71° and Sunny
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by Francine Black
Today we’re making Stromboli!
It all begins with a good Italian pizza dough that bakes up crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. I’m preparing two versions: a vegetable/cheese pictured here, as well as a meat and cheese version.
The name “Stromboli” conjures up images of a fragrant filled turnover created in sunny Italy, but its origin is quite a bit closer to home! In the town of Essington near Philadelphia, an Italian immigrant stone mason from L’Aquila by the name of Nazzareno Romano opened a neighborhood pizzeria. It was there that he created the very first Stromboli.
Inspired by the 1950 Ingrid Bergman film “Stromboli”, directed by Roberto Rossellini, a film that was highly publicized due to some scandal between those two, Chef Romano created a type of stuffed pizza filled with meats, cheeses, and or vegetables. The Chef’s original version featured ham, capicola, salami, pepperoni, American cheese and peppers!
I was curious about the name “Stromboli” and discovered that the namesake movie was named after the Italian island of Stromboli, home of one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
The strombolis I made today rested in the refrigerator over night. A couple were filled with leeks mushrooms, spinach, ricotta, provolone and mozzarella. The other two were loaded with Italian meat and the same cheeses, although I was careful to find uncured salami, ham, and pepperoni so as to avoid consuming preservatives like nitrates.
There are many other delicious filling possibilities: tomato sauce, Italian sausage, parmigiana, fried eggplant, ham and Swiss, steak with peppers and onions, meatballs etc. I think any of the toppings you might enjoy on a pizza would also make a delicious stuffing.
You can make your own dough as I did, or you can purchase frozen bread dough from the grocery store for a quicker option. I hope you make this for your family and friends!
Tutti a tavola!
High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.
More News from Bally
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