La cucina veronese

In Verona we find all the cooking styles of the Veneto. To this we can add several dishes typical of the city: the "zuppa scaligera", a richer version of the "sopa coada" that to the pigeon broth adds young turkey, chicken, white wine and other ingredients; potato gnocchi with butter and Parmesan cheese, with tomato sauce or "pastizada de caval", a horse-meat stew slow cooked in a rich, aromatic sauce. Pandoro, a sweet Christmas cake is produced all year round here.

PASTIZADA DI CAVALLO

Ingredients: serves 6
• 750 grams horse meat
• 500 grams mature tomatoes
• 25 grams butter
• onion
• carrot
• celery
• robust red wine
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation: In an earthenware casserole melt butter with 3 tablespoons of oil and sauté one large, thinly sliced onion with chopped carrot and stalk of celery. Add tomatoes, peeled and passed through a sieve, and meat. Season with salt and pepper, cook for 15 minutes over medium flame, then add a liter (or a little more) red wine and continue cooking over minimum flame for about 3½ hours. Pass sauce and vegetables through sieve and spoon over meat to serve.

PANDORO Ingredients: 700 grams cake flour 50 grams yeast 150 grams sugar 3 whole eggs 5 egg yolks 350 grams butter salt lemon powdered sugar

Preparation: Dissolve yeast in a little warm water and mix with 100 grams of flour. Let rise in warm place. When dough is doubled in volume, add 500 grams of flour, 5 egg yolks and 3 whole eggs, 100 grams of softened butter, grated peel of one lemon, and a pinch of salt. Knead energetically to make soft and uniform dough. With rolling pin roll out dough very thick; in center of dough place the remaining softened butter and fold dough over, using the same technique as for making puff pastry. Stretch the dough again with the rolling pin and fold edges towards center. Butter and flour two or three molds (in home ovens the pandoro comes out better using smaller molds). Fill molds half full, cover with clean cloths, and let rise in warm place. When the dough is well-risen bake in a hot oven for about 1 hour. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Store in plastic bag to keep; cake stays soft for several days.