what to serve with calzones?



Y

Yvonne

Guest
Hi-could I have some suggestions please? - have invited friends to lunch and have promised them
calzones (filling-sundried tomatos, pesto, bacon, mushrooms, cheese). They are very nice but I dont
want to serve just calzones - what do they go with?? Apart from a glass of beer? A garden salad?
Anything else? I'd be grateful for any suggestions. TIA. Yvonne.

Please reply to group as the email address is bogus to avoid any more spam!
 
"Yvonne" writes:

>Hi-could I have some suggestions please? - have invited friends to lunch and have promised them
>calzones (filling-sundried tomatos, pesto, bacon, mushrooms, cheese). They are very nice but I dont
>want to serve just calzones - what do they go with?? Apart from a glass of beer?

Don't know your guests/friends or their tastes but the filling seem either a little pedestrian or
a tad busy. For my own tastes I don't like the juxtaposition of pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Each
on its own is fine by me but together they grate. YMMV, but I'd suggest losing the pesto and
adding another veg, something more robust than mushrooms. My personal fave is spinach or if you've
the stomach for it, chard. If you're using regular bacon and not pancetta I'd use a 1/2" dice of
thick sliced bacon lightly cooked in a pan. Wilt the spinach or chard in the grease and drain well
before stuffing.

>A garden salad?

Salad's good. You might want to consider a giardiniera appetizer course. The problem with calzones
is they're a meal in themselves. Between the filling and the crust you've got most of the major food
groups covered. I'd recommend a granite or Italian ice as a desert, or perhaps some fruit.

And for heaven's sake try some wine with the meal instead of beer. Barolo or Sangiovese, although my
current kick is pinot grigio (Cavit is acceptable plonk if you're in the US) and a white shouldn't
interfere with a calzone whose only meat is a pork product.

>Anything else? I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

Probably more than you wanted. ;-)

Best,

Marc
 
Yvonne wrote:

Hint: try out the classic calzone filling: mozzarella cheese, baked-ham, tomato sauce.

Baked-ham is a ham obtained from steaming for long time a ham: in italy they sell them as they sell
un-steamed ham, just a bit cheaper (they don't have to season them for as long as the un-steamed
classic one).

What to serve along with them? Red light wine, maybe sparkling Lambrusco. Or just a rose'.

Vilco
 
"MrAoD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Yvonne" writes:
>
> >Hi-could I have some suggestions please? - have invited friends to lunch
and
> >have promised them calzones (filling-sundried tomatos, pesto, bacon, mushrooms, cheese). They
> >are very nice but I dont want to serve just calzones - what do they go with?? Apart from a glass
> >of beer?
>
> Don't know your guests/friends or their tastes but the filling seem either
a
> little pedestrian or a tad busy. For my own tastes I don't like the juxtaposition of pesto and sun-
> dried tomatoes. Each on its own is fine by
me
> but together they grate. YMMV, but I'd suggest losing the pesto and
adding
> another veg, something more robust than mushrooms. My personal fave is
spinach
> or if you've the stomach for it, chard. If you're using regular bacon and
not
> pancetta I'd use a 1/2" dice of thick sliced bacon lightly cooked in a
pan.
> Wilt the spinach or chard in the grease and drain well before stuffing.
>
> >A garden salad?
>
> Salad's good. You might want to consider a giardiniera appetizer course.
The
> problem with calzones is they're a meal in themselves. Between the
filling and
> the crust you've got most of the major food groups covered. I'd recommend
a
> granite or Italian ice as a desert, or perhaps some fruit.
>
> And for heaven's sake try some wine with the meal instead of beer. Barolo
or
> Sangiovese, although my current kick is pinot grigio (Cavit is acceptable
plonk
> if you're in the US) and a white shouldn't interfere with a calzone whose
only
> meat is a pork product.
>
> >Anything else? I'd be grateful for any suggestions.
>
> Probably more than you wanted. ;-)
>
> Best,
>
> Marc

I agree on the spinach thing...... kili
 
x-no-archive: yes

Agreed on maybe a few too many ingredients. Between bacon, pesto and stuff I'd say this
will be heavy.

On the wine:

>And for heaven's sake try some wine with the meal instead of beer. Barolo or Sangiovese,

<snip>

I wouldn't recommend Barolo with a calzone. In fact, these days I wouldn't recommend Barolo at all.
The really good stuff is very expensive and it's not something you pick up at a supermarket. Because
it's become trendy, there's a lot of cheap stuff around and it's gross.

