AUTHOR R. ANN SIRACUSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . It isn't the destination that matters -- It's the journey that counts!
Contact me!
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • BOOKS
    • All For A Dead Man's Leg
    • All For A Fist Full Of Ashes
    • Destruction Of The Great Wall
    • All For Spilled Blood
    • First Date
    • Halloween In The Catacombs
    • All In The Game
    • Family Secrets: A Vengeance of Tears
  • ABOUT ME
    • Resume
  • PHOTO ALBUMS
  • RESOURCES
  • MY ORGANIZATONS
  • BLOGS ABOUT ANN
  • Blog

FEAST OF THE SEVEN FISHES

12/2/2016

1 Comment

 
It's December! Time to bring out all the decorations, shop until you drop, and celebrate the festivities in whatever manner or tradition you choose. We all have traditions this time of year which are important to us. The one I'm going to talk about only some of you will know.

FESTA DEI SETTE PESCI
For many of you, the Feast of the Seven Fishes may not ring a bell…particularly as a Christmas tradition…but for those of southern Italian heritage, it may bring back fond memories of Christmas Eves Past. Before I lived in Italy, I’d never heard of this Christmas Eve tradition (even though my mother was a quarter Italian). Only after I married a Sicilian did I learn about this treasured Christmas Eve tradition.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known as The Vigil (La Vigilia or Il Cenone di Vigilia), is a tradition believed by most to have originated in Southern Italy and was not celebrated in other parts of Italy.


It is a feast to commemorate the wait for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. In my husband’s home town of Messina, Sicily, after the feast (which lasts for hours) everyone plays cards until it is time for midnight mass. Then there is a long procession and everyone walks to the local church following a status of the Madonna. After mass, some people would play cards for the rest of the night. Not me.
 SYMBOLISM
Eating seafood on Christmas Eve originates from the Roman Catholic tradition of not eating meat or milk products on Fridays and specific holy days. Because no meat or butter could be used on such days, observant Catholics would eat fish, typically fried in oil.

The number seven stands for the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and the seven days of creation. In Biblical numerology, seven is a number of perfection. Another explanation is the traditional Biblical number for divinity is three, and for Earth is four, and the combination of these numbers, seven, represents God on Earth, or Jesus Christ. Finally, if could refer to Mary and Joseph's seven days of travel to reach Bethlehem.


​Today, it is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes (mostly shell fish) and pasta. Some Italian American families celebrate with 9, 11 or 13 different seafood dishes, but the tradition is seven.'


TYPICAL MENUS
The fish southern Italians are known for is baccalà (salted cod fish), a simple fish used extensively by the impoverished regions of Southern Italy.  Fried smelts, calamari, and other types of seafood have been incorporated into the Christmas Eve dinner over the years.  The menu varies depending on the family, but here are some typical examples.

First example – Typical seven fishes:
● Calamari (squid)
● Scungilli [skuhn-GEE-lee] (conch)
● Baccalá [bah-kah-LAH] (dry, salt cod)
● Scampi (shrimp)
● Clams served with pasta
● Mussels
● Some type of big fish, ususally a snapper, sea trout, tuna, or salmon.

   Fried Calimari                Clams                       Muscles           Seafood Risotto         Fried Eel
 Clams & zucchini          Tieramisui              Baccala                    Pizzelle          Linguini & shrimp

Second example – A more simple feast
● Stuffed Calamari in Tomato Sauce – Squid stuffed with breadcrumbs, garlic, oil/milk, and 3 eggs. The stuffed squid is baked with a white sauce, cheddar and olive oil.

●Deep Fried Fish/Shrimp – Fish/Shrimp dipped into batter and placed into deep fryer. Dish is typically served with lemon and/or cocktail sauce.

●Linguine with Clam Sauce – A mildly spicy dish that combines Linguine pasta served with tomato sauce and cooked clams.

●Marinated Eel (Anguilla Marinata) - Bite-size cut eel deep fried and seasoned with salt and pepper marinated, after being fried, in a garlic, balsamic vinegar, and sugar sauce.

●Baccalà – De-salted, by soaking water, cod cut into bite-sized portions, pan fried until brown; and served with tomato sauce and pasta.

