Stromboli is a sealed, toasted Italian sandwich, usually stuffed with deli meats and cheese. Romano’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant in Essington, Pennsylvania, lays claim to the original, where Pete Romano and family continue the stromboli tradition set by his grandfather in the early 1950s. But other operations carry stromboli on their menus, adhering to the original concept or bending it into an Italian turnover, using pizza dough instead of the traditional Italian bread dough. Each holds favor with American diners, who seem to seek out stromboli with avid affection.

Romano’s serves between 400 and 450 stromboli a week, with stromboli making up about 20 percent of its business. “For us, it’s a sandwich,” says Pete Romano, manager of Romano’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant and steward of his grandfather’s labor-intensive stromboli recipe. “The crust should have the consistency of Italian or French bread — kind of crunchy. You should not taste the dough, but rather, fully cooked bread.” The restaurant offers a number of stromboli, including the most popular, The Original, which houses ham, peppered ham, coteghino (fresh sausage) and American cheese, with a choice of sweet or hot peppers.

“People hear that we invented the stromboli and they want to try the original one,” says Romano. Others include The Special Stromboli, a powerhouse of lunch meats: ham, coteghino, ham cap, prosuttino, Italian salami andpepperoni, as well as American cheese and a choice of sweet or hot peppers. For the Vegetarian Stromboli, diners can choose either broccoli or spinach with mozzarella, provolone, Romano and American cheeses.

“Our kitchens operate as a bakery,” says Romano. The bread dough is made in the early morning, proofed, punched down, filled with ingredients, then proofed again. The stromboli are pre-baked, frozen and then refrigerated until service. When ordered, they are re-heated in the oven for 20 minutes. “It was never a fast food,” adds Romano. “Since 1950, it’s been a pre-fabricated sandwich.” One of the upsides to reputation is interest from across the country. Romano obliges by selling frozen stromboli via FEDEX delivery.

Stromboli’s Italian Restaurant in Ackworth, Georgia, menus stromboli that feature pizza dough, not bread dough. Indeed, this operation’s version of stromboli is much more prevalent than the stromboli found at Romano’s — and it’s incredibly popular in this incarnation, too. Stromboli’s serves both stromboli and calzone, and the stromboli outsell the more familiar calzone. First, the difference: “The way we do it here, calzones have ricotta, stromboli doesn’t,” says Thomas Marroquin, general manager of this 122-seat restaurant. “But they’re both folded over pizza without the sauce. It’s absolutely crucial to get the dough right — that’s what makes a great stromboli.”

The Steak Stromboli, a take on the classic Philly cheese steak, is the most popular: medium-rare peppered steak, roasted green pepper, sautéed mushroom, caramelized onion and a blend of whole-milk mozzarella and skimmilk mozzarella. “That 50-50 blend of mozzarella really makes the stromboli delicious,” says Marroquin. “The whole milk adds a lot of flavor and good texture, and the skim mozzarella binds it together without adding any more grease to the stromboli.” The dough is stretched and hand tossed, then stretched into a rectangle. The ingredients are placed over top, then it’s folded up like a taco and flipped over, so the fold is underneath. After the top is sliced for venting, it’s baked for 8 to 10 minutes. “We make everything to order, so the stromboli are assembled as the orders come in,” says Marroquin. “Our pizza guys work really hard.” He charges $8.95 for stromboli and runs a 21 percent food cost. “The food cost is why we love the stromboli!” he says.

Stromboli’s also menus a Create Your Own Stromboli, allowing diners to choose up to four items for $8.95, with each additional ingredient running 75 cents. “By far the most popular? Sausage, pepperoni, mushroom and onion. I hear that all the time,” says Marroquin. The most unusual combination? Buffalo chicken, mozzarella and ranch dressing. “The customer loved it. ... It’s hard to go wrong with a stromboli.”

Italian Deli Stromboli
Yield: One stromboli

Frozen bread dough, thawed
Dried oregano, to taste
Dried parsley flakes, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
31⁄2 ounces thinly sliced capicola
31⁄2 ounces thinly sliced Genoa salami
2 cups shredded mozzarella
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder, to taste
1 egg yolk, beaten

Let dough rise until doubled, according to package directions. Punch down. Roll loaf into desired shape (rectangular, pictured at left). Sprinkle with oregano and dried parsley flakes, leaving 1 inch of dough at the bottom. Sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Add capicola and salami. Fold dough, bringing one corner to the other; turn over, then fold to bring other corners together. Seal the seams and ends with a small amount of water. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk. Bake in 375 F oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Katie Ayoub is is a frequent contributor to Pizza Today. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Stromboli is a second cousin to pizza and a first cousin to the calzone. Which brings us to this question: how, precisely, does a Stromboli differ from a calzone?