Naomi D.
 
(Naomi Darvell) writes:

>Agreed on maybe a few too many ingredients. Between bacon, pesto and stuff I'd say this will
>be heavy.

Eh, I'd say uninteresting, but that's me. I can down a pound of meat, pound of veg, pound of carbs
at a sitting.

But that's just me.

>On the wine:
>
>>And for heaven's sake try some wine with the meal instead of beer. Barolo
>or
>>Sangiovese,
>
><snip>
>
>I wouldn't recommend Barolo with a calzone.

Pourqoi? I like the heartiness of Barolo. Molto bene and all that. Ditto Sangiovese.

>In fact, these days I wouldn't recommend Barolo at all. The really good stuff is very expensive and
>it's not something you pick up at a supermarket.

Okay, so Barolo's been cheapened. Any response to the pinot grigio? While I'm not a fan of Vilco's
recommended rose or lambrusco, I'll do white wine with red meat and red w. with fish.

>Because it's become trendy, there's a lot of cheap stuff around and it's gross.

Wellyeah . . .

Best.

Marc
 
x-no-archive: yes

MrAoD wrote inter alia:

>Pourqoi? I like the heartiness of Barolo. Molto bene and all that. Ditto Sangiovese.
>
>>In fact, these days I wouldn't recommend Barolo at all. The really good stuff is very expensive
>>and it's
>not
>>something you pick up at a supermarket.
>
>Okay, so Barolo's been cheapened. Any response to the pinot grigio?>>

Oh, sure. Not one of my favorites but it's fine, cold.

While
>I'm not a fan of Vilco's recommended rose or lambrusco, I'll do white wine with red meat and red w.
>with fish.
>

I'll do red-- or champagne-- with almost anything! Me too, don't like lambrusco or most roses.

>>Because it's become trendy, there's a lot of cheap stuff around and it's gross.
>
>Wellyeah . . .

OK, you can say that with a lot of things but it's even more the case with Barolo. It's either
excellent or just awful.

Naomi D.
 
In rec.food.cooking, Yvonne <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi-could I have some suggestions please? - have invited friends to lunch and have promised them
> calzones (filling-sundried tomatos, pesto, bacon, mushrooms, cheese). They are very nice but I
> dont want to serve just calzones - what do they go with?? Apart from a glass of beer? A garden
> salad? Anything else? I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

A garden salad would be perfect. I'd opt for a delicious light oil 'n' vinegar type dressing.

--
...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who
 
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 01:29:05 +1100, "Yvonne"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Hi-could I have some suggestions please? - have invited friends to lunch and have promised them
>calzones (filling-sundried tomatos, pesto, bacon, mushrooms, cheese). They are very nice but I dont
>want to serve just calzones - what do they go with?? Apart from a glass of beer? A garden salad?
>Anything else? I'd be grateful for any suggestions. TIA. Yvonne.

I'd be happy with the calzones plus a green salad. Maybe some antipasto, too.

Tara
 
"MrAoD" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> kilikini writes:
>
> >"MrAoD" <[email protected]> wrote in
>
> >> "Yvonne" writes:
> >>
> >> >Hi-could I have some suggestions please? - have invited friends to
lunch
> >and
> >> >have promised them calzones (filling-sundried tomatos, pesto, bacon, mushrooms, cheese). They
> >> >are very nice but I dont want to serve just calzones - what do they go with??
> [snip]
>
> >> Don't know your guests/friends or their tastes but the filling seem
either
> >a
> >> little pedestrian or a tad busy. For my own tastes I don't like the juxtaposition of pesto and
> >> sun-dried tomatoes. Each on its own is fine
by
> >me
> >> but together they grate. YMMV, but I'd suggest losing the pesto and
> >adding
> >> another veg, something more robust than mushrooms. My personal fave is
> >spinach
> >> or if you've the stomach for it, chard.
> [snip]
>
>
> >I agree on the spinach thing......
>
> But not the chard? Pity, the only thing me and the missus can agree on greens-wise is turnip
> greens. Hence the fallback position of spinach.
>
> We both like collards (I like most kales, even have been known to go the backyard and pick pis-en-
> lit for the salad) but she can't abide the smell
of
> collards cooking in the house, and I can't abide canned collards. Memo to self: makee certain wife-to-
> be likee same-same food.
>
> So, are yuh fer or ag'in the wine?
>
> (gd&r)
>
> Marc

