FESTA DEI SETTE PESCI

The Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci), celebrated on Christmas Eve, also known as The Vigil (La Vigilia), is believed to have originated in Southern Italy and is not a known tradition in many parts of Italy. Today, it is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. Some Italian American families have been known to celebrate with 9, 11 or 13 different seafood dishes. The celebration is a commemoration of the wait, Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus.

At New York City based Fairway Market, the fishmonger, Tony Maltese, reigns over the fish market area with a multitude of seafood to chose from. A sign above reads, "Festa dei Sette Pesci" and lists seven suggestions: Baccala (Dried Cod) Fritte; Fried or Boiled Calamari; Baked Flounder; Boiled Whole Crab or Lobster; Sauteed Shrimp; Steamed Mussels; A Classic Spaghetti with Clams.

I met Tony to inquire about the various seafood offerings. Baccala is quite common in Italian cuisine. Perhaps you may not want to settle for the dried ilk an opt for fresh cod. For years I did not know that Calamari was squid. My Italian friend used the term "calamar" and only saw it cut up. Here, the squid is all cleaned up and ready to go.

Tony gets the fresh flounder from fishing boats on Long Island. In fact, Tony never buys seafood from Fulton Fish Market. Crab, mussels, clams and a variety of shrimp are also offered for the feast.

Go after more than seven! Have pasta with salmon. Go wild or farm raised. The difference is in the "marbling". Get both and taste the difference.

What may bring you back to Italy is the fresh sardines from Sardinia. If you wish, they will clean them up and all you have to do is deep fry them. For those who have never viewed fresh sardines, they are much larger than the size you see in a can! You know you're making a tomato sauce (gravy) so use some over the sardines or simply add a bit of sea salt and lemon juice.

Pick up some "dry scallops". It means that the scallops haven't been sitting in liquid and getting puffed up. They are not actually "dry" like baccali and you will certainly taste the difference if you usually get the ones from a grocery store or perhaps many fish markets. Keep in mind that water not only puffs them up but makes them heavier.

Perhaps you may not have the time to prepare many of the "fishes dishes". Fairway has a fresh Seafood Salad, that is filled with taste and texture. This will take care of: mussels, scallops, shrimp, squid, and baby octopus.

Head over to the cheese department for some freshly made mozzarella. Pick up some meyer lemons in the produce section and make your own limoncello. As for dessert, you and your loved ones can indulge in a box of holiday cookies. Five different flavors and shapes including chocolate, ones with pecans, and a butter cookie shaped like a Christmans tree with green "sprinkles".

Fairway presently has nine markets in the Tri-State area. www.fairwaymarket.com