Chef Sandra Stefani Originally from Pisa, Italy Sandra arrived in Washington D.C. in 1979 and started her career at the famous Italian Restaurant Cantina d’Italia, learning to cook “hands on” from the late great Chef Joseph Muran de Assereto. Migrated to Miami in 1990, Sandra did catering consulting and cooking classes for private and corporate clients, until 2002 when she opened and operated Casa Toscana, a jewel Restaurant in Miami’s Upper East Side neighborhood featuring homemade unpretentious regional Italian cooking, cooking classes and educational wine tastings. Her latest Miami venture was the creation of Open Kitchen in 2011. A very simple kitchen totally opened serving European fares by day and becoming a cooking school by night. Retiring from ownership and recently calling the Mountains home, Sandra continues to share her knowledge and passion for Regional Foods and Wines thru cooking classes and dinners recreating an authentic Italian experience.