Oh, I'm all for the wine! LOL. My husband-to-be and I are ethnically challenged when it comes to
food likes and dislikes. He likes local food (he's Hawaiian) and I grew up in a German/Dutch
environment. We disagree on kinds of foods, on how to make dishes, and meal planning. Many times we
end up cooking for ourselves instead of each other. The only thing he really objects to me making in
the house is Red Cabbage and German Potato Salad. I think it's the vinegar smell he objects to.
Bummer. I love these dishes! That's okay, I don't care for his hot curry dishes either! <g>

kili
 
On 19 Feb 2004 15:00:53 GMT, [email protected] (MrAoD) wrote:

> "Yvonne" writes:
>
> >Hi-could I have some suggestions please? - have invited friends to lunch and have promised them
> >calzones (filling-sundried tomatos, pesto, bacon, mushrooms, cheese). They are very nice but I
> >dont want to serve just calzones - what do they go with?? Apart from a glass of beer?
>
> Don't know your guests/friends or their tastes but the filling seem either a little pedestrian or
> a tad busy. For my own tastes I don't like the juxtaposition of pesto and sun-dried tomatoes.
> Each on its own is fine by me but together they grate. YMMV, but I'd suggest losing the pesto and
> adding another veg, something more robust than mushrooms. My personal fave is spinach or if
> you've the stomach for it, chard. If you're using regular bacon and not pancetta I'd use a 1/2"
> dice of thick sliced bacon lightly cooked in a pan. Wilt the spinach or chard in the grease and
> drain well before stuffing.
>

AFAIC: lose the bacon and sundried tomatoes unless the tomatoes are superior. If the calzone has to
have meat, make it "spicy" Italian sausage. Add some ricotta... mushrooms are good (onion too) and
oregano. I like to add spinach too, have never tried chard in a calzone... I'd be very careful about
which type.

> >A garden salad?
>
> Salad's good. You might want to consider a giardiniera appetizer course. The problem with
> calzones is they're a meal in themselves. Between the filling and the crust you've got most of
> the major food groups covered. I'd recommend a granite or Italian ice as a desert, or perhaps
> some fruit.

Good advice!
>
> And for heaven's sake try some wine with the meal instead of beer. Barolo or Sangiovese, although
> my current kick is pinot grigio (Cavit is acceptable plonk if you're in the US) and a white
> shouldn't interfere with a calzone whose only meat is a pork product.

This is lunch... so I vote for the grigio.
>

Practice safe eating - always use condiments
 
On 19 Feb 2004 16:59:31 GMT, [email protected] (MrAoD) wrote:

> We both like collards (I like most kales, even have been known to go the backyard and pick pis-en-
> lit for the salad) but she can't abide the smell of collards cooking in the house, and I can't
> abide canned collards. Memo to self: makee certain wife-to-be likee same-same food.
>
Have you tried beet greens? They are my absolute FAVORITE, when I can find them. These days,
unfortunately you have to grow the beets just to get the greens.

Practice safe eating - always use condiments
 
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 00:53:51 GMT, "kilikini"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
> Oh, I'm all for the wine! LOL. My husband-to-be and I are ethnically challenged when it comes to
> food likes and dislikes. He likes local food (he's Hawaiian) and I grew up in a German/Dutch
> environment. We disagree on kinds of foods, on how to make dishes, and meal planning. Many times
> we end up cooking for ourselves instead of each other. The only thing he really objects to me
> making in the house is Red Cabbage and German Potato Salad.

GERMAN POTATO SALAD???? Oh the horror of it all. It's something I love.

> I think it's the vinegar smell he objects to.

Heh. I have a husband like that too. He hates vinegar so much that he won't eat foods that don't
contain vinegar, but sound like they do... like "pickled" figs.

> Bummer. I love these dishes! That's okay, I don't care for his hot curry dishes either! <g>
>
I'd like to know if he would eat the potato salad if you used a milder vinegar and he wasn't in the
house when you prepared it, or would he still use the "vinegar excuse"?

Practice safe eating - always use condiments
 
On 19 Feb 2004 18:44:55 GMT, [email protected] (MrAoD) wrote:

>
> Pourqoi? I like the heartiness of Barolo.

Barolo? Is that an East Coast thing? I've heard of it and I've actually tried it on a couple of
occasions... obviously not finding it a "must do again soon" type of wine.