Well, in a nutshell, there is not much difference. A stromboli starts with a rectangular shaped pizza dough, while a calzone starts with a circle of dough. A calzone is always folded over just once, while a strom sometimes — but not always — gets rolled. There are different interpretations of the dish, but a stromboli essentially is an enclosed sandwich.

As a specialty item, stromboli needs to be treated in a certain way. What that means is that stromboli offerings should be separated from the pizzas on your menu to avoid confusion. The best way to do that is to create a separate section or box on your menu to make stromboli a featured item. That allows you to distance yourself from the chain gang of pizza places — your competition — that rarely feature or offer stromboli.

The good news is that this product delivers well. The key is to avoid slicing it all the way through prior to delivery. Instead, slice about one-fourth of the way through to enhance the presentation and prevent the filling from leaking out.

In house, for table service, you should slice the roll all the way through (I like to slice it on the diagonal) so that the customer can take a slice or two without much fuss. In either case, delivery or in-house, serve the stromboli with a warm marinara sauce on the side.

Different? Slightly, yes. But that’s the idea.

And what about the filling used for a stromboli? Just about any ingredient you have on your pizza prep table can be used in the dish. Let your creative juices flow. In the recipe that follows, I have allowed for certain select ingredients; however, you can tailor the stromboli filling any which way you chose to go relative to food costs and the price you will charge. 

Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the oven temperature and bake time to ensure that the dough is completely cooked through. Also, don’t stray too far from the size I give in the recipe.  Bigger is not better in this instance (if there are too many layers of dough, the inner layers may not get fully baked).

Lastly, be sure to seal the stromboli well, and don’t forget to  make several small cuts in the top of it so that steam can vent during baking. 

Here is the basic procedure. First, roll the dough into a rectangle that is about 10 inches by 14 inches.
In this basic recipe I use the following for my filling:
Lay 2 ounces of sliced, sandwich-size pepperoni (about 11 slices) over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Overlap the slices to fit as needed.
Brush pizza sauce (about 2 ounces) over the pepperoni.
Sprinkle about 4 to 5 ounces of shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Or, conversely, use slices of provolone.
Sprinkle on some dried oregano followed by some grated Parmesan.
Arrange the rectangle of dough with the short end being nearest you.

Paint the border of each long end of the dough with an egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water).  Roll the dough into a cylinder, pinching the edges to seal.  Place the stromboli, seam side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. Cut several small slits in the top of the dough.
Brush the top of the dough with some of the egg wash. Sprinkle a bit of grated Parmesan on top.
Bake the stromboli in a 400 F oven for about 20 minutes, or until it is golden brown and starts to crisp.  Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. I use three slices to an order, slightly overlapping the slices; then I drape the slices with warm marinara sauce.

Some tasty variations: In each of these, use the method for the basic recipe as a standard.
Use precooked Italian sausage crumbles or sauteed Italian sausage (out of the casing. Cool it a bit before using.  You will need about ½ pound of sausage).
A ham and cheese stromboli
using thin slices of prosciutto is a good alternative to pepperoni.
A four-cheese stromboli using provolone, mozzarella, fontina or Asiago and Parmesan is delicious.
A veggie stromboli should feature a medley of sauteed vegetables, such as bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and olives, as well as the cheese(s) of your choice. Drain the vegetable medley and cool slightly before using.u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

What exactly is soppressata? In a nutshell, it’s a form of dry- cured salami. A specialty of southern Italy, it is traditionally made using pork (beef is used on occasion). The basic seasonings include cracked red pepper and garlic. Depending on who is making it, some versions are hotter than others (in other words, more red pepper is used). Overall, I love the fragrant, spicy flavor of soppressata.

A number of Italian restaurants in Chicago use soppressata as part of a salumi (cured meats) and cheese platter. And when used as part of this style of antipasti platter, soppressata should be sliced thin (even thinner than pepperoni).

Speaking of pepperoni, soppressata works as a perfect stand-in or substitute for pepperoni –– it can be used on a pizza the same way you would use pepperoni. Romance it a bit, though, by saying something like “soppressata calabrese –– a spicy salami” on your toppings list. Test a few slices to see how much fat it throws off (some fat is a good thing, since it adds to the overall flavor) and if there is excessive “cupping.”

When I am replacing pepperoni with soppressata on a pizza, I find that a coarse chop works great. I scatter the chopped soppressata atop the cheese and across the pizza. It makes for a great presentation and a flavor that is hard to beat. Having said that, I should also point out that, on average, soppressata has a higher food cost than pepperoni.

Beyond using it for pizza, I also use it to kickstart a red sauce by sauteéing chopped soppressata in olive oil and crushed garlic. Then I add crushed all- purpose tomatoes, oregano and basil. That’s it! You’ve got a delicious, gently meaty red sauce.

