This past Saturday I had the delightful opportunity to reveal the secrets of La Cucina Toscana to four lovely women. My friend, Benedetta, taught them how to prepare crostini neri (appetizer toast) a traditional Tuscan delicacy, pici (long Tuscan pasta) from scratch with a special sauce of bread crumbs and tomatoes, arista (pork loin) with a olive topping made directly from her olive grove, and cantucci (almond cookies) that were served for dessert with a nice glass of vin santo for dipping. They had so much fun preparing the meal, and I thoroughly enjoyed eating the fruits of their labor. Not sure I will be able to recreate her recipes, but I cannot wait to try some on my own at home.