Authentic Seafood Feasts

Holidays Around the World

I, Rich was out for a short time and now, I am back. Somewhat late, but I would like to give you copies of my 2 cookbooks. This is the food that I grew up. Hope you like it.

Click Here for your Free Copies

As we are about to gather around the dining room table here in America to celebrate Christmas with a goose or turkey and all the delicious trimmings, there are many other traditions being followed all over the world. Check these interesting seafood feasts and maybe try one at your home this holiday season.

Perhaps the most well known is the Feast of Seven Fishes, an Italian-American tradition which originated in Italy was not originally a feast bu tin fact, a fasting. Known as the Vigil, on Christmas Eve Italians would fast in wait for the coming of Jesus.

Now, the Italian-American tradition honors the fasting by going without meat hence the seven fishes. Often the multi-course meal will begin with baccala (cod) and always includes a pasta dish such as linguine with white clam sauce. Squid or calamari are also part of the tradition. This is a huge meal with many courses so be sure to pace yourself so that you can enjoy every delightful dish.

From December 26th through January 1st is the week long celebration known as Kwanzaa. Primarily African foods are found throughout this celebration which also includes seafood. One of the most popular dishes is Fish Patties. Cooks have always added ‘filler’ to proteins to make the food stretch further, feeding as many people as possible, a french tradition called reveille (literally translating to ‘awakening’) are part of the Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve tradition. The meal usually includes delicacies like lobster, oysters and escargot. Champagne or sparkling wine are the typical pairings for this rich celebration. Finish this feast with a bouche noel or more commonly known as the Yule log!

We would be remiss in leaving out the infamous dish, Gefilte Fish. A traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish that is served during Chanukah, this appetizer is a ground up fish mixed with spices, egg, onions and carrots. One of the reasons it is important to eat fish on Shabbat or holiday is because in the Torah, the word for blessing is used three times: once for the creation of fish, second for the creation of man, and third for the creation of Shabbat. By eating fish on Shabbat, the Jews invoke a triple blessing.

Christmas Day in Sweden is celebrated with a feast called Julbord which translates to “Christmas table.” Common items for this meal are herring, ham, sausage and of course, meatballs. It is celebrated all over Sweden and often throughout the month. The meal is a smorgasbord of food, sometimes a hundred dishes for some of the most lavish events. The Swedish really know how to celebrate a holiday!

What are your favorite traditional holiday celebrations? Share with us in the comments belo

Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah! Blessed Kwanzaa!

by LA DiNardi