Soppressata has a variety of uses beyond pizza or the aforementioned meats platter. Try using it in a sandwich, for example. Check out this Panini recipe and see what you think:

PANINI CALABRESE

Yield: 8 sandwiches (scale up in direct proportion)

8 to 12 ounces (about 16 to 24 slices) thinly sliced soppressata (dry-cured Italian salami)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 thin slices prosciutto

8 thin slices fresh mozzarella

8 panini buns or rolls, toasted or grilled

1 cup roasted red bell pepper strips

16 large fresh basil leaves

In a nonstick sauté pan set over medium- high heat, fry the soppressata until lightly crisp and some fat has rendered, about 2 minutes per side. Remove it to a plate.

Lightly brush the buns or bread with extra-virgin olive oil.

Layer each bun this way: the soppressata, 2 slices prosciutto, 2 slices mozzarella, 2-3 strips of roasted red bell pepper strips on one slice of the bread. Top with the other slice and place the sandwich in the pan, pressing down on the sandwich with the palm of your hand. When that side is lightly toasted, about 3 to 4 minutes, flip the sandwich and toast the other side. (Alternatively, use a sandwich press or panini grill.)

Remove the sandwich to a cutting board and open the sandwich. Lay down four basil leaves on each sandwich. Close the sandwiches, then slice them in half to serve.

PASTA WITH SOPPRESSATA AND EGGPLANT

Yield: 4 servings (Scale up in direct proportion)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 eggplant (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into ½-inch dice

1 cup chopped yellow onion

¼ pound soppressata in chunks about ¼-inch thick

3 cups canned plum tomatoes with juices

¼ teaspoon (or to taste) dried red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound farfalle pasta (or other short pasta such as penne, rigatoni)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Rub a baking sheet or sheet pan with the olive oil. Arrange the eggplant in one layer on the pan. Sprinkle the onion over the eggplant. Roast the eggplant and onion for about 20 minutes until it is barely tender (can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and held).

While the eggplant is roasting, make the sauce. In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, cook and stir the soppressata until it throws off some fat and starts to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Add the pepper. Simmer the sauce vigorously for about 20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to about 2 cups (can be prepared several hours ahead and held).

Add the roasted eggplant and onions to the tomatoes. Turn the heat down to maintain a low, steady simmer.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and turn it out into a large heated serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Divide the pasta among four heated serving bowls. Top each serving with grated Parmesan cheese. u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Cajun-Creole cooking is hot (as in trend, but also because customers are taking to spicy-heat dishes like never before). So why not jump on the bandwagon and play along? I am sure your customers will love the variety.

Some of the specialities of New Orleans in particular and Lousiana in general include po’ boys, the famous muffaletta, jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish . . . the list goes on and on.

Critical to most Cajun dishes is the spice mix. There are brands upon brands of ready-to-go Cajun spice mixes, so that’s the easy part. However, should you wish to make your own Cajun spice mix, try this one:

Cajun Spice Mix

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons each of cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder.

1 tablespoon each sea salt or kosher salt, black pepper and sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Makes about 1 cup.

On the other hand, the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun-Creole cuisine is bell pepper, onion and celery. It all depends on what style of dish — pasta, soup, sandwich, pizza — you are going for.

The meats most commonly used in Cajun cookery are andouille sausage, pork sausage (boudin) and chaurice (similar to chorizo).

Here are is a Cajun-inspired sandwich recipe to get you started.

///////// Pasta Jambalaya with sausage and chicken

Serves 4 to 6 (scale up in direct proportion)

1 pound penne rigate, ziti or rotini, cooked in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water (the starchy water enhances the pasta “sauce”). Drain the pasta and set it aside. Keep it warm.

3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ pound shrimp
¾ pound andouille sausage, diced into ½-inch pieces
½ cup yellow onion, small dice
½ cup green bell pepper, small dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons Cajun spice mix
½ cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup canned plum tomatoes, crushed by hand and drained
½ cup grated Parmesan

Over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil in a large saute pan for 1 minute. Add chicken, sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add the Cajun spice mix. Stir and cook until the chicken and sausage and bell pepper are cooked through (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Cook and stir to reduce a bit. Add the reserved pasta water and cook for another 3 minutes.

Put the cooked, reserved pasta in a heated pasta serving bowl. Add the jambalaya sauce and toss to combine. For each portion, sprinkle on the Parmesan just before serving.

//// Muffaletta //// Olive Salad

Yield: 2 quarts

1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup green “Salad” olives with pimientos
1 cup chopped black olives
½ cup pepperoncini
2 ½ cups roasted sweet peppers, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup capers, rinsed
1 teaspoon each white and black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano,
crumbled
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf
parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a non-reactive container (glass preferred) and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Use after 12 hours. It will keep for about 1 month.

