By February 2025. Winter in Memphis, 66 years old, and the cold has settled into the house on Deadrick Avenue the way cold settles into old bones — persistently, without malice, just the physics of aging and December. Rosetta has the thermostat set at 74, our eternal compromise, and I cook warming things: stews and soups and slow-braised meats that fill the house with steam and flavor.
Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 41 years of marriage. Mama's absence still a presence in the kitchen — her recipes on the counter, her cast iron skillet on the stove, her voice in my head saying "more cinnamon" and "don't overwork the dough".
Ribs this week — spare ribs, dry-rubbed, five hours at 225, no foil, no rush. The Memphis way. The bark cracked when I bit into it, and the flavor was layered: smoke first, then spice, then the sweetness of the pork, each layer arriving on its own schedule, patient as a sermon. Rosetta ate two ribs and said nothing negative, which is a standing ovation from the toughest critic in my life.
Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.
The ribs taught me patience this week — five hours at 225, each flavor arriving on its own schedule — and I carried that same unhurried spirit into the next night’s kitchen. Rosetta had mentioned wanting something different, something she could pull apart at the table, and this Three-Meat and Cheese Stromboli felt right: layered and warm, the kind of thing that fills the house with the same steam and purpose as anything Mama would have approved of. She would’ve suggested more garlic. She was usually right.
Three-Meat and Cheese Stromboli
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 tube (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust dough
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 lb thinly sliced salami
- 1/4 lb thinly sliced pepperoni
- 1/4 lb cooked Italian sausage links, sliced thin
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Marinara sauce, warmed, for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll out dough. Unroll the pizza crust dough onto a lightly floured surface and stretch or roll it into a roughly 12x15-inch rectangle. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Season the dough. Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with garlic powder and Italian seasoning, leaving a 1-inch border around all edges.
- Layer the meats. Arrange the salami in a single layer across the dough, then layer the pepperoni on top, followed by the sliced sausage. Keep the border clear.
- Add cheese and peppers. Scatter the mozzarella and provolone evenly over the meats. Distribute the roasted red peppers across the top.
- Roll and seal. Starting from one long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log, tucking as you go. Pinch the seam and ends firmly to seal. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet.
- Apply egg wash. Brush the outside of the stromboli with the beaten egg. Using a sharp knife, cut 4–5 shallow diagonal slits across the top to allow steam to escape.
- Bake. Bake at 400°F for 22–25 minutes, until deep golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into rounds. Serve with warm marinara for dipping.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 1080mg