Maria Laurino of the NY Times recently published an article on the Italian-American tradition of serving seven fishes during the holiday season. Here is Laurino on why many Italian-Americans prepare fish on Christmas Eve:
"The significance of seven types of fish has yielded numerous theories, including a correspondence to the number of sacraments in the church, the seven days of creation, the seven virtues of Christian theology, and a reminder of the seven deadly sins. Families have their own interpretations, perhaps based on the region from which their ancestors came; and the number of dishes prepared can vary widely -- from 3, representing the number of wise men, to 13, signifying Jesus and the apostles."
Like Laurino, I easily identify with eating fish during the holiday. Since I can remember, my own Italian born parents/family have prepared the following type of fish on Christmas Eve:
1. Baked shrimp with breadcrumbs.
2. Bacala (or salt cod) mixed with olive oil, red onion, and parsley.
3. Seafood salad with fresh sconciglio (or scungelli in Italian-American parlance), scallops, shrimp, squid, celery, octopus, and onion.
4. Baked flounder
5. Mussels
6. Raw clams
7. Shrimp cocktail
8. Fried calamari (there's an 8th!).
8. Fried calamari (there's an 8th!).
In addition to the fish above, our family fries fresh zeppoli for Christmas Eve dinner. There are also a few vegetables that make an appearance (baked broccoli with red pepper flakes, sautéed string beans with garlic, and a tossed salad), but they are really afterthoughts as the fish take center stage.
Laurino's article reminds me of an important personal finance tip: good food can quell material desire. That is to say, if you fill your belly with good food on a consistent basis (along with a nice glass of wine) you are all of sudden really satisfied with life and can maybe even get away with not having a 42 inch flat screen TV, a gas guzzling SUV parked in the driveway, and the desire to head to the mall every weekend to buy stuff. Try eating really well for a month and see if your life satisfaction level goes up!
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