Posted on 12/05/2019 4:41:20 PM PST by Jamestown1630
Not being a great meat-eater, I’ve always been intrigued by the Italian-American tradition of the ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes’ - the Christmas Eve dinner consisting of seven different fish dishes.
I like seafood very much, but have had a hard time coming up with my ‘dream meal of seven’. One thing I’ve always wanted to try are Portuguese Codfish Balls (Bolinhos de Bacalhau), which I believe I first saw in an episode of the ‘Two Fat Ladies’.
These seem to be usually made from rehydrated salt cod (the dried cod can be found in ethnic stores as well as many American supermarkets), but they can be made from fresh fish, as well. They are balls of the flaked fish, held together with mashed potatoes and egg, and deep fried.
Here, from 'Spruce Eats', is a recipe using fresh fish:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/portuguese-codfish-balls-2743408
And from ‘The Portuguese American Mom’, one using the dried fish:
http://www.theportugueseamericanmom.com/codfish-cakes-bolinhos-de-bacalhau/
Another fish dish is something that I’ve recently found at Lidl – they have several prepared/frozen ‘convenience’ items that I think are very good, and I really liked a salmon with a spinach stuffing, wrapped in puff pastry: I went looking for a from-scratch recipe, and found one at ‘Home Made Italian Cooking’:
https://www.homemadeitaliancooking.com/salmon-in-puff-pastry/
Please post your favorite family Christmas food traditions - or your favorite seafood recipe!
(The painting at the top is 'Adoration of the Shepherds', by the Spanish Baroque painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.)
-JT
I was thinking putting them on a gas burner like you would peppers or under the oven broiler. Let cool and take the skins off like peppers.
Found this - https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-make-roasted-tomatoes-4-easy-ways/
Christmas eve with Mr. T and his family has always been seafood.
We’re having spaghetti with special Christmas Sauce on Christmas day. My husband grew up with that tradition, but we’ve never done it since we married. I’m kind of looking forward to it.
I love traditional foods on holidays. Mr. T likes having a roast of some kind on Christmas day.
Well, in my husband’s Italian family, that WAS tradition. And I don’t think the sauce, with three kinds of meat, was made, other than for Christmas and very special occasions. :-)
You may have to share that recipe! :)
I don’t think there IS a recipe - they did it for so many generations that they grew up learning it by a sort of osmosis.
When my FIL was alive, he would plant hundreds of tomato plants; and in August the entire clan would get together to ‘make sauce’. I think they canned 500 quarts in their peak year.
For ‘Christmas Sauce’, they use sweet Italian sausage, beef chunks, and pepperoni. Everything is ‘eyeballed’ - and husband says that if you don’t have the ‘Family Tomato Sauce’, it’s useless to even try :-)
They had the spaghetti and sauce at the noon Christmas meal; and in the evening they had home-made vegetable soup and hoagies.
On Christmas Eve: Pizza.
(This is all sort of wonderful for me - for at least a few days, we’ll be off the ‘Low Carb’ mania :-)
But I will watch on Christmas Eve, when he starts the sauce process, and be sure to relay any secrets!
Thanks, friend! :)
Found one that uses Better Than Bullion Lobster Base.
Really? Lobster?
Major BTB low sodium fan. Never saw lobster. Wish I did.
That is so weird I really have to try it!
But no way can I use 6 cups of powder sugar.
Chef John of ‘Food Wishes’ has posted a recipe for ‘chocolate covered chocolate’ - otherwise known as ‘truffles’; looks easy and fast enough for a last-minute Christmas gift:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMNhRROsHs0
If anyone likes fruitcake,( I know, I know. )
Costco has the best fruitcake for 15 bucks.
It is delicious and keeps for months in the freezer sliced and properly wrapped.
I love fruitcake, heated with butter
My Mom in Canada used to frost her fruitcake with an almond frosting.
Hubby and I love mincemeat!!
^5!
If it takes less then use less. I have used as little as three. Six is the maximum I have ever used which is why I always have that amount on hand before starting.
Nothing worse then getting half way into a dish and discovering you have to run to the store to finish.
Fruitcake is so dense we never eat one up fresh, and always save slices in the freezer to eat throughout the year.
There are moments when it’s exactly the right snack.
“Nothing worse then getting half way into a dish and discovering you have to run to the store to finish.”
LOL! Preplan better these days but remember those days!
MASCARPONE MOUSSE/ FIG TOPPING
PREP Elec/mixer smooth ricotta, mascarpone, 3 tb sugar. Set aside. Separately, elec/mixer egg whites, tb sugar to soft peaks.
ASSEMBLY Spatula/fold whites gently into ricotta. Divide among four dessert cups. Cover/fridge an hour.
SERVE Garnish w/ sliced figs; can also sprinkle w/ cookies or nuts.
ING 1/2 cup ea ricotta, drained, mascarpone at room temp, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 egg whites
TOPPING OPTIONS: fresh figs, pears, apricots or plums. Chp amaretti, chp pistachios, sliced almonds.
Fat Free Truffles
1/2 cup fat free cream cheese -room temp
1/2 cup coco powder plus 2 tsp.
1 cup powdered sugar
1.2 tsp. almond extract
Mix all except the 2 tsp. cocoa powder. Make into little balls, roll in the 2 tsp. cocoa powder. Chill and serve. Easy. Given to me by a friend 30+ years ago.
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