# Question for Italian cooks



## casserolequeen (Jan 23, 2006)

I am looking for an old italian recipe for making Sompanellis, I am probably spelling it wrong. Anyway what these are are flat crepe-like things made with double crepe irons. After these are made you brush them with butter and garlic and fold them up like a taco, then fold again. I need the batter recipe. If anyone can help I would deeply appreciate it!


----------



## ironchef (Jan 23, 2006)

casserolequeen said:
			
		

> I am looking for an old italian recipe for making Sompanellis, I am probably spelling it wrong. Anyway what these are are flat crepe-like things made with double crepe irons. After these are made you brush them with butter and garlic and fold them up like a taco, then fold again. I need the batter recipe. If anyone can help I would deeply appreciate it!


 
I know how to make crepes for canneloni, but I've never heard of these. Could be it's the same recipe perhaps, but with the added butter and garlic? Maybe one of our residents in Italy can shed some light on this.


----------



## lindatooo (Jan 24, 2006)

No clue but they sound wonderful!  Gonna be watdching for the recipe!


----------



## kadesma (Jan 25, 2006)

casserolequeen said:
			
		

> I am looking for an old italian recipe for making Sompanellis, I am probably spelling it wrong. Anyway what these are are flat crepe-like things made with double crepe irons. After these are made you brush them with butter and garlic and fold them up like a taco, then fold again. I need the batter recipe. If anyone can help I would deeply appreciate it!


Cass, 
wish I could help you, but, I've no clue as to just what  you need here. I do know that, as with many cultures, Italians have different dialects, so to do they change things when they come to America..I can remember when I first saw the word Foccacia, I had no idea what they were talking about on this food board. One of the posters then began to describe Foccacia,, well low and behold, it was fugazzi,(as pronounced by all the Italian people I knew then.) My in-laws and their parents tended to Americanize certain words so that if you were to repeat them in Italy you'd get a look of WHAT??? from the person you were talking to..That might be the reason this recipe you're seeking is eluding you and us..
kadesma


----------



## brebou1 (Feb 6, 2011)

I was wondering if you were ever able to find the recipe for Sompanelli? I also grew up with it but didnt get the recipe from my husbands relatives who had it. I do have people that I may be able to get it from but it would take some doing. If you have received it already could you please pass it on to me? If not, I will do some contacting to try to find the people who probably still have it. Unfortunately we did not get the recipes from the family members who brought it to the States before they were gone. I am also looking for a recipe for something called Casanti (spelling) also. I would have spelled Sompanelli the same as you did but nothing i try comes close onlline.


----------



## Josie1945 (Feb 6, 2011)

Welcome to DC.

Josie


----------



## brebou1 (Feb 7, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. 
Sompanelli is a very liquified bread batter. It is cooked on the stovetop between 2 round flat "irons" until crisp. When done it is spread with a mixture of garlic, rosemary, salt pork, butter etc... and has grated asiago cheese sprinkled over it. it is folded in half and then half again. 
The Casanti is the same thing only the bread is a normal dough. A dough ball is placed between the irons. When done it looks kind of like a small pancake. It is cooked till light brown, cut open and spread with the same filling and again sprinkled with asiago cheese. They both go great with homemade ravioli in chicken broth sprinkled with grated asiago cheese.


----------



## brebou1 (Aug 4, 2016)

*Casanti*

  I have done more research and found that the bread that we call Casanti is referred to as Crescentine in Modena. The "irons" that we cook them on are called "cotte" but the Crescentine  were originally made in clay disks called Tigelle. The bread dough was put into the Tigelle, the lid was put on and the whole thing was put into the fire to bake. It was then opened up, the bread cut in half, then spread with the garlic, salt pork, rosemary mixture and sprinkled with the grated cheese. We use asiago, most seem to use parmesan. They are so delicious! I am still looking to find another set of the irons (cotte) but am thinking that they will probably need to be custom made.
Some regions in Italy know Crescentine as a fried bread dough that puffs up and is then filled with meats and cheeses OR the same filling that we put in the Casanti. We call this fried bread dough Pasta Fritta or Pasta Fritte. Equally delicious!


----------



## brebou1 (Aug 4, 2016)

Nope Casanti is not the same recipe as Canolli. It is a normal bread dough, flattened and cooked somewhat crisp,, spread with ground salt pork, garlic and rosemary mix, then filled with cheese like asiago or parmesan . They arent swee like cannoli. 
Another name for the Pasta Fritte is Frittelle.


----------



## IrinaUrsu (Oct 7, 2016)

This sounds good. Now...who's sharing?


----------



## dragnlaw (Oct 8, 2016)

Google Crescentine recipes...  

Nigella, Epicurious, many others pop up...  

I'm off to do some browsing!


----------



## dragnlaw (Oct 8, 2016)

Have not finished reading this but it seems to be the closest to the discussion. Many of the others are in Italian 

Tigelle – Crescentine Modanesi


----------



## lyndalou (Oct 8, 2016)

I went to my favorite Italian cookbook by Marcella Hazan and could not find anything like the one you asked about. Sorry.


