La Cucina Toscana is simplicity in its purest form. It is based on local ingredients that have been magnified for ages by cooks who take advantage of the freshest seasonal products and tamper with them as little as possible. Much of the so-called cucina nuova offered in many of North America’s Northern Italian restaurants is not new at all. Tuscans have been eating prosciutto and figs for generations, and lasagna with cinnamon, nuts, veal, and wine was a concoction invented for Catherine de Medici in the 16th century.

Like regional cooking everywhere, local food is best accompanied by local wine. The Chiantis, the Brunellos of Montalcino, the Vino Nobile of Montepulciano, and the Sassicaia of Bolgheri reveal their true character when served with local pecorino cheese, a hunk of fettunta drowned in fresh olive oil, and a few slices of finocchiona sausage.

FETTUNTA – The Tuscan version of bruschetta. The bread is grilled with garlic and olive oil poured over it ­ truly a rich delicious dish.

PORCINI (image on the left) – Porcini mushrooms are large wild mushrooms which appear in the spring and fall. Their texture is firm and meaty, and their flavor pungent and distinctive. Porcini are served grilled in large slices dressed with olive oil, as well as stewed in sauces and casseroles. Sformati di porcini, made of eggs, flour, and mushrooms, are also excellent, like a dense soufflé. When dried, their flavor intensifies, and racks of sliced porcini drying in the sun are often seen in the Chianti farmyards.

PANZANELLA (image on the left) – A salad made of tomatoes, onions, parsley, capers, and fresh basil chopped finely and mixed with grated bread and olive oil.

PAPPARDELLA – A wide ribbon noodle, usually homemade but also available in the bread/pasta shops. In spring and summer, pappardella is served with uncooked chopped tomatoes, basil, garden herbs, and olive oil – its heat cooks the tomato mixture sufficiently.

BISTECCA ALLA FIORENTINA: A huge steak grilled over coals, seasoned, dressed with olive oil and served with lemon. Quite unlike any steak in North America – meat eaters will think they have died and gone to heaven. One steak is plenty for two people. True bistecca alla fiorentina is made only from Chianina cattle from the Chiana valley in Tuscany.

PECORINO – Tuscany’s national cheese, made from the milk of the pecora (sheep). Although also produced on a commercial scale, true pecorino is made by artisan methods on small farms.

PANFORTE (image on the left) – Literally “strong bread,” panforte is a specialty of Siena. It is much like the heavy fruitcake we eat at Christmas. Composed of figs, almonds, honey, sultanas, candied fruit, spices, and dusted with sugar, Panforte keeps very well, and can be easily taken home.

CANTUCCI OR BISCOTTI CON VIN SANTO (image on the left) – A popular Tuscan dessert, as delicious as it is simple. Biscotti (dry almond cookies) are served with small glasses of vin santo (holy wine), a strong, sweet wine. The biscotti are dipped into the wine, quickly absorbing the sweet liquor and enhancing the flavor of the almonds. In Umbria they are called Tozzetti.

MIELE – Honey, introduced by the Etruscans, is produced on many small Tuscan farms and forms the basis of many dolci (sweets) and desserts. Miele di castagno (chestnut) has the most distinctive flavor.