The Seven Fishes Italian Christmas Eve Dinner

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Old 12-05-2012, 09:16 AM
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I remember the FENNEL. Ditto for the roasted chestnuts. Even at our house in New Jersey, my dad always roasted chestnuts for a snack.
He never ate chips or things like people do today. He'd eat an orange or a pear.......chestnuts, simple things.

I loved escarole and beans (white cannelini beans). Never had it with the anchovies and black olives but sounds good. Was it in a vinagrette? Like red wine vineger and olive oil?

My dad used to grind up the meat for his own Italian sausage....and my mom would help him fill the casings. I guess he didn't like what was offered in New Jersey after growing up in New York City.

At least he knew what he was putting into it.
It was no white beans but made like a soup dish. I am not a cook so I leave it to the gourmet people to decide.
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Old 12-05-2012, 09:16 AM
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Old 12-05-2012, 09:24 AM
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Is this the menest you are talking about????

Minestra - Recipes - Italiansrus.com


Minestra recipe
I tried to look on Google but to no avail. The one iI found included the white cannelli beans by Rachel Ray. The one you found has meat it in. A no no, for xmas eve dinner.

Minestra Recipe : Rachael Ray : Recipes : Food Network

Unfortunately, my aunt died last week and she was the last member of my mothers immediate family. Unfortunately, I can't elaborate on what the recipe is.
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Old 12-05-2012, 09:25 AM
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I will be hosting the feast down here in TV for the first time. In Brooklyn it was very easy to find all the fish, down here it is proving to be a problem. I carried the scungili in my suitcase when I came down. I wonder if I will be able to find the St. Vincent (I think that is what they are called) bread. It really is quite a feast.
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Old 12-05-2012, 09:30 AM
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Feast of the Seven Fishes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://italianfood.about.com/b/2006/...ven-fishes.htm

This has recipes for Italian fish dishes-- http://www.sevenfishesblog.com/
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Old 12-05-2012, 09:32 AM
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Old 12-05-2012, 09:34 AM
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Originally Posted by angela1990 View Post
We do not have the bacala anymore, but my grandmother would make it on Christmas Eve in a cold salad with celery and black olives, olive oil and vinegar (if I remember correctly). I have not had that in over 40 years. She also made quite a few fried fish dishes. I think the type of fish served depended on what part of Italy they came from and what they could afford. As a child I do not remember lobster or filet of sole or any of the other more expensive fish.
that's the bacala salad my husband grew up with! but the bacala had to be brought back from the dried stage by soaking it in water and/or milk for almost a week before the salad was prepared!!!! tried to perfect the technique for years - then found the italian grocer who made it closer to mama's version than i could! thank heaven for that!
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Old 12-05-2012, 09:35 AM
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Old 12-05-2012, 10:09 AM
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  #25  
Old 12-05-2012, 11:38 AM
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I'm sure it was good. You can still learn to cook. I sent you a list of recipes. Just keep scrolling down on all the hyperlinks till you find one that sounds familiar to you.

Now, here's a different hyperlink and since I KNOW YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR, you will not be offended.....again, keep scrolling down on this one.

http://www.jmwebdesigners.com/italians/


This is cute. Second generation Italian Americans will “get it”.


Keep scrolling all the way down to the “sugared almonds” at bottom. All of my aunts had sugared almonds at their weddings.



Keep scrolling to the bottom, using the right hand downward arrow on your computer screen.
Loved it. Brought back good memories and so true!!!!!!!

1. Custom was wearing black for a year after husband’s death. No exceptions!
2. Grandmother didn’t speak fluent English and said "sangwich."
3. “Prince” is not spaghetti.
4. Nylons worn at ankles. LOL So true.
5. Wine sold at stores. LOL My father made his own and gave to family members.
6. A sin to eat meat on Friday’s.
7. Salad after dinner - My uncle did!!!!!
8. A friend of mine was beaten on the head with a broom after coming home drunk and being sick. He was in hs late twenties. LOL
9. Everyone did make their tomato sauce, didn’t they. LOL
10. What is macaroni without bread to dip in gravy. LOL
11. Uncles fought in a World War. One uncle fought the battle of the Islands, Coney Staten, Long. LOL.
12. Six male relatives named Joe. My family qualifies.
13. You relate on some level, admit it, to the Godfather and the Sopranos. I maka a meata ball you can't refuse! ...forrgetttabbboutit! badda bing! I admit it. Some people still have Godfather parties in the northeast. I have seen it so many times I can recite dialog. It is part of normal dialog for some people in the northeast.
14. Kids reached the height of my favorite aunt who was 4’ 11” but not my grandmother who was 6’ 1”. She was a big woman.


Thanks for posting this.
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Old 12-05-2012, 11:36 PM
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Old 12-06-2012, 06:17 AM
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  #28  
Old 12-06-2012, 08:17 AM
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For any of us Italian Americans wondering what Christmas might be like back in Italy, here is a charming article. I do remember my Ukrainian mom making STRUFOLI honey balls for my Italian dad........

Christmas in Italy
Italians might not go all out with the decorations, but the holiday spirit is alive and well in the Motherland
Our Paesani

by Francesca Di Meglio
I cried for days the first time I went to Italy for Christmas. I was 11, and we had to convince my little sister Rosaria that Santa Claus would be able to find us in Ischia, a small island off the coast of Naples. There were no lights on the houses, and we were the only ones on the block with a Christmas tree. It all seemed so tragic.

