L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano U p north, some villages could b e u n d e r a b l a n k e t o f s n o w d r i v e n b y h a r s h w i n d s . D o w n south, most towns bask in warm sunshine brushed by gentle breezes. The climate m a y v a r y , b u t a l l o f I t a l y e m b r a c e s o n e c o m m o n d e n o m i n a t o r d u r i n g t h e Christmas season - culi- nary traditions and treats As day passes into night on Christmas Eve, a quiet m o o d o f a n t i c i p a t i o n replaces the frenzied pace of previous weeks. Shops close, traffic subsides, food cooks, families get together and the holiday celebration begins. I t ' s f a m i l y t i m e , w h e n most Italians gather around the table for a meal with ori- gins dating back to the very beginning of Christianity. Meat is off-limits. Christmas Eve original- ly was a day of fasting, when nothing more than sips of water were permitted before taking communion at mid- night mass. Each region has its own tastes and rituals, but ever since the church imposed the penitence rule o f m a n g i a r e d i m a g r o , almost everyone eats fish on holiday eves to purify the body and get ready for the next day's feasts. In Lucca, a Tuscan town 45 miles east of Florence, people usually have a light snack in the afternoon to s u s t a i n t h e m u n t i l a f t e r midnight mass. Because liv- i n g q u a r t e r s a r e o f t e n cramped and families relish t o g e t h e r n e s s , t h e 1 a . m . meal may be served buffet style. The table brims with baccalà (salted cod), fried smelts, roasted red snapper and cacciucco, a fish broth native to Livorno. The bac- c a l à i s l i k e l y f r i e d o r s a u t é e d i n a r i c h t o m a t o sauce. Seven fish and various vegetable dishes are served to honor the tradition and reflect the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. In areas of Calabria around Italy's heel, Christmas Eve dishes are usually all white CHUCK PECORARO r i g a t o n i , p e n n e o r f u s i l l i w i t h c a u l i f l o w e r , g a r l i c , o l i v e o i l , a n c h o v i e s a n d asparagus. Then a side dish of grilled e g g p l a n t o r b e l l p e p p e r s b e f o r e t h e m a i n c o u r s e - g r i l l e d o r r o a s t e d t u r k e y accompanied by gravy and o v e n - r o a s t e d p o t a t o e s . C o m p a r e d t o t h e t y p i c a l American Thanksgiving din- ner, there's no cranberry sauce. If not turkey, capon is a p o p u l a r C h r i s t m a s t i m e e n t r é e . I n t h e c a p p o n e natalizio, the fowl is fla - v o r e d w i t h p r o s c i u t t o tucked into the cavity that's b e e n s p r i n k l e d w i t h s a l t , pepper and nutmeg. Dessert often is the sweet Italian bread called panet- tone topped with cream cus- tard, spiked with Marsala or Moscato wine. If the cook is inclined to be creative, he or she can shape the bread into a nativity scene and drizzle it with chocolate icing. S w e e t t r a y s a l s o m a y include ravioli dolci di Paolo B i n i - p a s t r y t u r n o v e r s packed with winter fruit, sweet squash and chestnuts - particularly in the Emilia- Romagna region. While dinner is the mar- q u e e e v e n t i n I t a l y o n December 25, lunch is not overlooked. In Bologna, for example, the mid-day meal c o n s i s t s o f t o r t e l l i n i i n capon broth. Farther south, cappelletti packed with veal, turkey, prosciutto, nutmeg and parmesan cheese is a popular prelude to coming culinary attractions. With all the good sights, scents and tastes coming from Italian kitchens during the Yuletide, it's not enough to wish family and friends a " B u o n N a t a l e . " E q u a l l y a p p r o p r i a t e i s a " B u o n Appetito." Christmas in Sicily One of the decisions fac- ing cooks in Sicily as they plan and prepare the Christ- m a s E v e m e a l i s w h a t t o i n c l u d e a m o n g t h e s e v e n non-meat dishes that tradi- t i o n c a l l s f o r . T h e c h o i c e gets easier since the island i s s u r r o u n d e d b y a s e a a b u n d a n t w i t h s a v o r y seafood such as swordfish. A Sicilian staple, swordfish not only meets December 24 c u l i n a r y c u s t o m s b u t promises to pacify palates as well. Here's a delicious recipe for tranci di pesce spada ai ferri alla siciliana, or Sicilian-style swordfish. Ingredients (serve 6) 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 ounces of onion, finely diced 3 cloves of minced garlic 3 anchovy fillets 2 chili peppers, chopped 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced 6 green olives, pitted 1 tablespoon capers salt and pepper to taste 1 / 4 c u p c h o p p e d m i n t leaves For the fish: 6 6 - o u n c e s w o r d f i s h steaks 1 / 4 t e a s p o o n g r o u n d black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil. Directions Heat the olive oil in a 2- quart saucepan, and cook onions over medium heat until translucent. Add 3 gar- l i c c l o v e s , a n c h o v i e s a n d chili peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives and capers and cook for 5 min- u t e s m o r e o v e r l o w h e a t . Season with salt and pepper and add mint leaves. Purée in a blender until smooth. Adjust seasonings and keep warm. R u b s w o r d f i s h s t e a k s with pepper, garlic and olive oil, then cook on high heat. Pour sauce on each serv- ing plate. Neatly arrange s w o r d f i s h o n t o p o f t h e sauce. Eating fish is traditional on Christmas Eve (Photo: Bhofack2/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES Tradition inspires holiday dining in Italy to signify purity and sinceri- t y . F i s h , p o t a t o e s , w h i t e s a u c e a n d p a s t a a r e i n , tomatoes and green vegeta- bles are saved for another day. I n S i c i l y a n d o t h e r southern communities, eel is the pièce de résistance the night before Christmas. It is skewered, spit-roasted, grilled with olive oil, vine- g a r , g a r l i c a n d s a l t , g a r - nished with white wine and peas, or pickled with vine- gar, oil, bay leaves, rose- mary and cloves. D i n i n g o n C h r i s t m a s Day is an everything-goes a f f a i r , m u c h l i k e t h e Thanksgiving spread in the US. Dinner may get under- w a y w i t h a n a n t i p a s t o o f

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