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global eats fried smelts; stuffed clams; scungilli salad; and linguine with clams, anchovies, tuna, or crab sauce. It's unclear if there's particular mean- ing to any one dish; more likely the simplicity of the menu and ingre- dients can be attributed to southern Italy's historically impoverished regions. Over time dishes like baked lobster, scallops, oysters, and octopus salad have become popular additions. Why Seven? Theories abound about the significance of the number seven, includ- ing that it corresponds to the Biblical reference of seven days of creation, the number of sacraments in the Catholic church, or the seven deadly sins. Over time, however, families developed their own interpretations and altered their menu from seven to other numbers that could have regional, personal, or religious significance. For example, some families celebrate the holiday with three types of fish, reminiscent of the Holy Trinity, or the three Wise Men, while others serve 13 types to represent Jesus and the apostles. While the number of fish on the menu may vary, one thing on which Italians and Italian-Americans seem to agree is that seafood, family, and celebration are the ingredients to the tradition. The Beginnings One thing is certain: a big meal incorporating seafood on Christmas Eve is customary in Italy. Traditionally, Italian Catholics, fasting in anticipation of the birth of the baby Jesus on Christmas Day, would refuse to eat until they received Holy Communion during Midnight Mass, after which la Vigilia or Christmas Eve dinner would begin. Christmas Eve is a day of abstinence, dating back to around the fourth century, in which the Catholic Church prohibited the con- sumption of meat and milk products. Traditionally, since observant Catholics couldn't eat meat or butter on these days, they would turn to fish, typically fried in oil. (Meat, along with baked pasta dishes, play a bigger role in the traditional Christmas Day meal.) "La Vigilia is the night that Italian families observe the religious practice of not eating meat. The meatless Christmas Eve meal is a tradition throughout Italy," says Maria Woodley, senior marketing and promotion officer for the Italian Trade Commission. "The tradition of seven or more courses of seafood is more southern Italian and Italian-American." Ilyse Rathet who, with husband Ron Post, travels extensively in Europe sourcing authentic foods for her importing business, Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods, has spent many Christmas Eves in Italy watching residents on the Ligurian or Tuscan coasts "buying lovely seafood from open-air fish markets, set up especially for that feast night," says Rathet. Though seafood is definitely part of the Italian Christmas Eve heritage, Rathet affirms, "other than that, the details of the seven fishes are mostly in the annals of Italian-American lore." The Menu While the meal's scope and legend may have grown in the hands of Italian-Americans, it is gaining popularity among diners across the board. Restaurants spanning cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest have begun incorporating a Feast of the Seven Fishes menu during the holiday season. Esca and Patsy's in New York City have featured it on the menu, as have Amis and Chiarella in Philadelphia, Al Dente and Dino in Washington, D.C., and The Florentine and Osteria Via Stato in Chicago. A traditional feast comprises several simple dishes including baccala, a southern Italian specialty of salted cod fish; frito misto, which incorporates a variety of fried fish like shrimp and calamari; THE REST OF THE MEAL These components are traditional in the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day southern Italian menus: • Antipasto • Broccoli rabe • Baked pasta (such as lasagna) • Roasted meat • Stuffoli (fried dough balls slathered in honey) • Neapolitan Christmas pastries • Panettone Restaurants spanning cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest have begun incorporating a Feast of the Seven Fishes menu during the holiday season. Denise Purcell is editor of Specialty Food Magazine. 132 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com