My cousins in Ischia wanted so badly to give us a traditional American Christmas that they found a professional chef to cook us a full turkey with all the fixings on Christmas Day. Do you know how hard it is to find a whole turkey on an island in Italy? It's like finding pigs that fly or a cold day in hell. But they did it - and I still wasn't happy. I missed my Christmas in New Jersey with the glitz, the glam, the gifts. But years later I would return to Ischia for the holiday season only to realize that even if Italian Christmas isn't nearly as shiny as its American counterpart, it is humble, subdued, spiritual and downright uplifting.

You probably already understood that the Italian feste or holidays do not have as much bling as we Americans have come to expect. Few houses put out lawn displays or light shows. And not everyone has a Christmas tree. Instead, Catholic families construct a nativity scene or presepio. Some of these presepio are fairly elaborate and depict not only baby Jesus' manger but entire towns filled with statues, houses and sometimes even plant life. My father, a landscaper, builds one annually that takes up an entire room in our house and features music, lights, real trees and flowers, and a waterfall. Many Italians, especially in the South, do the same. They're like giant, interactive pieces of art. During the holidays, many people go from town to town and house to house to see the various nativity scenes. You might also stumble upon a live nativity scene - with real people - in one of the country's many piazza.

On every street corner, you'll likely hear “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle”. It's THE classic Italian carol. That will put you in the mood for a celebration, where food is the centerpiece. And Christmas Eve is the tastiest day of the year - at least for me and anyone who is a lover of fish.

Italians fast or eat only a very small portion of fish at lunch and feast in the evening. But meat is not served on the Vigilia or Eve. Many southern Italians serve seven fish dishes that symbolize either the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church or the seven days of creation, depending on who you are talking to. Some of the fish you're likely to find on the table are baccalà, eel, clams and other shellfish, shrimp, calamari, scungilli (conch), and octopus. Fried calamari, octopus bathed in lemon, oil and parsley, and linguini with clam sauce are my Christmas Eve favorites.

In Italy, you are likely to eat pastries that are typical of the region for dessert. My people in the Neapolitan zone will serve strufoli or honey balls covered in rainbow sprinkles. They make for a nice centerpiece on the table, too! All sorts of other desserts - from an assortment of biscotti to panetone or sweet breads also make appearances and are a nice compliment to the evergreen espresso and sambuca.

After you've stuffed yourself like an American turkey at Thanksgiving, you must wait for the clock to strike midnight, when you'll either go to the nearby church for Mass or watch the pope on TV. While waiting, little children often recite poems they learned in school as gifts for their parents and other relatives. And the adults then play tombola or bingo. Tombola Napoletana is the most popular - at least among my family and friends. It's just like bingo but every number has a corresponding image, which can be naughty or nice. Thirteen, for instance, corresponds to Sant' Antonio while 28 corresponds to a private part of the woman's anatomy. You'll get a kick out of playing this kind of bingo with your nonni. And afterward, you'll head to midnight Mass. How's that for irony?

In recent years, Santa Claus or Babbo Natale has been visiting the homes of good Italian boys and girls, too. But January 6, or the epiphany, is the real day for giving gifts to children in Italy, who wait for the arrival of goodies from La Befana or the Christmas Witch. Christmas Day is characterized by more eating and perhaps another Mass. Overall, the holidays in Italy are more religious and spiritual. No one is allowed to forget the real reason we are all celebrating: the arrival of our savior Jesus Christ. Amen!
Very nice post. Thanks for posting.
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  #29  
Old 12-06-2012, 10:51 AM
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God Bless You. In your suitcase?
Yup, in my suitcase. I usually on do carry on but because of the scungili I did a small checked bag. Mine was the first bag to come out and I checkied for the cans immediately, it is costly and seems to go up each year. I remember my mother-in-law getting it at the fish market and cleaning it herself. I have always just used the canned. Happy Holiday!!
  #30  
Old 12-06-2012, 11:04 AM
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Loved it. Brought back good memories and so true!!!!!!!

1. Custom was wearing black for a year after husband’s death. No exceptions!
2. Grandmother didn’t speak fluent English and said "sangwich."
3. “Prince” is not spaghetti.
4. Nylons worn at ankles. LOL So true.
5. Wine sold at stores. LOL My father made his own and gave to family members.
6. A sin to eat meat on Friday’s.
7. Salad after dinner - My uncle did!!!!!
8. A friend of mine was beaten on the head with a broom after coming home drunk and being sick. He was in hs late twenties. LOL
9. Everyone did make their tomato sauce, didn’t they. LOL
10. What is macaroni without bread to dip in gravy. LOL
11. Uncles fought in a World War. One uncle fought the battle of the Islands, Coney Staten, Long. LOL.
12. Six male relatives named Joe. My family qualifies.
13. You relate on some level, admit it, to the Godfather and the Sopranos. I maka a meata ball you can't refuse! ...forrgetttabbboutit! badda bing! I admit it. Some people still have Godfather parties in the northeast. I have seen it so many times I can recite dialog. It is part of normal dialog for some people in the northeast.
14. Kids reached the height of my favorite aunt who was 4’ 11” but not my grandmother who was 6’ 1”. She was a big woman.


Thanks for posting this.

I grew up, take no offense, Guinnie Ghetto in Hartford, the South End. We learned to say Bless me Father in Italian, so we could fit in in the confessional! We ate fresh baked Italian bread from the bakeries on the way home school, or lemon ice... I love all your posts, brings back so many wonderful memories! Are any of you part of any of the Italian Clubs? We sure will be looking to join when we move in the spring! (By the way, my mom was 4'8"' ... And Aunt Dora was about 240 lbs! .... Could go on and on.....) how lucky we are to have the memories.....
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