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Dec 16,2007-Dec 23,2007 |
A feast for Natale
Celebrating Christmas, Italian Style
By Rita Simonetta
Christmas is almost here, and there are many preparations to be made if you have invited friends and family over to indulge and enjoy in the season.
Biblical historians suggest December 25 isn’t actually the correct birth date for Jesus, and point to September as the accurate date. The reason we celebrate in December is because of the pagan origins of Christmas. The ancient Babylons celebrated the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) on December 25. Plenty of food and gift-giving ushered in the day. When the Romans came to power, they celebrated Saturn, the God of Agriculture from December 17 to December 24. In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25 to give the pagan Romans (a majority at the time) a smoother transition to the new religion.
Christmas Eve is known as Vigilia di Magro in Italy, a time when meat-free dishes are prepared. Fish dominates on Christmas Eve, but as with all other Italian rituals, the Christmas Eve meal differs from region to region. Some parts of Italy still serve the traditional seven-fish platter, in honour of the seven sacraments, while others serve 12 types of fish for the 12 apostles.
A traditional Roman Christmas Eve dish is Capitone (roasted, grilled, fried or baked eel). Then there’s the elaborate caponata di pesce (fish salad). This dish involves quite a bit preparation but it’s a feast that won’t soon be forgotten.
On Christmas Day, meat takes over. In North American Italian homes, baccala (salt cod) is very popular. The salt cod fillets are fried until golden. In a bowl, beat an egg, flour, garlic cloves, chopped parsley and black pepper. Dip the fillets in the mixture, then fry on medium-high heat.
A zuppa is a great starter course because it will warm everyone up. Forget about starch-heavy soups or creamy soups because they’ll end up feeling like a main meal. Think of aromatic veggies like tomato or fennel. Zucchini is also great. Thickly sliced zucchini are combined with onions, garlic, chicken stock, basil and salt and pepper to taste for a winter soup. However, if you do want to have a combination zuppa/first course meal, then Cioppino might do the trick. This is a decadent fish soup that hails from Emilia-Romagna. The zuppa typically includes mussels, crab and shrimp.
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