Tim and Rob in Tuscany: Day 9: Siena and an Italian Cooking Lesson

Siena, another ancient Tuscan town, was first settled by the Etruscans in 3-400 BC. The town symbol for Siena is the image of the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Siena was supposedly founded by Senius, the son of Remus, hence the traditional use of the Romulus/Remus legend.

Siena did not prosper during Roman times, since it was not strategically located near any major military installations or commercial highways. But in the 13^th Century, Siena gained prominence as a center of trade.

There are 3 main attractions in Siena:

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, begun in the 12^th Century and completed in 1380. The exterior of this large Gothic cathedral is comprised of distinctive alternating bands of white and dark-green marble.

The interior is quite ornate, and the floors covered in distinctive mosaics depicting various stories from the Bible. In addition, the Cathedral holds many distinctive marble statues and works of art from Medieval and Renaissance times.

Left, looking to the entrance to the Cathedral. Right, the elaborately decorated altar.

One of the many ornate mosaic floors in the Cathedral.

The beautifully painted Chapel of St. John the Baptist within the Cathedral.

The second main attraction in Siena is the Piazza del Campo, a large shell-shaped public square around which the town traditionally held twice-yearly horse races.

The piazza is stone and brick, divided into 9 equal sections by flush granite partitions, each section reserved for the families of the Council of Nine, or the nine ruling families of Siena. From these sections, each family would fly flags with their coat of arms and would cheer their favorite horses on to victory.

Tower of City Hall in Piazza del Campo.

And the third main attraction is the Fonte Gaia (Fountain of Joy.) Originally completed in 1419, this fountain was the city’s main source of fresh drinking water.

Back at Il Villino, it is time for our Italian Cooking Lesson.

Ginny and Fiamma are our chefs/cooking instructors.

We are aproned and ready to learn the finer aspects of Italian cooking, although this group looks better prepared for an Italian "Drinking Class."

First on the assembly agenda will be last on the menu: Panna Cotta with Chocolate Sauce. Tim is checking the gelatin sheets to see if they are ready to be added to the warmed whipped cream.

Gelatin added to the warm cream, then poured into ramekins where they are allowed to develop a delicate skim, and then placed in the refrigerator to await the final touch of chocolate sauce.

Next, the white potatoes are peeled to make gnocchi.

"Odore" is the base for ragoux. This is onions, carrots, and celery--all chopped and sauteed in liberal olive oil. When the vegetables are clear, the mixture of Tuscan sausage, ground pork, and ground beef will be added.

The ladies compare notes. They are so out of their league!

Garlic, fresh sage, and fresh Rosemary will be finely chopped to flavor the chicken.

Chicken pieces--thighs and drumsticks, chosen for their higher fat content to enhance flavor--will be sauteed in scant olive oil until golden brown. Then the chopped spices and oven-baked, pitted black olives will be added for ultimate flavor.

Rob minces the garlic/Rosemary/sage mixture to the point of "powder."

The chopped herbs are added to the sauteed chicken. The olives go in last because of their strong flavor.

Meanwhile, the diced potatoes boil to a point slightly less than "al dente" for the gnocchi.

Last but not least, the delicate zucchini flowers will be stuffed with fresh mozzarella and anchovy pieces, then fried in hot peanut oil for our appetizers. You cannot imagine how good these tasted!