At a time when COVID-19 keeps us from traveling overseas, I enjoyed some travel vicariously by reading about a vineyard in Tuscany while tasting some of their organic wines. While it was a poor substitute for actually walking the rows, smelling the breeze blowing over the 25 hectare hillside estate, and touring the cantina, the experience was improved by tasting the wines.

Today, the whole world seemingly knows of biscotti. Pronounced in Italian as bee-SKOH-tee, it literally means “twice baked” – with the result of an absence of any moisture in the biscuit. Known for its resistance from spoiling, it was a staple for Roman Legionnaires.