We just wanted to wish all of our readers, old and new, happy holidays.  It’s been a delicious year and here are a few delicious starters/meals that we cooked since We Are Never Full launched that would be perfect for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner.  Until next time, folks, relax, eat, drink and be merry.  I’m so glad I don’t have to work for 12 days!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS… thanks for reading and we’ll see you with some new stuff very soon!

Chicken with Figs (above) would make a cheap, easy and absolutely fabulous Christmas Day dinner. Substitute dried figs with fresh ones and it still tastes perfect.

Hornazo (chorizo and egg bread) may be technically a bread made in Spain for Easter-time, but it doesn’t mean it wouldn’t get you the “wow” factor at brunch on Christmas Day!

A not-so-favorite “Food Network” douche bag, Guy Fieri did help us with Christmas Eve drinks one year with his “Ginger Bling” drink. It really was delicious and it pains me to say that since it was created by a man who calls himself a “food dude” (gag me).

How about a roasted pork – Italian Style with some Salsa Verde. For very little effort you’ll get some “ooohs and aaaahs” from your guests.

Why not take your average “7 Fishes” dinner and sub this Spanish Arroz Marinero for your risotto dish? Your guests will not be disappointed.

But what would a “7 Fishes” meal be without a delicious, crispy Fritto Misto di Mare (Fried Mixed Seafood) paired with a creamy, fresh garlic aioli to dip?

How about a whole fish baked in salt? It keeps the fish moist but flavors it oh so nicely.

A quick and simple side dish or a starter to any meat dish on Christmas Day, this Roman favorite, Cacio e Pepe, will start any meal off right.

Another fabulous (and classic) “7 Fishes” dish – spicy Crab and Shrimp Fra’diavolo.

And, finally, a favorite dish by many, especially in the Latin-American households, Pernil, or Roasted Pork Shoulder/Butt – Puerto Rican-style.  Again, very easy and very, very tasty.

Now, I know it’s been two weeks plus since Christmas, but I wanted to share our final two recipes with you. I know you all think I was slightly crazy to attempt all this food, and you are all right, I am! BUT, with that said, every single thing we made you can make too. Although we made homemade pasta (thanks to our amazing Kitchen Aid pasta attachment!), you can totally substitute dried and it will be equally delish. The secret is in the spicy sauce – we like it really spicy and extra garlic-y. You can adjust our recipe, but remember, it’s not fra’diavolo without the spice! I always use Lidia Bastianich’s recipe for pasta. It’s absolutely bang-on every time. Also, this recipe will work well with any type of seafood – calamari, scallops, shrimp-only, crab-only, lobster, clams or all of the above – use your imagination!

FETTUCCINE FRA’DIAVOLO WITH CRAB AND SHRIMP (Fettuccine w/Spicy Tomato Sauce) – serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. of fresh or dried long pasta
• 3 1/2 cups of Amy’s Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon peperoncino (hot pepper flakes)
• 1 8oz. package of fresh crab meat (NOT IMITATION – REAL ONLY)
• 2-3 fresh crabs (we used Blue-Claw) – cleaned and split in half
• 1 lb. medium to large shrimp – shells removed
• 1/2 cup white wine
• minced parsley for garnish

What to do:

1. Before you make the sauce, give your crabs some color if they have not been cooked yet by heating up your olive oil and adding the crabs for a few moments till they turn a bit red. This may be completely unnecessary, but I did it anyway.
2. Remove the crabs and reserve on the side. Begin to make your tomato sauce. When you get to the third step of the recipe (at the same time you add your crushed tomatoes), add the wine as well as the crabs back to the pot. Allow this to simmer together for an hour. It will reduce a bit and the flavors will get much stronger.
3. About 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, add the loose, fresh crabmeat to the sauce and stir.
4. 5 minutes before you serve, add the shrimp to the sauce.
5. Toss some of your sauce with your cooked pasta and plate adding some extra shrimp on top if necessary. Top with a half of crab, some parsley and a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

CHECK OUT SOME OTHER POSTS YOU MAY ENJOY:

• PASTA (PERCIATELLI/BUCATINI OR SPAGHETTI) AL’AMATRICIANA (ROMAN CLASSIC PASTA DISH)
• PASTA WITH LEEKS, ASPARAGUS, MUSHROOMS AND GRUYERE, TOPPED WITH A FRIED EGG
• PASTA (BUCATINI) WITH PISTACHIO SAUCE
• PASTA WITH TUNA (Pasta Con Tonno)
• Striking Over Pasta?
• In Defence of Sandwiches (White House Subs, Atlantic City)
• Pigs Must Dream of Ending Up Here

Anywho’s, we may not have had 7 Fishes this Christmas Eve, but we did 5 fishes and did two of the 2 different ways. In my mind, that’s like doing seven, right? I now bring to you our first fish course – Fritto Misto di Mare (Mixed Fried Seafood). It was absolutely delicious, but pacing the cooking correctly was a bit frustrating. I would advise have 3-4 pots of scalding hot oil going at the same time as to hasten the cooking time – especially if you are going to be cooking for 10 or more people at the same time. Remember to separate all the seafood from the vegetables if you are doing both. The oil can often take on the fish taste and you don’t want your crunchy asparagus tasting like smelts – or do you? Whatever floats your boat! I highly recommend making this for a group of friends – it’s fun, bite-sized and delicious. We served ours with a homemade Roasted Garlic Lemon Aioli as a dipping sauce. It is lighter than you think, even though it’s all fried! Come on, the Italians are not the ones with a nationwide obesity epidemic!

