Comments on: Buon Natale

By: silkrugcleaning

silkrugcleaning — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:07:02 +0000

My parents are Italian and Spanish, so Christmas Eve dishes would always have a combination of both. My favorite combo was always Seafood Paella alongside Zuppa De Pesci. They actually went together well (they would make a buffet style dinner). Getting hungry now!

By: Ally

Ally — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:58:00 +0000

Hello, We have something in common, though I am not Italian. My family were also Methodists in a predominately Catholic culture: Irish. They are also southern. Both my parents grew up in families where the Christmas Eve tradition was seafood. So we grew up with oyster stew on Christmas Eve. Since my grandfather was a minister and Christmas Eve was a working day, oyster stew was easy for my grands to prepare and eat quickly after church. My parents continued the tradition and added fried oysters and shrimp. Dessert was fruitcake, mom’s homemade fudge and eggnog. Since my dad passed, we go to Christmas Eve services in early evening and then out for Chinese. BTW, I love to cook and made your meatballs with marinara tonight for dinner and look forward to making more of your recipes. Buon Natale to all!

By: DiChiara

DiChiara — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 22:39:50 +0000

Mike, Yes and yes. Mike’s is a classic place but I now live in Connecticut and I don’t visit as much as I should. And, Cranston is the most Italian-American city in the US as a percentage of the total population of any city with a population of over 50,000.

By: Skip

Skip — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:33:02 +0000

My goodness, you must have one happy family on Christmas Eve. It’s lovely to hear the old traditions are being carried on.

I need to ask, though, from your email address, are you by chance from Cranston, R.I.? We feel that Cranston is home to THE best Almost Italian restaurant in America, Mike’s Kitchen at the VFW on Randall’s Ave.

Thank you for sharing your menu for La Cena della Vigilia.

Skip

By: DiChiara

DiChiara — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:17:41 +0000

Here is what we have done since the 1930s, going back to my grandmother’s time. This is the tradition from the areas of Molise, specifically Campobasso, and San Giovanni

Baccala Fritters (as the appetizer, along with the traditional cheese and roasted peppers antipasto)

This takes about an hour, then in no particular order:

Fried Smelts
Fried Shrimp
Roasted Eel
Stuffed Squid
Pasta and clam sauce (red or white), or squid sauce.
Rice salad with tuna
Baccala Salad
Scungili Salad
Vegetables, always including broccoli rabe

Dessert
struffuli, quanti (or wandis, meaning “gloves), torrone

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:23:31 +0000

I grew up in Brooklyn. My parents were 1st generation Italian but it was what I called a mixed marriage. My father was from south of Naples (Moliterno) and my mother was from Abruzzo (North East of Rome). So we did not have the seven fishes but something in between. My mother made baccala which was my worst Christmas memory (smell) and smelts – OK. My favorite dish was the dessert – cenci or the light airy ribbons of fried dough covered with powdered sugar and stuffoli.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:01:15 +0000

In the days of my grandfather it was spaghetti with anchovies, baccala, fried smelts, smoked herring, eel, tuna cakes and calamari. We also had fried dough and lupini beans. Pretty much the same today except shrimp and salmon have replaced the eel and baccala.

By: Holly

Holly — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:59:11 +0000

Buon Natale, Lou! The wonderful spread you describe certainly reinforces our contention that what constitutes Italian food is ever-changing! Your New England feast shows that even the most tradition-bound people will take advantage of local products.

Turning the tables a little: we’d love to hear from Italians and Italian-Americans who happen to live in Japan. Do you include sushi in your Christmas feasts? Do you dip your calamare in soy-sauce or marinara?

By: Lou

Lou — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 02:30:19 +0000

For my family the mainstay for decades has been a cold seafood salad including octopus, calamari, scungilli. We also partake in linguine with white clam sauce, and some years, we’ve indulged in Maryland soft shell crabs, fried oysters, and a big sushi platter. Something for everyone…Almost forgot…we do steamed LOBSTER every year too! Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

By: Karen

Karen — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:21:32 +0000

Over the years the menu has changed, but we always try to at least get 4-5 fishes.We have truly been blessed with our great meals.

Dinner always begins with Champagne and caviar. Then we sit down for maybe oysters or shrimp cocktail.also Scgunilli salad.. Then it’s on to Spaghetti with oil, garlic, and anchovies. Next up is the main course, which is either Baked stuffed lobster or Baked Red Snapper.

Now I have to tell you that we are down to only three people; me, my brother and my sister in law..so this is a lot of food.. Lately we don’t make it to the main course..lol