The two meats most commonly used in a muffaletta sandwich are hard salami (Genoa works best) and ham. Mortadella is often used, too. The cheese most commonly used is provolone. The meats and cheese should be thinly sliced.

The bread most commonly used is Italian. The shape of the bread should be round, and it should have some height, since it will be sliced in half horizontally. Size varies, but the bread should be no smaller than 8 inches in diameter. The largest muffaletta sandwich that I ever had was made with a 12-inch round loaf.

The assembly goes like this. Slice the bread in half horizontally. Scoop out some of the bread from the center of the bottom half (this helps to hold in the olive salad). Spoon some of the olive salad into the “cavity” of the bottom half of the bread. Lay in the provolone cheese, then the meats. Smear some of the liquid from the olive salad over the meat. Cover with top half of bread. Press down on the bread to flatten the sandwich just a bit. Slice into wedges and serve. u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Calzones are the perfect menu item to help stretch your ingredients while increasing the versatility of your menu. Calzones have been around for decades, and thinking outside the box (or semi-circle in this case) can yield some outrageous calzones that will keep your customers craving these hand-held creations. The options are practically limitless. A calzone is essentially a folded pizza, and anything that you can put on a pizza can be put in a calzone.

You’ve got to consider how much sauce and how many ingredients you stuff inside this delectable baked treat. Too much sauce will create a soggy calzone and make it almost impossible to pick up and eat. Customers get excited about adding lots of fillings, leaving us trying to figure out how to cram so much into our dough. Remember, too many ounces of calzone fillings may still be undercooked by the time the dough is finished and golden on the outside. Train your staff to either limit the amount of fillings or, if a customer wants too many fillings, train the crew to use less of each so your calzone can bake properly. My preference for the ideal calzone is a 12-ounce pizza dough ball stretched out to 12 inches. Put your ingredients on the lower half of your stretched dough, ensuring that none of the toppings or fillings overlap the bottom edge of the dough. This will ensure a proper seal of your calzone, which is critical so it doesn’t open during the baking process and allow your sauce or cheese to ooze out while in the oven and make a real mess. If you are going to use any sauce of any kind in a calzone, it is better to use a small amount and to add your sauce last, drizzling it over your other fillings while allowing the sauce to bake down over the other ingredients. This will leave a crisper bottom.

Once you have stretched your dough, put the filling on the bottom half and drizzle a little bit of sauce over your ingredients. Now you simply want to fold the top down to the bottom covering all the ingredients. Some folks use an egg wash, but I just act as though I’m trying to push my fingers straight through to the bottom of the dough which always seals it well. Here’s the trick –– as the calzone bakes (which is generally the same time and temp as a pizza) it will get very hot inside. That will create some steam and it will want to escape. That’s why I slit or rip a little hole in the top of my calzones before they go into the oven. That steam that wants to escape will find the path of least resistance — and if there’s not a hole in the top, it will rip a hole in your seam and make a mess in your oven. Think of it as a chimney.

OK, we’ve got the basics, essentials and calzone building techniques down. It’s time to put our chef hats on and get creative. So many pizzerias have your basic calzone with pepperoni and cheese, or ricotta and tomatoes, but if you want to knock your customers’ socks off and have them talking about your outrageous calzones at the water cooler, you’ve got to get creative. It’s important that we know our customer base as well. You don’t want to have a sophisticated and overpriced calzone on your menu if you’re feeding a community who can’t afford it or have never heard of the fillings you offer. Think about some of your favorite entrées or sandwiches and figure a way to make it work in a calzone using the principles that I’ve shared with you:

• I love a great Steak Bomb Calzone. Cook your steak up with some grilled peppers, onions, mushrooms garlic salt and pepper and put about 10 total ounces of that mixture with some cheese, and you’ve got a winner for sure.

u Chicken Cordon Bleu is a classic French dish that can easily be made into a calzone. Use either grilled or cooked breaded chicken breast, ham and Swiss cheese. You can add a drizzle of Alfredo sauce and now you’ve got a French classic.

u The only thing better than a great Reuben sandwich would be an amazing Reuben calzone. Either make or buy some rye dough for this one and stretch it the same way you would pizza dough. Sliced lean corned beef, Swiss cheese, very well drained sauerkraut and a drizzle of 1000 Island dressing will yield you some raving fans.

u Pulled pork can be used on a Cuban sandwich, as well as a pizza topping. Guess what? It’s also great in a calzone. Let’s call this one a “Bar-B-Q Pit” calzone. Toss six ounces of pulled pork with two ounces of your favorite BBQ sauce and spread that on the bottom half of your 12-inch stretched pizza dough. Next, add two ounces of ham, one ounce of crumbled bacon, two ounces of grilled onions and three ounces of your pizza cheese to finish off this hand-held BBQ calzone.

u Don’t be afraid to try some vegetarian options using veggies like spinach, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and Feta cheese.

u A breakfast calzone with scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, caramelized onions and cheddar cheese can create a whole new meal period for you if you feel there is a need for feeding folks breakfast.