Barbera was the Italian red that made my taste buds sing AND remember it's name! Grigio is my
favorite white (of course).

BTW: I found this map while satisfying my curiosity about where those wines were produced and found
it very informative: http://www.thewinebuyer.com/map_italy.html

=)

Practice safe eating - always use condiments
 
il Fri, 20 Feb 2004 01:29:05 +1100, "Yvonne" ha scritto:

> Hi-could I have some suggestions please? - have invited friends to lunch and have promised them
> calzones (filling-sundried tomatos, pesto, bacon, mushrooms, cheese). They are very nice but I
> dont want to serve just calzones - what do they go with?? Apart from a glass of beer? A garden
> salad? Anything else? I'd be grateful for any suggestions. TIA. Yvonne.

Since a calzone is just a folded pizza, have whatever you like with pizza. Maybe a salad. My sister
always swore by coke and water (half and half) with pizzas (she lives in Italy.) Beer is good for
hot weather and may suit those who think coke is too non alcoholic ;-). And if you like your
particular calzone filling, ignore everyone else's taste buds. Although I have to say pesto is
sooooooo nice I have it on it's own with pasta. ..yummmmm.
--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]
 
Loki wrote:

> Since a calzone is just a folded pizza, have whatever you like with pizza. Maybe a salad. My
> sister always swore by coke and water (half and half) with pizzas (she lives in Italy.)

Coke and water? Strange.

~john

--
Say hello to the rug's topography...It holds quite a lot of interest with your face down on it...
 
"sf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 00:53:51 GMT, "kilikini" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >
> > Oh, I'm all for the wine! LOL. My husband-to-be and I are ethnically challenged when it comes
> > to food likes and dislikes. He likes local
food
> > (he's Hawaiian) and I grew up in a German/Dutch environment. We
disagree on
> > kinds of foods, on how to make dishes, and meal planning. Many times
we end
> > up cooking for ourselves instead of each other. The only thing he
really
> > objects to me making in the house is Red Cabbage and German Potato
Salad.
>
> GERMAN POTATO SALAD???? Oh the horror of it all. It's something I love.
>
> > I think it's the vinegar smell he objects to.
>
> Heh. I have a husband like that too. He hates vinegar so much that he won't eat foods that don't
> contain vinegar, but sound like they do... like "pickled" figs.
>
> > Bummer. I love these dishes! That's okay, I don't care for his hot curry dishes either! <g>
> >
> I'd like to know if he would eat the potato salad if you used a milder vinegar and he wasn't in
> the house when you prepared it, or would he still use the "vinegar excuse"?
>
>
> Practice safe eating - always use condiments

Trust me, he'd still use the vinegar excuse. LOL kili
 
MrAoD wrote:

>> I wouldn't recommend Barolo with a calzone.

> Pourqoi? I like the heartiness of Barolo. Molto bene and all that. Ditto Sangiovese.

Barolo is way too strong, in terms of taste-intensity, for a food like calzones, expecially with the
"light" filling Yvonne uwilluse. IOW, it would kill the calzones, unless you filled them up with
baked boar...

> Okay, so Barolo's been cheapened. Any response to the pinot grigio? While I'm not a fan of Vilco's
> recommended rose or lambrusco, I'll do white wine with red meat and red w. with fish.

Me too, it's time to leave behind those old rules about white on fish and red on meat. The only
thing that matters, to me, is the balance between the tastyness of the wine and that of the food.

Vilco
 
Levelwave© wrote:

>> Since a calzone is just a folded pizza, have whatever you like with pizza. Maybe a salad. My
>> sister always swore by coke and water (half and half) with pizzas (she lives in Italy.)

> Coke and water? Strange.

Not too strange... many people here drink coke with pizza. When it's not beer, it's coke, and many
people drinks some water and some coke to reduce the effects of coke's sparklingness.

Vilco
 
il Fri, 20 Feb 2004 02:12:02 -0500, Levelwave© ha scritto:

> Loki wrote:
>
> > Since a calzone is just a folded pizza, have whatever you like with pizza. Maybe a salad. My
> > sister always swore by coke and water (half and half) with pizzas (she lives in Italy.)
>
>
> Coke and water? Strange.
>
> ~john

Quite common. The full coke tastes too sweet and thick. On a hot day bottled gassed water is lovely.

--
Cheers, Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]