●Tiramisù
 – Layered dessert that incorporates layers of coffee soaked ladyfingers, marscapone crème with Marsala and cocoa powder.


Third Example – An elaborate celebration meal
Appetizers (Antipasti)Fried Calamari
Clams and Mussels Posillipo
Shrimp (Scampi)
Clams Oreganato
Seafood salad (Insalata Frutta di Mare)
First Course (Primi) Linguini in White Clam Sauce
Linguini with Blue Crab Sauce
Spaghetti Alla RosinellaSecond Course (Secondi) Red Snapper Livornesa
Stuffed Lobster
Seafood Risotto


RECIPE
If you are a risk taker or a lover of food that comes from the sea, you might want to try this recipe by Shannon Tinnell for Marinated Eel.
(Posted on http://www.sevenfishesblog.com/ )
People often reject this dish because of the name.
Shannon wrote: "But it’s so great it usually diffuses their hesitations once they’ve tried it. Sometimes, Robert will tell them it’s chicken just to get them to try it at first."
 Keep in mind that the process takes several hours, can’t be done on a whim!

You will need
:
       1 eel-typically 3-4 pounds
       3 cups balsamic vinegar
       1 cup sugar
       5-7 cloves of garlic
       Salt
       Pepper
       1 cup of flour
       6 ½ cups of olive oil 
       Fresh basil and parsley


How you do it
:
       Mince/crush garlic cloves and mix with sugar and balsamic vinegar
       Bring mixture to a boil and allow it to cook until it’s reduced to approx. 2 cups
       Remove from heat
       Heat 6 cups of olive oil in a Dutch oven
       While oil is heating, cut eel into bite-sized chunks
       Season eel with salt and pepper
       Roll eel in flour
       Once oil is ready (can use various methods to check-I use water test) drop 3-4 pieces of eel into oil
       After browning (should take approx 5-6 mins) drain on a plate with paper towels
       Once all of the eel is done, place in large bowl
       Pour reduced vinegar mixture over them to marinate
       Refrigerate about an hour before serving
       Remove at time of serving and drizzle oil and herbs
       Allow to reach room temperature before serving

Buon Appetito!
Shannon Tinnell


​Resources

http://www.sevenfishesblog.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Seven_Fishes
http://www.winemag.com/gallery/8-recipes-for-feast-of-the-seven-fishes/
http://dish.allrecipes.com/feast-of-the-seven-fishes/
http://www.italiansrus.com/articles/7fishes.htm
http://elshaddaiministries.us/lp/bpo3.php
http://christmas.lovetoknow.com/christmas-history-traditions/why-do-italians-eat-seven-fish-christmas-eve


             
1 Comment
Happy Easter 2017 link
4/3/2017 04:45:18 pm

<a href="http://www.cutesmswishes.com/2017/03/happy-easter-2017-wishes-for-facebook_29.html">Easter Wishes For Facebook</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cutesmswishes.com/2017/03/happy-easter-wishes-and-greetings.html">Happy Easter Wishes</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cutesmswishes.com/2017/03/happy-easter-sunday-2017-quotes-images.html">Easter Sunday Quotes Images</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cutesmswishes.com/2017/03/100-happy-easter-2017-hd-images.html">Happy Easter HD Images</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cutesmswishes.com/2017/03/happy-easter-sms-wishes-2017.html">Happy Easter Wishes SMS</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cutesmswishes.com/2017/03/happy-easter-wishes-2017.html">Easter Wishes</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cutesmswishes.com/2017/03/happy-easter-egg-images-eggs-of-easter.html">Happy Easter Egg Images</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cutesmswishes.com/2017/03/easter-quotes-happy-easter.html">Happy Easter Quotes</a><br>

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author R. Ann Siracusa

    Novelist, retired architect and urban planner, world traveler, quilter, owl collector, devoted wife-mother-grandmother, great-grandmother, and, according to some, wild-assed liberal.

    Archives

    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    November 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    Baboons
    Bagpipes
    Halloween
    Mopane-Mopani Worms
    Saint Patrick
    Samhain
    Shamrock
    Snakes
    Travel
    Veterans Day

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.