These are just a few great ideas for some extraordinary calzones that are sure to please. Add your own flair and creativity. Once you’ve got your calzone repertoire down to some great choices, let your customers help create and name some new ones. That always creates a buy in factor with customers. I hope you can take some of these creative tips and run with it. u

Jeff Freehof owns The Garlic Clove in Evans, Georgia. He is a frequent contributor to Pizza Today and a speaker at the Pizza Expo family of trade shows.

Canadian bacon is not bacon at all –– it is ham. Canadian bacon is made from the ribeye of the pork loin (eye of the loin). In the United States, pork belly becomes the cut most often used to make Canadian bacon. In Canada, Canadian bacon is known as "back bacon."

I am aware of the fact that a number of pizzerias list Canadian bacon as an optional topping, but, unfortunately, that is where it comes to a screeching halt, and it shouldn't. There are many ways to use Canadian bacon, as you will see from the recipes that follow. So if you are already using Canadian bacon in your operation, explore using it even more.

The basic idea behind all of this is that you can and should use Canadian bacon as you would ham. When I was doing work in Spain and Mexico, one of the best selling pizzas was a Hawaiian pizza. The combination of ham and pineapple is highly favored in Latin countries: smoky meets tangy sweet, and that result equals real enjoyment.

At first, the idea of pineapple in conjunction with a tomato-based pizza sauce seems a bit strange, but it works quite nicely. However, if you are not tuned into the Hawaiian pizza (ham and pineapple) idea, try the recipes that follow where Canadian bacon is used in a number of delicious ways.

A few thoughts:

• When using pineapple to make a Hawaiian pizza, use pineapple chunks, not slices. Slices might look better on the pizza, but normal slicing of the baked pizza poses problems (the pineapple slices tends to slide hither and yon, and some slices might end up with a big portion of pineapple, while other slices get short shrift).

• When using Canadian bacon as a topping, slices (depending on size) can be put on whole. However, by dicing the bacon, or cutting the slices into quarters, you will get more coverage overall.

• Hawaiian pizza made with a 14-inch pizza shell will require about 6 to 8 ounces of Canadian bacon, and 8 to 10 ounces of pineapple chunks. Try the following recipe. The idea here is put the pineapple chunks on top of the cheese, not buried underneath the cheese. This allows the heat of the oven to give the pineapple a slightly charred look, which enhances the flavor tremendously. It is not that we want the pineapple to glaze, since that would require it being basted (or sautéed) with sugar; instead, we want the pineapple to be heated through to enhance its sweet and smoky flavors. Experiment with different size pineapple chunks until you get to where you want to be.

Hawaiian Pizza

14-inch pizza shell

6 ounces seasoned pizza sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

6 ounces Canadian bacon, diced or sliced

8 ounces pineapple chunk


Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the pizza. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella. Add the Canadian bacon followed by the pineapple chunks. Bake.

Canadian Bacon Pizza with Spinach & Mushrooms

14-inch pizza shell

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces coarsely chopped Canadian bacon

8 ounces domestic mushrooms, sliced about 1/8-inch thick

4 ounces fresh baby spinach

6 ounces seasoned pizza sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

2 ounces grated Parmesan

Basic Prep (can be held one day): In a sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and sauté only until the bacon begins to take on a light crisp.

Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms lose most of their moisture and begin to firm up.

Add the spinach leaves and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the leaves just begin to wilt.

• Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust. Add the reserved spinach and Canadian bacon mixture. Add the mozzarella and the Parmesan. Bake.

CB& Frittata Panini

Yield: 4 large panini

This tasty panini is easy to make and quite delicious. Once the frittata has been made, it can be held for 2-3 hours at room temperature. To order, the panini is assembled and put in the panini press. Also, the frittata part can be made ahead and put in the cooler and stored covered for up to 3 days.

To make the frittata

8 extra-large eggs

4 tablespoons skim milk

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

6 ounces diced Canadian bacon

1/2 cup diced roasted red bell peppers

1/2 cup diced Roma or plum tomatoes

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella and provolone blend

8 slices panini-style bread*

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, skim milk, and mustard. Whisk to blend. Add the Canadian bacon, bell peppers, tomatoes and cheese blend. Stir well to combine the ingredients.

Pour the egg mixture into a lightly greased (or sprayed) baking pan that measures about 9 inches x 9 inches. Bake in a 375 F oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the eggs are set and there is firmness to the frittata when pressed with your finger.

