anything, just the vowel on the end) but if I ever call it that at the deli counter I get some blondie high schooler correcting me as if she had a doctorate in linguistics.

Well whatever it is, however you say it, it's delicious (or do you say de-li-sio-so?) It's also a good recipe for using if you ever have to take a meal into someone because you can wrap the calzones individually, they freeze well and require no dishes to transport, wash or return.

For dough:
1 ½ cup warm water
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fast acting yeast

Mix the dough (I use a bread machine) and let it rise half an hour.

For filling:
10 ounces Italian sausage
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
¼ pound crimini mushrooms
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup sliced olives
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
beaten egg white
marinara sauce
chopped fresh herbs for garnish

Saute sausage, add onion, garlic and mushrooms and carrot, cook till vegetables are tender and sausage is browned. Drain fat. Stir in tomato sauce, olives, basil, oregano, sugar and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes then let cool slightly. Mix in cheeses. Divide dough into twelve equal parts then flatten each section into a circle. Fill circle with filling (how much kind of depends on how fat you want them to be, less makes them easier to fill, more makes them harder to seal up). Fold dough over into a half-circle and seal the edges carefully, press also with the tines of a fork to help seal and prick the top to vent. Brush tops with beaten egg whites if desired.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve topped with marinara sauce and chopped fresh herbs if desired.

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Don't forget the Write-Away Contest this month--the topic is "Going Home" and the deadline is coming!

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15 comments:

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

I say Cal-ZONE and used to LOVE LOVE LOVE getting green olive & pinapple calzones from the best place (Pepper Pot Pizza) by my parents' house. Mmmm... I could reallllly go for one right now!

Steph

Daisy said...

You could say, "Abudanza!"

Ice Cream said...

Hmmm, I have always said cal-ZONE, but now I am going to be saying cal-ZONE-ay because you put it into my head.

I had never thought of making these for the freezer but it seems a perfect idea (and I've been trying to collect kid friendly freezer meals for after I have the baby). Thanks for the idea.

Anonymous said...

As perhaps the only Italian person in Alaska, I'll say that my off-the-boat grandmother says cal-ZONE. She also makes one that would make you cry it's so good. Provolone is "provo-lone" - no "nay". I have heard some Italians pronounce it "provolon-ee". I've never heard an Italian person say "delicioso" either - I think that's Spanish.
I live in Fairbanks and refuse to cook with any meats labeled "Italian" at the store because frankly, they aren't good enough :-( My parents mail me pepperoni and salami from NY as it is now! You probably have more to choose from in Anchorage, though.
As for the pronounciations of Italian words...do your best. We don't expect you to get it right all the time :-)

Marketing Mama said...

Sounds yummy! I think cal-ZONEs are much better than pizza because 1) there is more melty/gooey cheese and 2) you don't have to fight over who gets the last piece. It's all yours. :)

Michelle said...

um... cal zone is how I pronounce it,It will go on my "recipes to try list" ..have a great week..

Karen said...

When I lived in Californ-ay I said cal-ZONE-ee and provo-LONE-ee but now that I live near Philly I sorta have to say it like everyone else here without the extra ending vowels because I figure they should know. Plus I hate being subject to pronunciation ridicule.

And I am hungry now so thank you.

The Estrogen Files said...

Who cares about the "right" way? It just tastes good, right?! Looks great. Congrats on the upcoming remodel and new "cube".

L said...

I need to make this for my bf he'd love it.

Shannon said...

Yummy!!! I want some RIGHT NOW! Definitely going to give that a go!

Pencil Writer said...

First time visitor to your site. Love your writing and humor. I can only imagine "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" as you described. I can just see some of the elderly members in our chapel scrunching their faces in disbelief and/or disdain. That hymn does happen to be one of my favorites. I have family in Anchorage and have always dreamed of at least visiting Alaska some day.

Amy said...

That looks delicious! I say calzone with the a on the end because it makes me sound like a foodie. I have said that ever since watching that sinful Everyday Italian show ;)

ames said...

definitely pronounce the E, and after spending a summer living in Rome I now know that americans also butcher pistachio and bruschetta (it's pi-STA-kee-o and bru-SKEH-ta, but if you ever say that in public people might throw things at you. Or laugh. *sigh* And don't even get me started on Gyros...

My favorite pizza parlor used to have a Thai Peanut Chicken calzone that was absolutely *divine*...but I guess it wasn't popular because it wasn't on the menu for long...

Kate said...

I completely agree with your deli counter example. After living in Italy for 4 months I came back to the US pronouncing bruschetta the correct way— brew-SKET-a and not brew-SHET-a. Upon ordering some bruscetta last fall, I was promptly told that it was pronounced “brew-SHET-a” by the waitress. Oye! Don’t even get me started on the Italian pronunciation of pollo, which is not the same as the Spanish pronounciation of pollo (they say Poi-yo, Italians say Pollo) But anyway, calzone, no matter how you pronounce it, yum!

Anonymous said...

i also agree. maybe you can treat yourself to like, an in-home massage or something to make up for it. :).Since I am a man I will not submit an idea of how you should indulge yourself. But, I will say that he better bring you back a sandwich!