Calzone

A calzone (Italian "stocking" or "trouser" or "drooping sack" or "hanging fold), sometimes referred to as a italian sac, 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 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 deep-fried. In Italy the stuffing is always tomato, cheese and ham, and the calzone is never served with a sauce.

In Italian the word has three syllables, kalˈtsone. Pronunciations of the word in English vary greatly, with British English speakers saying [kal'tsəʊni] or [kal'zəʊni], and American English speakers saying any of [kal'soʊnɛ], [kæl'zoʊni], [kæl'zoʊneɪ], or [kæl'zoʊn].

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 semi-circle.

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 they're 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 and mortadella: the rolled pizza dough is folded in two over the stuffing and the edge is braided, prior to baking.

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.

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.

Calzones in Popular Culture

On an episode of Seinfeld, Kramer is seen referring to a calzone as a cal-A-zone. The clerk at the pizza shop corrects him.

Notes

See also

• Stromboli
• Panzerotti
• Pasty
• Empanada