Allow the frittata to cool for about 20 minutes. Turn it out of the pan and cut into 4 equal squares. Place each square between two slices of panini-style bread. Put the sandwich into a panini press to toast the bread. If you don't have a panini press, toast the bread in the oven.

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, was a piece of work himself, but the sandwich was born when he came up with the idea of putting meat between two slices of bread so he could continue to play cards without interruption or without getting the cards greasy from eating meat with his hands. Great story. True or not, it doesn’t matter, because the word “sandwich” is now an important part of our culinary inventory.

At its simplest, a sandwich is bread with something in between. Simple, yet so complex. Today, the sandwich takes on many forms and pseudonyms: Grinder, hero, sub, hoagie, torpedo, bahn mi (Vietnamese sub sandwich) and po’boys are all sandwiches in one form or another.

Because I have so many personal favorites, I was a troubled soul for a week or more trying to narrow my sandwich choices down to only a handful based on the space allocated me for this story. Some of my favorites are those that are thrown together using leftovers. For example, when I was growing up, Sunday night was sandwich night. I would take some of that eggplant parmigiana leftover from Sunday dinner (which was always at 12 noon) and slap it between two slices of Italian bread. No heat to this one, just a simple (yet simply delicious) eggplant sandwich.

Any great sandwich starts with the bread. White House Subs in Atlantic City uses a special unique-in-texture-and-flavor-bread (made at a bakery within the same block) for its subs. This hole-in-the-wall shop sells upwards of 500 subs a day –– they’ve gotta be doing something right.

In Chicago, the sandwich of note is the Italian beef sandwich. Any place worth going to for an Italian beef uses a first-rate Italian or French bread roll (or a three-foot long baguette, cut to size) that is crusty on the outside with a soft texture underneath (the soft texture helps to sop up some of the “juice” of the beef).

In New Orleans, the famous muffuletta requires a certain style of bread to carry it off. The round sturdy loaf (about 10 inches in diameter), similar in heft to a focaccia, has to hold up considering the load of cold cuts and the olive salad that goes into its make-up.

In that regard, the five WOW! Sandwiches I came up with all use good bread (or in the case of the turkey wrap, an excellent flour tortilla). And, of course, some tasty stuff to fill it up. Where do you get the bread? Sample, try, taste, test, until you get exactly the right stuff. A great sandwich is nothing without great bread. Otherwise eat the cold cuts with your hands, or stop playing cards.

Now, onto the recipes. Note that all of these sandwiches make one serving. All can be scaled up in direct proportion.

Muffuletta

Olive salad*
1/2 cup each green and black olive, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine and toss all of the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
* If making the olive salad is too daunting, simply purchase any good brand of mild giardiniera.

One 10-inch round loaf of bread, thick enough to cut in half horizontally. Scoop out some of the soft dough from the bottom half of the loaf to form a well for the olive salad.
4 slices mortadella
4 slices Genoa salami
4 slices provolone cheese

Spoon the olive salad into the well of the bottom half of the bread. Layer on the meats and cheeses. Cover with the top of the bread. Press down to flatten the sandwich a bit. Cut into four wedges. Serve. (Sandwich, including olive salad, can be made ahead up to 30 minutes without refrigeration.)

Terrific Turkey Wrap

1 large flour tortilla
2 large leaves of romaine lettuce
½ Avocado, mashed with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 slices of fresh tomato
4 ounces thinly sliced turkey
2 ounces shredded Mozzarella
Layer the wrap in the order given, starting with the lettuce. Wrap, roll, cut in half on the diagonal. Garnish the plate with olives, Serve.

Chicken and Pesto Panini

1 4 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded, grilled
3 tablespoons pesto mayonnaise (combine equal parts of pesto sauce and
mayonnaise)
3-4 pieces of roasted red bell pepper
4 ounces mozzarella, sliced (or shredded if sliced is not available)
2 large slices sourdough bread or good Italian bread

Brush both sides of the cooked chicken breast with the pesto mayonnaise. Lay the chicken on top of one of the bread slices. Add the roasted pepper and the cheese. Top with remaining slice of bread. Grill until the bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Cut in half and serve with olive garnish.

My abbondanza Italian sub sandwich

1 8-10 inch sub sandwich roll or ciabatta, cut in half horizontally
3 tablespoons giardiniera
3 slices each mortadella, capocollo, salami, and provolone, folded in half
2 slices grilled eggplant

Scoop out some of the soft portion of the bottom slice of the bread and spoon the giradiniera in that well. Layer on the meats and cheese in the order shown. Add the grilled eggplant. Cover with the top half of the roll. Cut in half, garnish, serve.


