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December 17, 2003
Agenda: 12/17 to 12/23
Food Events in New York City
1. Feast of the Seven Fishes, a special appetizer menu commemorating the Italian Christmas Eve dinner, is being served through December 31 at Otto, 1 Fifth Avenue (212-995-9559). [via New York Magazine]
2. Italian Christmas Fish Feast, cooking workshop with Micol Negrin, Saturday, December 20, 10:00 a.m., at The James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street. Members $50, guests $60 (212.627.2308).
3. Wine Talks: A Slightly Less Serious Look at French Wines is a series of wine lectures and tastings at Paradou. The next installment, on the subject of “Bordeaux vs. Burgundy,” will take place on Monday, December 22, 6:30 p.m., at Paradou's Meatpacking District location (8 Little West 12th Street, between 9th Avenue and Washington Avenue), and on Tuesday, December 23, 6:30 p.m., at Paradou's Park Slope, Brooklyn, location (426 Seventh Avenue, between 14th and 15th Streets). $45/person in Manhattan, $35 in Brooklyn. Call 212.463.8345 and 718.499.5557 for reservations.
Posted by Josh Friedland on Dec 17, 2003 in Agenda | Permalink
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could you please tell me if you know the origin of the "seven fishes" feast in the Italian tradition.also why was bacala a main portion of the feast when fresh fish was available.
thank you for your help
jerry g
Posted by: jerry g at Dec 22, 2004 6:01:58 AM
Hi Jerry,
I don't know too much about the history of this celebration. A cursory look at past articles on the topic yielded multiple origins and not much explanation for why certain fish are always eaten (though baccala and eel seem to be essential).
Here's one account from a 1996 Philadelphia Inquirer article:
"It can range from baked eel to small sardines fried in oil with garlic, and even baccala. But in all its forms, it is a special seven-course Christmas Eve festive fish dinner that has been passed on from one generation to the next.
As with many traditions, when you search for origin and symbolism, you discover a variety of meanings.
Some families say the number 7 has biblical significance. Possibly the seven sacraments. I once queried the Philadelphia Catholic archdiocese, which speculated on several possibilities for the symbolism:
The seven sorrows of the Blessed Mother, the seven vigils in the Roman calendar, the seven sacraments, or even the seven men from Florence who fasted and later became saints.
A spokesman at the Italian Culture Institute in New York concurred with the archdiocesan reasoning. "It is pure speculation," he said, "but anytime you deal with a country with a Catholic culture, the number 7 always has a religious significance."
While many traditions lack explanation, specific answers often are influenced by custom. Talk with 10 Italian Americans about the special feast, and you could come up with 10 dinner menus, plus a varying selection of fish.
There also might be some disagreement as to how to prepare the baccala (dried cod) course, or the order in which the different fish are served. But practically everyone probably would agree that sometime during the meal, there must be, or at least should be, eel."
Posted by: Josh at Dec 23, 2004 10:15:19 AM
