Anyone Doing Feast of 7 Fishes Tonight?

[Nyboy]

Christmas eve dinner is feast of 7 fishes. My mother who loved the Holidays always made more then 7. When she started getting sick, my sisters and I tried to get her to cut back on some dishes. One was Baccala salad a very smelly and gross fish, no one ate it but my dad. My mom refused to stop making Baccala because my dad loved it. My younger sister who is a good cook now does the Holidays. She asked my dad if he wanted her to make Baccala, he said no he never liked it, but ate it because my mom made it just for him!! It just will not be Christmas eve with out fish dinner.

 

[Smart Red]

You didn't eat any, but will miss the fish? Bring some fish to dinner! Throw it out in the morning. Better yet, compost it near your new trees.

 

[Nyboy]

Red there will be plenty of fish tonight. My sister does more of a shrimp, crab, mussel, clam type dinner

 

[canesisters]

Ha ha - "Binge of the Bottom Dwellers"

 

[Nyboy]

Bottom Dwellers with melted butter.

 

[Smart Red]

"What is the Feast of the Seven Fishes? According to Mario Batali, "It's what Italians do when they say they're fasting." More precisely, the Feast is a meal served in Italian households on La Vigilia (Christmas Eve).

In many parts of Italy, the night is traditionally a partial fast, during which no meat should be served. But in true Italian style, this proscription has morphed into something very unfastlike indeed: course after course of luxurious seafood dishes, often as many as 7, 10, or even 13. "No one's quite sure of the significance of the number," says Batali. "Some families do seven for the sacraments. Some do ten for the stations of the cross. And some even do 13 for the 12 apostles plus Jesus."

One item that might be unfamiliar to some American palates is the baked eel, but Batali stresses that this is an essential part of an Italian Christmas Eve celebration. "To most Italians, it would practically be sacrilegious not to have it," he says. Have your fishmonger skin and gut the eel, and the dish will be a snap to prepare—and you might be won over by its flavorful succulence."

So, Nyboy, who brings the eel? Does it truly have "flavorful succulence"?

All in all this sounds like a fantastic idea. I love fish! Wish I could be there. No (known) Italian is in my pedigree. Fasting, huh?

 

[Nyboy]

My aunts still do the eel. I have always past on it.

 

[majorcatfish]

tonight will be beef tomorrow will be smoked pork since the ash spill along the dan river we do not eat any fish out of kerr lake....

 

[Smart Red]

I guess that answers my question on the el nino thread. The fishing is not good for the major. My usual Christmas dinner is ROAST BEAST -- a huge prime rib on the rotisserie. This year, however, we're traveling to daughter's house for dinner. Deep fried turkey and prime rib if it thaws in time. You can bet I'd have it thawed! I am a carnivore and roast beast is a favorite of mine.

 

[ninnymary]

We're having a pork roast and duck. I'm doing the roast and my son is doing the duck. Have no idea how he'll fix it but I know it will be good. Making 2 pumpkin pies right now because we love pumpkin pie and don't eat it enough.

Mary