Italian Christmas Eve
"LA VIGILIA DI NATALE"
In Italian, Christmas Eve is "La Vigilia," the eve.  Traditionally the dinner is meatless and fish dishes dominate.
Every region, city, and country town in Italy has ritual foods that are served.  Many people prepare Christmas
Eve dinners with a required number of courses that range from 7 to 9.  The number seven represents the 7
sacraments and nine for the Trinity multiplied by 3.  Over the years the number of courses served by most
Italian families has decreased, but fish still remains the main feature of the meal.
In Italy, eel is regarded as a delicacy and a must for Christmas Eve.  We have provided a recipe for it
although it is difficult to find in many seafood markets in the US.  Some of these dishes can be prepared
ahead, such as the Mixed Seafood Salad, which actually improves in flavor if it is made in advance.
Also, the sardines in the dish Pasta with Sardines can be cooked ahead and refrigerated, then reheated
while the pasta is cooking.
If you are serving several courses, choose a well-balanced selection of dishes using a variety of different fish and shellfish  - an appetizer, a soup, a salad,
a fried fish, a baked, grilled, or stewed fish, and a pasta dish.  For a simpler meal, prepare just one course and serve with a crusty Italian bread and a mixed
green salad.
Mangia Bene Pasta
Chi mangia bene, vive bene
Who eats well, lives well
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Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Whipped Baccala
Clams Oregano Dip
Bagna Cauda
Crisp Sardine Twists
Stuffed Mussels
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
Shrimp and Cannellini Bean Bruschetta
Baked Oysters with Breadcrumbs and Garlic
Lobster and Potato
Christmas Eve Seafood Soup
Zuppa di Pesce
Seafood Stew
Seafood Risotto
Risotto with Shrimp and Champagne
Mariner-Style Risotto with Tomatoes
Calamari or Scungilli Salad
Mixed Seafood Salad  (Insalata di Frutti di Mar)
Shrimp and Orange Salad
Baccala Salad
Octopus Salad  (Insalata di Polpo)
Tuna with Beans
Seafood Rice Salad
Fried Eel
Fried Baccala
Fritto Misto di Pesce
Fried Calamari
Sole with Lemon and Butter Sauce
Stuffed Squid
Grilled Swordfish
Stewed Fresh Cod
Baccala with Potatoes and Tomatoes
Baked Salmon with Pistachio-Basil Butter
Grilled Halibut with Pesto
Tuna Meatballs
Calamari Stuffed with Porcini Mushrooms, Bread, and Cheese
Calamari Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Pine Nuts, and Raisins
Cheese-Stuffed Calamari
Seafood-Stuffed Calamari
Rice-Stuffed Calamari
SCALLOPS, CLAMS,  MUSSELS, OYSTERS, AND SCUNGILLI
Orange Scallops
Baked Scallops with Marsala and Almonds
Clams in Tomato Sauce
Steamed Clams with Garlic and Tomatoes
Baked Mussels
Mussels and Leeks
Oysters with Pesto
Oysters in Green Sauce
Scungilli in Hot Sauce
Spicy Scungilli Fritters
SHRIMP, LOBSTER, AND CRAB
Shrimp and Scallops on a Skewer (Spiedini di Mare)
Shrimp in Tomato, Caper, and Pine Nut Sauce
Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Batter Fried Shrimp and Calamari
Baked Stuffed Lobster Tails
Grilled Lobster
Lobster Fra Diavolo
Soft Shell Crabs with Garlic Butter
Crab Cakes
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