‘Tis the Season!

We’ve been here about 18 hours and have been eating for most of them!  If I can’t be home in San Francisco with all my family, North Jersey and Victor’s family is not a bad second.

Tradition here is Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes – Festa dei Sette Pesci.   The Feast of the Seven Fishes originated in Southern Italy and goes back to the medieval Catholic tradition of abstinence.

It’s certainly not about abstinence here.  More like abundance.

Our brother-in-law, Tom, is the Christmas Eve chef, preparing shrimp, crab, mussels, and whatever is looking the best at the fish monger.

And then he creates his magic.

We started with a crab dip, and I made our friend Luigi’s Christmas Eve Killer Shrimp.  Killer is an understatement.  It rocks!

::insert fuzzy picture here when I get home::

And then there was Linguini with Clams

And breaded and fried tilapia, cod with almonds, mussels with a sweet or spicy marinara…

What am I missing?!?

It was all just too good.  With salad and lots of crusty bread to sop up the various sauces…

After way too much food, the tradition continues with neighbors Ben and Barbara and their kids coming over.  Barbara brings her homemade Finikia – a Greek cookie of sorts, and we start on desserts…

Because it’s all about the desserts!

And then it’s up until the wee hours of the morning…..