Meatball Sub sandwich

1 8-10 inch sub roll, split but not all the way through
1/4 cup (more or less) heated pizza or marinara sauce
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3-4 (relative to size) meatballs
1/4 cup (more or less) shredded mozzarella or provolone or blend

“Paint” the inside of the roll with some of the pizza sauce. Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese. Lay in the meatballs. Add some more pizza sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Serve with garnish of peperoncini.

What makes a great sandwich? Ask 10 people and you’ll likely get 20 answers. In my hometown of Chicago, it’s all about the Italian beef sandwich. In Philadelphia, it’s about a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. In Texas, it could well be a barbecue sandwich. In New Orleans, it’s all about the famous muffaletta. In New England, a well made lobster roll tops the popularity poll of great sandwiches. And the fun and flavor goes on and on.

In the past 10 years or so we have seen the rising popularity of the panini (pressed hot sandwich) and the continuing demand for a finely made sub sandwich (also known as the hero or grinder). The fact is that unless you are offering your customers a sandwich or three or more, your competition is eating your lunch (literally). It doesn’t take a whole lot of work to put together a sandwich menu. You don’t have to shell out major bucks to buy a decent press for making panini, and it’s a simple matter to line up a good suppliers or submarine rolls.

Now all you need to do is to take a look in your pizza prep table or walk-in. Or better still, bring in one or two extra ingredients and you will be on your way to putting some very tasty sandwiches on your menu.

Wen tasked with developing Five Great Sandwiches for this article, I took several factors into consideration. I went for those that were not too difficult to assemble, that had broad appeal; that had relatively low food costs, and that you could put together with many of the ingredients that are already in house. Also, I took into consideration sandwiches that can be delivered without too much difficulty.

First, let’s consider the eggplant parmigiana panini. Take a look at the recipe for the chicken Parmesan sandwich that follows. If you substitute breaded eggplant cutlets for the chicken, and sliced Italian bread for the roll, you will be serving one fine eggplant Parmesan sandwich. Once the sandwich is assembled, put it in the panini press until toasted and the cheese melts. If you do not have a panini grill, simply put the sandwich in a frying pan or sauté pan and weight it down.

Second, if your menu offers spaghetti and meatballs, you have almost everything you need to make a fine-tasting meatball sub (you will need a good submarine or grinder roll). Use your pizza sauce. Brush some of it on both sides of the roll. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese over the tomato sauce. Put two or three (relative to size) meatballs in the roll. Spoon some hot pizza sauce over the meatballs. Sprinkle on some shredded mozzarella. Presto —you’ve created the perfect (and easiest) Meatball sub sandwich.

Now let’s take a look at what you already have in your pizza prep table: cheese, tomatoes, sausage, pepperoni, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives etc. Why not a pizza sub sandwich? Pizza sauce on the inside of the sub roll, add the cooked sausage crumbles, slices of pepperoni, mushrooms and olives. Add some shredded cheese on top. Give it some heat, and here we have another tasty sandwich.

Beyond using what you already have in house, consider a few of the classics like the muffaletta or an Italian wrap. For the wrap come up with a tasty and enticing name, like “Tuscan Wrap” or La Verdure. And you can actually use your pizza dough to create the wrap. You have to sheet the dough as thin as possible to about 10 or 12 inches in diameter. Now brush the dough with olive oil and throw it on the grill or give it a couple of minutes in the oven to cook it just a bit. Let the wrap cool. (You can make a stack of wraps and have them ready to roll.) The wrap should now be able to fold without cracking. To finish, lay some sliced mozzarella or provolone (about three or four slices) in the center of the dough (laying down the cheese first helps to prevent the wrap from getting soggy). Add cold cuts or arugula or vegetables or chicken –– use your culinary creativity. Now simply add some garnish (peperoncini, olives, etc. ) and serve.

Finally, here’s a recipe to try. For this chicken parmesan sub, prep as many chicken breasts as needed and hold. When the order comes in, assemble the sandwich and finish it off in the oven to melt the cheese and warm the sauce.


Chicken Parmesan Sub
Yield: One sandwich

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast ( 6-8 ounces) lightly pounded
3 tablespoons flour
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup bread crumbs (Panko works best)
1 soft submarine roll (7-8 inches long) split horizontally
Pizza or tomato sauce
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Dredge the chicken breast in the flour, dip in the egg (let the excess drip off). Press the bread crumbs into the chicken all over to coat. Saute in hot oil (or deep fry) the chicken breast until it is cooked through and golden brown.


Brush or spoon a small amount of sauce on both sides of the sub roll. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the sauce. If necessary, cut the cooked chicken breast to fit neatly into the sub roll. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the chicken. Put the sandwich half (open-face) in the oven to melt the cheese. Put the top on the sandwich and cut in half. Serve.

Stromboli: One of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Italy, also the location of one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.
Stromboli: The 1950s movie starring Ingrid Bergman.
Stromboli: Rolled pizza.

