Italians share a tradition of only eating fish on Christmas Eve. Here's a look at one family's menu.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes
Intriguing is the fact that you must have on the table seven fish selections. Why seven? Seven is a very important number. It stands for the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The seven days of creation. In Biblical numerology, seven is a number of perfection. There is no set menu for this feast. In the casa della famiglia Laurita the dishes were traditionally:

1. Calamari (squid)
2. Scungilli [skuhn-GEE-lee] (conch)
3. Baccalà [bah-kah-LAH] (dry, salt cod)
4. Shrimp
5. Clams served with pasta
6. Mussels
7. Some type of big fish ususally a snapper, sea trout, tuna, or salmon

Christmas day begins with an antipasto. Then would come soup, a pasta (ravioli), a meat course (usually fresh ham), and salad.

Of course fruits and nuts, rest a while, sandwiches for the earlier part of the day. Finally would come the "Venetian table," sweets consisting of cookies, pastries, and other desserts. This is followed by coffee with anisette. All this is, from beginning to finish, accompanied with a good red table wine.

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Sweet Maria's Italian Desserts is baker Maria Bruscino Sanchez's loving tribute to the desserts her family has enjoyed for generations - desserts you'll find in Italy and in Italian-American homes on special occasions and, in many cases, any day of the year. These are festive favorites like Traditional Cannoli, Espresso Cheesecake, Tiramisu, Amaretto Chiffon Cake, Spiced Gelato, and many others. The result of years of baking in Italy, in her popular bakery, and in the kitchens of her grandmother, mother, and aunts (many of whom do the baking at Sweet Maria's), the book includes cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, pastry, sweet breads, frozen desserts, fruit dishes, and other specialties-all made with warmth, tradition, and a love of great desserts.

Paula Laurita
Italian Food Editor

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