Calzone, the perfect stuffed pizza folded over and baked, usually made as an individual serving and stuffed to perfection with various meats, vegetables and cheese, it's the ultimate pizza pocket!

Start out with a pound of pizza dough, you can make your own or buy a good one, cut it into 4 equal pieces then let it rest to room temperature covered with a towel.

While your dough is resting you can get your filling ready, I like to use roasted veggies, always some spicy Italian sausage, precooked and sliced and a few different cheeses like fresh mozzarella, asiago and ricotta.

Oh, and some pretty green spinach and usually fresh basil I mix in with the ricotta.

Assemble your calzone with the ingredients of your choice, I made a vegetarian version and a meat one. Load your filling down the middle, not quite to the end, leaving some room for crimping. Take the top of the dough and fold it right over the filling to resemble a half moon, then crimp the edges.

Have your oven preheated to 400 degrees, then place the calzone on a baking sheet that has been brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with dry polenta or corn meal, doing this will ensure a nice crispy crust, and we like a nice crispy crust don't we?
Make sure to brush the uncooked dough with olive oil, a little cracked pepper and a sprinkling of grated cheese before baking.

Bake for around 30 minutes or until a rich golden color develops. Warning!  Your house will smell amazing!

For my veggie version before each bite I swiped my calzone in some olive oil and balsamic glaze, crazy good!

The meat version was draped with warmed homemade marinara, the perfect companion.
Now go and make some calzone!

Buon Appetito

If you're a lover of salmon like me, then you have to try this! It's easy to put together for a mid week meal, and elegant enough to serve for a special dinner party.

Serve this with a nice crisp salad and a cold glass of Pinot Grigio, and you've got a match made in heaven!!

The actual stuffing is made with frozen artichoke hearts, that have been defrosted and squeezed of any excess water (Trader Joes has the best!) sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and sliced into strips, a couple of shallots, a hint of garlic, and some good flavored breadcrumbs, not the kind that's real fine, something with texture.

Saute in olive oil and butter, the shallots and garlic, add your breadcrumbs till golden and crispy.

Add artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, mix well.

Take one piece of salmon, seasoned with a little salt and pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil, place a mound of stuffing on top, add a second piece of salmon on top of that, repeat with salt, pepper, olive oil and a little paprika. Line a pan with parchment or tin foil and roast till moist and flaky.

Lemon Caper sauce****

Squeeze fresh lemon and a dash of water into half and half, or cream that has been cooked down till thick, add black pepper and capers.

Lay your salmon on a bed of fresh sauted spinach, and pour the sauce on top, the flavor combinations work great together, hope you give it a try!!

Buon Appetito!

This is a rustic and hearty meal that is perfect on a cold winter night!! Everything can be combined ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake.

First, start out by making a thick and smooth besciamella sauce, by whisking some butter, flour,milk, salt and pepper. ( nutmeg optional)

Next, toss in 1lb. of al dente pasta with the warm besciamella sauce in a large bowl, stir in a 10 oz. of frozen chopped spinach which has been thawed and squeezed dry. Fold in 1/2 lb. of diced prosciutto, 1 cup of grated Parm, salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, pour everything into a roasting pan, dot with butter, sprinkle with more cheese, and bake at 450 for about 30 min's or until golden and a little crunchy!!

Buon Appetito!!