Traditional dishes are mainly based on simple products which are found and grown in the area, while the local specialities of the mountain restaurants are often the “festive dishes”.
If you wish to take home some mountain flavours, you will find speck, "malga" cheeses, "grappa", and other typical products in the local shops.
Ca∫unziéi (Ravioli stuffed with red beet-root)
This dish used to be made in winter, on long, snowy days when time went by very slowly.
Preparation Dough: Make the dough and wrap it in a wet cloth.
Filling: Boil beet roots and potatoes in salted water, when ready, peel and make a purée Melt the butter in a pan, add garlic and onion and stir fry, add the purée and cook until dry. When cool add Parmesan and nutmeg Seasoning: Mix poppy seeds, parmesan and grated ricotta cheese.
Preparation of Ca∫unziéi: Roll out the dough very thin on a floured surface and cut out discs about 8-cm in diameter. Put some of the filling on each disc and fold double. Press with the fingers to join the edges - press well, or the filling comes out when you boil them. To a large pot of boiling water add salt to taste and the casunziei, When they come to the surface cook for 3-4 minutes. With a skimmer transfer the casunziei to a serving dish, add the seasoning. Melt the butter and when very hot pour it onto the casunziei.
INGREDIENTS Dough: 500 g white flour 4 eggs 4 tbs olive oil ½ glass of water. Filling: 3 red beet roots and 6 potatoes, 100 g butter 1 onion 1 garlic clove 1 cup grated Parmesan 1 pinch nutmeg. Seasoning: ½ cup poppy seeds 1 cup grated Parmesan 80 g grated smoked ricotta 200 g butter.
Preparation: : Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery and add the spices, put the mixture into the pot and pour the wine into it. Cut the roebuck into pieces, put the meat into the marinade and leave for 18 hours. Take the meat off the pot and wipe with cloth. Heat 3 tbs of olive oil and 50 g butter in a pot, add the meat and stir fry, turning occasionally, salt to taste.
Add the vegetables of the marinade and cook over a moderate fire for 10 minutes. Add the wine , cover with the lid and simmer for 2 hours. Pour the gravy into a blender and mix. Serve the meat with the gravy aside. Ritually this dish is served with polenta.
INGREDIENTS 1000 g roebuck 1 bottle red wine Cloves 1 celery stick 2 carrots 1 onion Laurel leaves Olive oil Salt and pepper.
Zópes (Country-Style Dessert with Bread)
Cultural hint: This dish used to be made when returning from the fields or woods. Now it is a specialty.
Preparation: In a small bowl, mix the eggs with the wine, grappa or rum, and sugar with a wire whisk. Melt a walnut-size lump of butter in a non-stick fry pan. Dip the slices of bread in the egg mixture and place as many as the fry pan can hold without crowding. Cook over low heat on both sides until golden brown adding remaining butter as necessary, one lump at a time. Put them on plates and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Serve hot.
INGREDIENTS 12 slices of stale bread (Italian or French loaf) 1 cm. thick 2 large eggs ½ cup dry white wine* 3 tbs grappa or rum* 5 tbs granulated sugar, plus enough for sprinkling.
*The dish can be made without alcohol, substituting whole milk which is appropriate for children.
STRUDEL
Strudel, is a typical dessert of the Trentino Alto Adige area, now a symbol in the Dolomites' desserts.
Dough Preparation: mix the egg with the sifted flour, salt and oil, adding water to knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Make it a ball, oil it and let sit for half an hour.
Filling preparation: peel and chop the apples. Heat the butter to toast the breadcrumbs. Roll the dough into baking sheet. Oil with a little of melted butter and put the breadcrumb on 2/3 of the dough adding the apples chops, sugar, cinnamon, lemon peel, pine nuts and raisins and roll together.
Butter a baking tray and cook at 180° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powered sugar and serve warm with whipped cream.