Christmas Eve celebrations in Italian families are legendary for the amount of food, fun and, of course, faith.  And by faith, I mean a trip to church for Midnight Mass.  But let’s get back to the food.  With the exception of an Italian wedding, you’ll not see this much food at any other time of the year.

It’s a pescatarian feast with every kind of fish and seafood known to man.  It’s known as Il Cenone di Vigilia, the feast of the seven fishes, but there are often more than seven courses.  In my family, everyone’s favorite dish was always the salted cod called Baccala.