The recipe below fed 11 people as a starter, albeit a pretty good-sized starter. You can add/take away stuff as you’d like.

FRITTO MISTO DI MARE WITH ROASTED GARLIC LEMON AIOLI (Fried Mixed Seafood with Fried Mixed Veggies)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb shrimp
• 1/2 lb. squid (bodies and tentacles), cut into rings
• 1 fillet of whitefish (sole, flounder, etc.), cut into 1 inch pieces
• 6 large smelts (heads removed), cut into 1 inch pieces and soaked in milk for 1 hour prior to frying (takes some of the fishy smell away) OR whole sardines
• 1/4 head of cauliflower, blanched, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 8 asparagus stalks, woody bottom removed, blanched and the rest cut into 1 inch pieces
• 6-8 large button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 whole zucchini, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 small eggplant, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
• Peanut Oil for frying (has a high smoke point and burns less easily – traditionally this should be fried in olive oil)
• (Optional but preferred) Cast Iron Skillet for frying
• paper towels or brown paper bag for draining
• Kosher Salt
• Lemon Wedges

For the Fritto Misto Batter:

• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (seasalt or kosher salt preferably)
• soda water or sparkling water

For the Roasted Garlic Lemon Aioli

• 1/2 head garlic oven-roasted in foil
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon horseradish
• juice from 1 fresh lemon
• 2 egg yolks
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• sugar

What to do:

1. Make your Lemon Garlic Aioli as early as 1 or 2 days ahead. Roast garlic in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool. In a glass mixing bowl, add your roasted garlic (squeeze it out of the skin), 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon horseradish, 2 egg yolks, pinch of salt and the juice of 1 lemon. Mix with a whisk. After that is mixed up, slowly add olive oil and continue to whisk feverishly until it starts to get thick. Eventually you’ll have added enough oil to make a mayonnaise. Taste and add some more salt if you would like and add about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Always taste to make sure the seasonings are to your liking!
2. Make sure you prep your hard veggies (asparagus and cauliflower) by boiling them for 1 to 2 minutes and shocking them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking.
3. Make your batter by combining all your dry ingredients first, mixing and then adding enough sparkling water for it to be slightly thin. You want it to coat your veggies and fish, but you do not want it so thick that it resembles spackle. Make it like a thin pancake batter. Add more flour if you mess up. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. After all your veggies are prepped, pour enough peanut oil into your skillets or pots (you should have one for frying veggies and one for frying the seafood) to almost cover your ingredients – about 2 1/2 to 3 inches deep. Whack your heat up to high. When you stick the end of a wooden spoon in and there are bubbles all around it, your oil is probably ready.
5. Start with your blanched asparagus. Put pieces in the batter and allow some of the batter to drip off before placing each piece in the oil. Do this with each piece and allow to fry until golden brown. After all the asparagus is done, remove from oil using a slotted spoon and allow it drain on some paper towels and immediately sprinkle with a good amount of kosher salt. Next, do your cauliflower, then mushroom quarters, etc. till you have fried all of your veggies.
6. Repeat with all your fish. The ONLY exception to the “cook till golden brown” rule should be for the squid/calamari. They really should not be cooked more than 2 minutes or else they’ll be chewy. Allow them all to drain on paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt as well.
7. Serve mixed up on a big platter with your lemon/garlic aioli in a serving dish on the side. Serve with lemon wedges and some nice wine!

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

• PASTA (BUCATINI) WITH PISTACHIO SAUCE
• PASTA WITH TUNA (Pasta Con Tonno)
• PERFECT BROCCOLI DI RAPE WITH SWEET SAUSAGE
• LIDIA’S LAMB CHOPS (Lamb Chops with A Mustard Anchovy Sauce)
• Pigs Must Dream of Ending Up Here
• Remaking a Tuscan Restaurant Meal (From Florence)
  
• San Gennaro Festival, Little Italy, NYC – A Letdown (Boy’s Version)

**picture from http://feastofthesevenfishes.com/ 

So, this Christmas we decided to take the lead and cook for all 11 people at my parent’s house this year. Are we crazy? Making a mistake? Time will tell, folks! We’ll let you know how it went on the 26th! We are even bucking tradition by not cooking my mother’s “famous” Christmas Eve dinner of Shrimp and Scallops Scampi. Instead, we’ve (crazily?) decided to do a four-course fish-only meal. I’m hoping we’re not in over our head – what do you think? Here’s the menu:

Course 1: Calamari Salad with capers and cannellini beans marinated in lemon, olive oil and garlic spooned over endive

Course 2: Fritto Misto di Mare with Garlic Lemon Aioli

Course 3: Homemade Linguini Fra’diavolo with Crab and Prawns

With Course 3: Side Dish of Garlicy Broccoli Rape w/ Peperoncino

Course 4: Homemade Lobster Ravioli with Wilted Leek Butter Sauce

With Course 4: Side Dish of Arugula Salad with Pinenuts, Parmigiano Crisps, tossed with Olive Oil and 50 year-old Balsamic Vinegar from Modena

To represent my English husband, we’ll be introducing the American family to English Christmas Crackers. Should be explosively fun (sarcasm, kids).

Do you have any Holiday Food Traditions that you either make every year or you’re going to try to start this year? I’d love to hear about them! And have a Happy Holiday season!

UPDATE: Please check out a few of our recipes and pics from our Christmas meal:

• “Gingerbling” Festive Christmas Drink (Alcoholic)
• Fettuccine Fra’diavolo with Crab and Shrimp
• Fritto Misto di Mare
• Chestnut Custard Tart