The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a tradition in Pepper’s Italian-American household and can be a long, boisterous day of friendship and joy as family, neighbors and friends pop in for a plate (or two) of seafood and a glass (or two) of wine. (Some years, when her schedule is too hectic or her heart too heavy, it is a smaller affair with family and maybe a few close friends.) They catch up with one another while listening to the Frank Sinatra station, eating great food and warming themselves by the fire. Pepper flows from the kitchen (where many gather) to the living room where the long table of food reigns. She brings out course after course, while dropping in to eat, drink and chat with her guests. The party starts in the early afternoon and rolls late into the evening with a changing cast of people. 

The Feast is celebrated by Southern Italian immigrants and their descendants throughout America. Some families serve seven different types of fish, some serve eight, and others have nine or more. It stems from the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat on certain days, such as Fridays during Lent or Christmas Eve while waiting for the celebration of Christ’s birth at midnight Mass. Growing up, Pepper’s family always ate a seafood bonanza on Christmas Eve and then a large, Sicilian dinner on Christmas Day – exhausting for both the cooks and everyone’s GI tracts. 

Pepper has some dishes that are certain to appear on the big table each year, and then she plays with other seafood dishes, depending on what’s available (and affordable) at the fishmonger. First up: classic shrimp cocktail. Followed by crostini topped with goat cheese, smoked salmon and capers; battered and fried calamari; her grandmother’s Sicilian fish casserole (layers of light fish fillets, caramelized onions, pignoli, parsley, lemon and parmesan); scungilli (conch) salad; octopus (cooked with a penny to turn it red); a seafood pasta dish like linguini in clam sauce or fruitti di mare. Other dishes have made an appearance through the years: fried smelts; pasta with crab/tomato sauce; stuffed lobsters; oysters; baked whole fish; eel. The table also has plenty of fruits, cheeses, fresh and pickled vegetables, and lots of festive, Christmas cookies!

This has not always been an easy feat – especially in a land-locked state. In Albuquerque, the best place for seafood is the Mexican supermarkets. Gorgeous seafood! Mexico has an Atlantic Coast and a Pacific Coast where seafood plays an important part in their cuisine. Though there may be a language barrier, she manages to get her point across by pointing, gesturing and trying out her Spanish while the fish monger works on his English. It works! One year, the man working behind the fish counter spoke English and they chatted about recipes as she ordered a few pounds of this, a few pounds of that, and more of this and that. He said, “You must be Italian. This is for that big dinner you do.” Apparently, Pepper is not the only person loading up on great seafood for Christmas Eve!

This year, Pepper’s eldest son introduced his new, Canadian family to “The Feast” and asked for the recipes. She sent the instructions for each of the dishes she traditionally serves and offered suggestions for others – like the ones her father used to make. And, here we are: another generation celebrating their heritage through food. One of the recipes – the Sicilian Fish Casserole – is something that her grandmother’s family makes. Her cousins from that side of the family make this and now another generation is carrying it forward in a new country. The origin of the recipe is lost but its memory is ingrained to be enjoyed at yet another Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Buon Appetito!

Pepper (December 2025)