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 8, 2016)

This thread is 10 years old, brought back to life by a new member in 2011 and another new member yesterday. The OP is long gone.


----------



## dragnlaw (Oct 8, 2016)

Yea, GG...   I saw those dates but was interested to see what it was about.  Very interesting link I posted before.


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 8, 2016)

dragnlaw said:


> Yea, GG...   I saw those dates but was interested to see what it was about.  Very interesting link I posted before.



No problem if you want to look it up for yourself. I just wanted to let people know so they don't spend time trying to help someone who is no longer here, like lyndalou did.


----------



## dragnlaw (Oct 9, 2016)

You're right, I should have noted that it was a dated post, my bad.


----------



## erehweslefox (Oct 13, 2016)

Still is an interesting idea. I'd like to see a recipe for it. 

It kind of sounds like a Cornish Pasty, which I've been trying hard to work out a good recipe for. 

I know I'm another person keeping a zombie thread alive.


----------



## CharlieD (Oct 14, 2016)

GotGarlic said:


> This thread is 10 years old, brought back to life by a new member in 2011 and another new member yesterday. The OP is long gone.



It's even funnier that it was brought back to life by the same person who posted last in 20011. He/she has only 4 posts and returned to the last thread posted.


----------



## Rocklobster (Oct 14, 2016)

Still waiting for an answer, I guess...


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 14, 2016)

Rocklobster said:


> Still waiting for an answer, I guess...


----------



## di reston (Oct 14, 2016)

I've been wondering about this! In all the years I've had links with Italy and Italian people, and in all the years I've lived here, neither I nor my friends, nor the people on the Italian cookery newsgroup I follow have ever heard of this. As a linguist, I quite understand that it may well be a word invented by Italian emigrants to other countries such as Britain, the USA and Australia. But the members of my Italian newsgroup have never heard of it. Inventing words that have some of one language and some of another is quite common in immgrant communities. To identify exactly what Sompanelli really are it would help if one knew the recipe. So far we only have 'batter', and there are several versions of that in Italy, so in order for me to research a bit better so that I can send some cogent information to you, those details would help greatly. You've got me fascinated!

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast   Oscar Wilde


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 14, 2016)

di reston said:


> I've been wondering about this! In all the years I've had links with Italy and Italian people, and in all the years I've lived here, neither I nor my friends, nor the people on the Italian cookery newsgroup I follow have ever heard of this. As a linguist, I quite understand that it may well be a word invented by Italian emigrants to other countries such as Britain, the USA and Australia. But the members of my Italian newsgroup have never heard of it. Inventing words that have some of one language and some of another is quite common in immgrant communities. To identify exactly what Sompanelli really are it would help if one knew the recipe. So far we only have 'batter', and there are several versions of that in Italy, so in order for me to research a bit better so that I can send some cogent information to you, those details would help greatly. You've got me fascinated!



Unfortunately, the last time the OP posted on the forum was 1-31-2006, so it's unlikely she'll be back to give details.


----------



## di reston (Oct 14, 2016)

As a linguist and interpreter, I'm still interested and fascinated in researching the etymology of this word, so as and when I get a result, I'll post it!

di reston

enough is never as good as a feast     Oscar Wilde


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 14, 2016)

di reston said:


> As a linguist and interpreter, I'm still interested and fascinated in researching the etymology of this word, so as and when I get a result, I'll post it!



Go ahead. It will be interesting to see what you come up with. I just didn't want you waiting around for someone who is long gone to give you details


----------



## lakeman (Dec 12, 2019)

*sampanella*

We make these all the time. 

The butter:

Grind 3 lbs of salted fatback (not the skin you will need that to grease the pans) and mix in garlic and rosemary to taste. More is better!!!
this will be your butter that is spread on the sampanella. Best to make this a couple of days before you make them so as to infuse the flavor of the rosemary and garlic into the ground salted fatback.

The batter:

5 pounds flour
6 eggs
salt to taste
water till very thin and runny

The pans 

you can use a skillet. grease the pan with a piece of fatback and  just pour in a bit of the batter and roll the pan until the batter is evenly spread and cook till lightly crispy on the edges.

The authentic way is to use special pans that resemble banjos. Heat on low and grease the pans. pour a bit of batter onto the pan and immediately place the other half of the pan on top of the other to flatten the batter to thin and spread. We use an old sad iron on top of the pan to help flatten and thin the cooking batter. Cook for about 45 seconds and turn the pans over and do the same. Time may vary depending on how hot your pans get. Once done pass to a partner who spreads the butter across the whole side of the sampanella and then sprinkle a liberal dose of Asiago cheese across the butter. Fold in half fold in half again. This recipe is good for an average batch of 120. It takes about 3 hour or so over the stove to make. 

You can eat them as they come off the pans or layer them in baking trays and rewarm in oven later if they are for a party. They freeze well and are just as good later.

Important note. NEVER LET THE BATTER THICKEN UP!!! You will from time to time have to add water to the batter to keep it thin. 

I have a video of the process and will try to figure out how to post it.


----------

