Dolci Toscani Anne Bianchi , Dolci Toscani (Ecco) Saturday, March 13, 10:00 am Members $45 , guests $55

Italians are not big dessert-eaters, which may be the reason why when they do have a sweet, it's not just eaten-it's positively relished. Something as simple as a crunchy biscotti, studded with hazelnuts and served with a glass of Vin Santo, can be quite spectacular. Anne Bianchi knows this well. A teacher of Italian cuisine and the author of Dolci Toscani, Bianchi will reveal the glories of Tuscan dessert-making in this informative workshop. She'll convey the basics-from tools to pasta frolla (an Italian pie crust), and eggs to zabaglione. Those in attendance will have the oppor-tunity to ask her about such Tuscan specialties as bread pudding with wine-soaked raisins, chestnut timbales with warm fig sauce, miniature doughnuts filled with lavender cream, and the much-loved tiramisu. Bianchi, owner and director of the Toscana Saporita Cooking School, splits her time between New York and the Tuscan province of Lucca. She has received high praise for her previous books about Tuscany-Solo Verdura: The Complete Guide to Cooking Tuscan Vegetables, Zuppa! Soups from the Italian Countryside, and From the Tables of Tuscan Women (all published by Ecco). "If soup is a poor man's food, then Zuppa is a poor man's trip to Italy," the Voice Literary Supplement opined in its review. "Tuscany, in all its colors, scents, and, thank God, tastes and textures, comes alive in these little chapters, and the recipes make one yearn for cold, rainy days when a slow-cooking pot of soup can perfume a home and soothe a soul." Baked goodies can perfume a home and soothe the soul as well. We all know that they certainly can satisfy a sweet tooth, which, when we're in the throes of a craving, seems no less important.

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Chestnut and Butternut Squash Soup
with Lemon-Hazelnut Gremolata

Seafood Risotto

Espresso Tiramisu

Farro Cake
with Blood Orange Sauce

Fig and Walnut Biscotti Provisions courtesy of Jefferson Market