When I was a teenager and still living at home, my family and I would consider it quite the treat to visit a well known chain of pizza making restaurants for lunch, whenever we were in Exeter on a shopping treat. I loved having a pizza there where you could cut your own slice and serve it yourself and of course a large, refillable coke (although there was always too much ice which I don’t like!).
However, then I was introduced to calzone – a pizza which looked a bit like a pasty but tasted so good! This then became my new meal of choice whenever we visited this place, and, if memory serves me right, I am sure that a well known high street clothing, homeware and food retailer sold their own versions in their food department. They were delicious and Mum would buy me one from time to time as a special tea time treat (yes, I know its the simple pleasures in life!).
I have always had special eating memories of calzone so imagine my delight when I was asked if I would like to receive a new range of Ristorante pizza calzones from Dr.Oetker! All those happy calzone teenage eating moments came flooding back to me, and I rather excitedly accepted the review.
It took me a few days to track down these elusive calzones as my nearest supermarkets do not yet have them in stock, but once I knew where they were we decided to have them for lunch on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and in order to work up an appetite for them, we took the boys tree climbing first in the sunshine. We found a tree at the top of a field near the boy’s grandparents, the views are wonderful from there and it seems hard to believe it was the beginning of October to be honest.
Jenson went up first but he is hoisted up as he does not yet known how to pull himself up on his own. Then Burton had his go and he went very high indeed! He actually went up to the next branch above him and while I was not worried, I later discovered that Daddy was a little nervous, despite him being the one who encouraged Burton to ascend so high !!!
We got back home a little after lunch time and everyone was ravenous, so having to wait 30 minutes for them to cook was met with slight protests of “but we are so hungry mummy!’Still, their new train set kept them busy thankfully!
I served mine and the OH’s with some salad, and the boys, who shared one between them, had theirs served alongside some baked beans.
Filled with ham, salami, mushrooms,(these had to be removed from the OH’s calzone as he cannot stand mushrooms – oops!) tomato sauce and mozzarella, they smelt fantastic and everyone tucked in hungrily.
My only complaint about the calzones would be that they were a little too salty for my liking, but seeing as though everyone cleared their plates I would say that these were a success! At only £1.50 each I think these are great value for money, and once cooked if they were wrapped up in foil they could be taken on picnics quite easily.
I have been paid to review these calzones, but my comments are honest and my own.