MY ARISTA

Legend has it that during the Council of Florence in 1430, in an effort to calm the spirits and keep good relations between the delegates of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, a grand banquet was arranged.
The banquet was a huge success, and one of the dishes that was especially appreciated was a loin of pork served with garlic and rosemary.
After he had eaten his fill, the Patriarch of Constantinople raised his hands to heaven and declared "Aristòs", which in ancient Greek meant "excellent", "the best".
The dish hence baptized ìaristaî is ever a source of joy on Tuscan tables.
It is still the piËce de resistance at any feast worthy of the name.

My version is cooked in the oven with thyme, garlic, fennel flower and rosemary.
Cut into thick slices and serve as is, or perhaps with a plate of white Tuscan beans and olive oil.
For us Tuscans, it has the same religious effect as admiring the sublime lines of a Romanesque church, reading Dante, or drinking good red wine. It is the quintessence of the Tuscan way of living.

May you always have arista, red wine, a lust for beauty and joy for life.