Saturday Nght in Tuscany

You know it has to revolve around food and wine. And it did!

Hosts: Francesco & Carmen, owners of Signoria Firenze

Place: a roadside trattoria in the Tuscan hills, 20 minutes from Florence.

Attendees: Three Americans, two poles, four Italians and one Cuban.

The food and wine lineup:

Prosecco, pitted olives, bread.

Prosecco, crostini (toasted over wood fire) in four versions: spinach, white beans, chicken livers, and a meat- bean- tomato sauce combo.

Local red wine. Pasta al dente, infused with tomatoes, pumpkin and carrots. Pecorino cheese.

Local Chianti Classicco. Grilled Florentine Steak (about three inches thick, dry aged and cooked rare over a wood fire), roasted free-range chicken, deep fried artichokes, cauliflower and fries, radicchio salad.

Aged and new Pecorino cheese served with local honey and mustard-pear preserves.

Vino Santo served with house made biscotti (slightly soft in the middle).

Panna Cotte with forest berries.

Espresso.

Limoncello.

Delizioso!

Basta!!