<p> Benedetta Vitali is a chef who has lived and worked all her life in Florence, Italy. In 1979, fresh out of university, she and Fabio Picchi founded the restaurant Cibr&egrave;o, with the purpose of offering their fellow Florentines a connection to a traditional Tuscan cooking style that was neglected in the postwar trend of prepackaged and convenience foods. In 1999, Benedetta opened a new restaurant of her own, the trattoria <a href="http://www.trattoriazibibbo.it/">Zibibbo</a>, emphasizing fresh produce from nearby small farms and gardens. She is the author of<em> <strong>Soffrito: Tradition &amp; Innovation in Tuscan Cooking &amp; La Cucina degli Affetti | Catering and Caring: 124 Recipes for Cooking with Love</strong>. </em>Benedetta teaches cooking classes in Italy and in the United States.</p>

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