Memories from my childhood and early adulthood

My family never had anything but fish for Christmas Eve. Every dish was fish or shellfish, even the salads. Meat was not allowed at all. We didn't mind it because we all loved fish and looked forward to this all year. Several days in advance we would start the cooking and preparing and still cooking right up to the last minute. It was a feast that went on for hours and hours. Long tables were put together so the whole family sat down together even the kids. And the kids sat at the table that long too listening to all the stories from the grandparents, aunts and uncles. Of course most of the stories were repeated through the years but they still were enjoyable. My grandfather loved to tease my grandmother and everyone waited for the teasing to start. She acted like she was annoyed but she loved every minute of it. His pet name for her was "Little Doll" and it sounds much prettier when said in Italian.

We would have Christmas Eve either at my grandparents or one of the great aunt and uncles or sometimes as my grandparents got older at our house. First came the shopping and the first stop was to the fish market where everything was fresh. They even had fish swimming in tanks that you could choose from. The fish monger knew just what you wanted and would get your order ready and the fish cleaned while you caught up with the neighborhood news. It was always cold it seems and inside the fish market it was freezing but the fish was kept cold. The most important item to pick was the eels. It would not be the holiday without them and the bigger the better. They also were kept live. The big ones were called Capitone. I can just see my grandkids faces as they read this. After the eels came the Whiting for salad, Octupus for another salad, Squid for frying, filet fish for frying and fresh sardines for baking. We didn't bother with shrimp and lobster in those days. We also had to get the clams for the linguine with clam sauce.

Our meal would start with antipasto but for Christmas Eve it was made with anchovies, pimentoes, chopped olives, lots of chopped garlic and olive oil. (No meat)! Then we would have the linguine with clam sauce, both red and white sauce. Then the fish would be served along with a broccoli salad, the fish salads and lots of Italian bread and good wine. After several hours of eating, drinking and talking the cheese and fruit would come out along with the roasted chestnuts. Wait we aren't done yet! We have to have the demi-tasse with Italian pastries and a liquor. It usually was anizette to pour into the demi-tasse. Now when I was really young we only had an icebox, in later years we got refrigerators but in the icebox days, it couldn't possibly hold all this food so we had a box mounted outside the kitchen window that acted as another icebox. It usually was so cold then that the food kept perfectly. That's where the Italian pastries got stored. I'm getting away from the dinner story. Finally, dinner was over. Now it was time to open presents but it didn't take long. There was only one or two presents each, not like today. And, it was only the children that got presents. It was fabulous!! Don't forget we didn't get presents that often. After this the kids were sent to bed and the men would get ready to play cards while the women cleaned up and started cooking Christmas Day dinner. Things haven't changed much there. The chicken soup was put on to cook overnight and the sauce for the pasta was put on while the women talked and laughed while they were doing this. Now, it was time to go home only to repeat this again on Christmas Day. It was a fun time for me and I hope you feel like I do. I feel like I am there again.

Well, if you have happy you have to have sad. All these people that I have been talking about are no longer here. My grandparents, parents, my only sibling, my brother Peter, my aunts and uncles are all gone. I only have a few cousins left and I tell you nothing tastes the same as it did when they were all here. I can remember my brother and I at the dinner table telling each other "don't eat all of that" like there wasn't a ton of it. But it was the fun of saying it that I miss now. Now, I fill up on the memories.

Antipasto

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