Siena, and more white meat
Part I: Siena - Although Ambra is near many well-known Italian areas (Florence, Arezzo, Chianti), it's really a culinary satellite of Siena.
Here in the countryside, Siena seems to be regarded with a mix of reverence ("bella, bella, bella!") and indignation ("They think they're the center of the universe. That's just how they are."). A few thoughts on my visit:
* The view from the top of the Facciatone is, unlike most towers, not just a way for locals to chuckle at tourists waddling up the staircase. Tuscany's strict building codes have served the city well in preserving a gorgeous landscape.
* Siena has historic quarters that, like cubicle clusters at Bain, have their own colors and mascots. Mascots ranged from eagles and dragons to snails and scallops. Go bivalves!
* The Lord of the Rings movies misrepresented lambdas bread in making it look like a flat empanada. A cake only in shape, Panforte di Siena is the real thing. Eating a piece feels like eating three power bars. Or getting punched in the stomach.
* The bus system in Italy is a pain (we missed our bus and had to wait 4 hours), but fortunately there is no stigma attached to ordering prosecco at 4:00 in the afternoon. (There may be one attached to ordering two in quick succession, but oh well. It had been a long day.)
Part II: Dinner - After returning from Siena, we went to the butcher shop to buy meat for dinner. We selected a package of chicken drumsticks with the intention of sautéing them with pasta.
Hindsight: If the shop sells whole chickens with feet still attached, it's unlikely that they also sell packages of drumsticks.
Each drumstick was in fact a bird about the size of two fists, the species of which is still unclear. It was most likely pigeon though another contender is woodcock.
"See? This is maturity. I'm looking at this and laughing... Haaaaah." Since I was unsure of how to cook hearts and other organs, we removed the meat from the bodies. We dipped the poker-chip sized breasts in egg, dusted them with flour, and sauteed them with shallots and olive oil. They were a tasty entree, though I'm sure there's a better way to enjoy them. Whatever they are.