Stromboli is in the family of rolled or folded pizzas. Calzone and panzarotti are part of that family as well. Calzone (translation: “trouser leg”) is a half-moon in shape, baked and stuffed with various ingredients. It is a specialty of Naples, Italy. Panzarotti (translation: “little bellies”) is also half-moon in shape and stuffed with various ingredients; however, it is (typically) deep-fried rather than baked. Tuscany and Apulia are two regions in Italy where you are most apt to find these delicious "little bellies."
It is not likely that you will find Stromboli –– the rolled pizza, that is –– any where in Italy (not even on the island of Stromboli).
Much has been written about calzones and panzarotti. On the other hand, stromboli always seems to get the short end of the pizza pie. Let me qualify that: East Coast pizza operators are very much in tune with the stromboli. In fact, you will find stromboli on a high percentage of menus in Italian restaurants and pizzerias on the East Coast. So I am here to thump the culinary drum and parade the praises of stromboli to get you to try it.
For a number of reasons, strombolis are easier to make than calzone or panzarotti. Everything you need (more than you will need) to stuff a stromboli is already on your pizza prep table. Stromboli is a delectable alternative to pizza by-the-slice, or individual pizza. It delivers well, is sensational for a catering item and is great for a buffet because you can make several large strombolis and slice them, giving your customers a new look and a fun way to eat pizza.
To form a stromboli, it is simply a stretch, fill, fold and roll operation. Using your pizza dough, stretch or roll it into a rectangle (I like to work with a rectangle of dough, but you can use a round pizza shell, too). What size? You can determine that based on whether you want to do individual stromboli or big ones (I suppose I can coin a word here and call that big one a stromboloni) to slice and serve.
Now you lay the ingredients –– pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni and veggies –– or whatever you choose across the center of the dough, stopping about one-inch from the shorter edge. The next step is a simple fold and roll procedure. Fold the two short ends of the dough over so that it covers a part of the stuffing. Now fold the long edge (the one closest to you) over the filling to enclose it. Next, fold the other long edge toward you so that it overlaps. Roll it over, pinwheel fashion, so that the seam is down. Brush the top with an egg wash or olive oil. Transfer the stromboli to a baking sheet or pizza pan and bake.
Here's another idea: using dough that you might otherwise be thinking about tossing, make a number of stromboli, bake them and allow them to cool, then wrap and freeze for future use.
To make sure you better understand how this works, I am going to set up two basic options. The first option concerns a large stromboli that you can fill, fold, roll, bake and slice for a buffet or family-style serving. I will use a rectangle of pizza dough that is quite thin (less than 1/8-inch thick). I will roll or stretch it to a size that is about 12 inches by 10 inches. I will lay the filling in the center of the dough, stopping about one inch from each edge (the short edge).
Now simply follow the steps that I mentioned earlier. You will end up with a large stromboli that measures about 12 inches in length and about 4 inches across. After baking, let the stromboli cool down for several minutes. Slice on the bias and it is ready to serve.
For the second option, which is an individual serving, I will roll the dough to about 9 inches x 6 inches. Follow the basic fill, fold and roll steps. You will end up with a stromboli that is about 8 inches in length by about 2 inches across.
A few important tips:
Use only meats –– sausage, for example –– that have been cooked.
Vegetables like bell peppers and onions should be cooked ahead, too (I use roasted red peppers for optimum flavor…see related article on page XX).
Shredded cheese works better than sliced cheese.
To enhance the appearance of the finished stromboli, brush the top with an egg wash before baking (this will give it a glossy sheen) or olive oil.
Using the tip of a sharp knife, slit the top of the stromboli in one or two places before baking (to allow the steam out and avoid splitting). I like to bake the stromboli at 375 F.
Average cooking time (relative to oven used) will be about 20-25 minutes. Stromboli serves better when it has cooled down, almost to the point of lukewarm. You can serve it with a hot dipping sauce (marinara) if you wish.


STROMBOLI POLLO PARMIGIANO 
(chicken Parmesan)

16 ounces pizza dough
3/4 pound cooked chicken breasts shredded or diced
2 cups shredded mozzarella
12 ounces seasoned pizza sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Roll or stretch the dough into a rectangle that is about 12 inches x 10 inches.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, shredded mozzarella, pizza sauce and Parmesan. Toss well to combine.
Lay the chicken mixture across the center of the dough, stopping about one inch from either edge. Fold the two short edges over toward the filling. Fold the long edge (closest to you) over the filling. Bring the other long edge toward you to completely enclose the filling. Roll the stromboli (pinwheel fashion) over so that the seam is on the bottom. Brush the top with olive oil. Cut two slits in the top with a sharp knife. Bake in a 375 F. oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is toasty brown. Let cool for 8 to 10 minutes. Slice on the bias.