Calzones

Mama's kitchen gone bad.
So said Hannah as dinner came out of the oven. So she's exaggerating a tish... the picture is worse than it was...

Calzones were chosen by the people, my little people, for this evenings meal. Did you know that Calzones originated in Southern Italy, namely Campania, Apulia, Calabria and Basilicata? Calzone literally means "trousers". Too funny.

So I was in a bit of a super woman with powers mode while creating the 1st batch of Calzones. I felt like a reality show where I had to get them made and baked, drive in the blizzard to pick up the girls from church and get them home to eat so they could race to swimming...hence the crazy outcome. So it seems (no pun) that my seams weren't exactly sealed properly. I have this gadget that you use to seal these savory pies and relied too much on my support team (gadget).  No worries. My people gobbled them up with not an utter of complaint...truly a Calgon moment.

Now for the real Calzones.  I stopped at Graziano Bros. yesterday to purchase the pizza sauce, Italian sausage and pepperoni for tonights meal. If you live in Des Moines and have never been, it is the best experience ever, going to an Italian market to shop for your meal. They have so many fun products that you would never see in a grocery store. The smell is wonderful too. They sell bulk spices in baggies for nearly nothing compared to the branded bottles you buy in the store. You never leave with the one or two items you went in there for either. I picked up another South Union Bakery Foccacia, the Giardiniera Mix that I apparently should have used on my Italian Beef Sandwiches and a Chipotle pepper paste (random, stocking up for another country). I've only ever purchased the Chipotles in adobo sauce which I feel is always a waste because you can never use the whole can of them. I digress...

The adult calzones featured both Graziano sausage and pepperoni along with roasted red pepper. Tossed with mozzarella and parmesan with the Italian pizza sauce and oregano and basil, we had ourselves a very tasty pie, or Trouser as they say.

I also picked up some pistachio gelato (archer farms). Haven't tried it but I'm sure Elie has! Yet another perfect night in Italy, the Giseppe way.

* Please note, this woman with super powers purchased the pizza dough in a tube, no hand tossing here. Just want to keep my blog real...