Christmas tradition

[Claudia]

I love the French tradition of celebrating Christmas. On Christmas eve, everybody gathers around the dinner table and eat crystallized fruits and candied chestnuts. I tried last time I went to France and they are delicious: http://www.histoiresucree.com/product_c ... andied.htm

It is also part of the tradition to eat dried figs and Calissons: http://www.histoiresucree.com/calison_d_aix.html

What about your favorite Christmas tradition?

[Christmas Knight]

I personally like the Italian tradition of eating various fish dishes on Christmas Eve. Its origin is in the Roman Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Christmas Eve, but the Italians have really perfected it with various types of fish. If you are a fish lover, you can't wait to sit at the dinner table on Christmas Eve.

[Silver Belle]

I am familiar with this Roman Catholic tradition CK, and speaking of various types of fish, could you advise me on some that are tasty without being overly 'fishy'? I like a mild taste to fish and I'm trying to broaden my taste palate because I know fish is a lot more 'heart healthy'...I love tilapia cooked any way, salmon's alright...what are some others? Perhaps we could try something new with the perfected Italian flare this Christmas Eve..

[Santa Baby]

I am part Italian and my Husband is all Italian and we always do the 7 fishes dinner for

Christmas Eve! We do a little things a little different as we usually use

calamari, fried smelts, anchovy sauce for the pasta, Flounder, Scallops, Shrimp, and

scungilli. Sometimes we even use crab For the none Italians reading Calamari is squid and the scungilli is refered to as Italian Conch but its more like a kind of a whelk. We also have a large antipasto with Caponata (marinated eggplant) fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, kalamata olives, black olives, mini stuffed peppers, marinated artichoke, and sometimes some marinated or pickled vegetables. We have pasta course too! lots of food LOL

Here is a photo from 05 with a small antipasto







My favorite is the traditional deserts we make cheesecake, Chocolate rum balls, almond butter cake, creme puffs, assorted filled cookies, cannoli, Oreo cookie pie (its more like a pudding), chocolate cream pie, cherry cream Jello, eggnog punch, and pettifore's here are a few pics of that.



















Christamas Knight ....tell me about your fishes dinner!

[Catzilla]

Santa Baby has the chow line going down....think I'll jump in it ! JK

[Ol' Black Pete]

My Goodness, Santa Baby, if only you could see me drooling!!!!!

[SWC]

goodness sake, Santa Baby! Check out that spread *drool*



Silver Belle, I tried this recipe once and it was pretty delish! It combines the Italian with a light, not-so-fishy fish.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Oran ... etail.aspx

[frenchy]

Santa Baby i just took 25 pounds by looking at those pics

[Snow Faery]

*drools on the keyboard*......



You know, Santa Baby, that sort of stimulation really doesn't help my diet lol

[Christmas-Lover]

I Must saythat food looks delicius

[frenchy]

When i was younger in Quebec we use to have dinner on the 24th and open all our gifts on the 25 around noon . Meal was mostly Vulture ( jokking) Turkey and cranberry with mashed patatoes and for desert it was fruit cake with ice cream . I am speaking for our familly ( we were 3 in total mom dad and me ) but no matter what the people were doing that is what we used to do year after year and at that time (10 years old) i didnt like that lolllllll . Now i am so missing that it's not like it used to be anymore........

[frenchy]

oh i forgot we were going to church at 7 at night and then eat dinner after

[I B Freezin' Wolfman]

WOW! Wish I had a few second helpings of everything!

There's always room for Jello!

[Silver Belle]

goodness sake, Santa Baby! Check out that spread *drool*



Silver Belle, I tried this recipe once and it was pretty delish! It combines the Italian with a light, not-so-fishy fish.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Oran ... etail.aspx

Thanks, SWC! I totally trust your judgment, I'll give that one a shot. In NO way will our Christmas dinner look as dreamy as Santa Baby's here, though.

[Santa Baby]

Thanks guys for all the great compliments Its nice to hear such wonderful feedback!

I wish I could cook for you all!!!! Hmmmmmm ......thinking.....