A Culinary Diva's Italian Christmas

Click picture to view Judy's winter Italy photos

Holiday meals in Italy are more of a food orgy than many people are used to, beware if you are invited to join an Italian family and come prepared to explode. Really.

My first Italian Christmas meal, I made the mistake of not eating before going to have room for the expected multi-course extravaganza I had heard about. This is not a good idea!

Attending an Italian holiday meal takes intensive training and a stomach that has been prepared to receive large amounts of food, not one that has been starved.

The meal I attended was a pre-christmas friend’s dinner which would then open the holiday celebrations and each would be able to spend the holiday meal with family as is expected. The saying here is “ Natale con I tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi”, Christmas with your family and Easter with who you chose!

I paced myself with only one of the smoked salmon crostini, a small toast, served with a glass of prosecco, Italy’s dry bubbley champagne like wine

At the table we began the meal with lovely light broth served with the traditional tortellini, a nice light beginning. A huge tray with a whole poached fish followed, accompanied by insalata russa, a boiled vegetable salad bound together with a huge amount of mayonnaise. Taking tiny forkfuls to not offend, I was following my best advice to eat slowly. Next appeared a whole roasted fish, served with roasted potatoes. It looked like we were going to have the dinner of the seven fishes, traditional in southern Italy, more than in Tuscany. But not a surprise, since the hosts owned a fish shop.

I was already full, having starved myself before coming and was fearful of the other 5 fish courses which I expected to be following.

Imagine my surprise to see a huge side of beef as the next course, smothered in stewed porcini, floating in a sea of olive oil.

One tiny bite of this extra-rich dish, sent this ex-vegetarian running to the ladies room! All of this was too much for me. Not a pretty site! I was down-and-out for the rest of the meal.

Marked as a weak woman now for the rest of the feast, the other dinner guests continued on with a feast of roast meats which they had hunted themselves, tray after tray of wild boar, duck, pheasant and other tiny birds filled the already full table and each course was accompanied by incredible wines.

The never ending dinner continued on and on.

After the table had been cleared of the roast and stewed meats accompanied by roast potatoes and twice cooked spinach, the cheese and fruit course came out, to help clean the palate in preparation for the dessert buffet.

The traditional sweet yeast bread Panettone, the honey and spice fruitcake from Siena panforte and the delicate almond cookies ricarelli were just part of the banquet. I was too weak to even look at what they were eating.

All of this feasting is finished off with coffee followed by grappa or vin santo, the sherry-like Tuscan dessert wine.

For my own holiday meal, I keep it simple. My husband Andrea is the happiest when I make bollito misto for the holidays; the dish that keeps on giving.

It takes several hours to prepare, but with little standing over the stove. I prefer to make it the day before the meal. Slow cooking takes the stress out of the holidays and lets you enjoy the meal with friends and family.

Click for Judy's recipe and make this at home!We begin our meal with chicken liver crostini, serve tortellini in brodo as the first course, and the boiled meats for the main course, along with the vegetables that were cooked in the broth. The best parts of bollito misto are the sauces on the side!

Traditionally, olive oil and salt are the best and simplest way to season the meats, salsa verde is one of my favorite sauces, a simple caper spiked parsely sauce and mostarda di Cremona (candied mustard fruits), and perhaps mayonnaise or mustard. A side of giardiniera (pickled Italian vegetables) is good too.

But the real reason I make the bollito misto is that my favorite dishes are with the leftover measts. I love lesso rifatto, where the beef is cooked with twice the amount of red onions stewed with red wine. True comfort food!

If you are really eating, this is the extravaganza! Try a double first course, such as the pasta served in sugo. The sugo is from cooking the second main course, stracotto, served with sautéed spinach and roasted potatoes. Andrea always wants a tray of mixed roast meats--veal, pork, rabbit, beef, and perhaps a special pig's liver wrapped in caulfat, roasted with bay leaves, and basted with Vin Santo.

Usually these meals are for a minimum of 10 to 15 close family members. Families either do the bollito misto, or roast meats, or game, if you have a hunter in the house! Some families prefer fish. However, excess is the key! The main meal is at lunchtime. After the main course, the dried fruits (dates, figs, and nuts) are brought out. Panettone, panforte, ricciarelli, and other sweets follow this. After all this a digestivo--an after-dinner drink that helps you digest the feast! After a couple of rounds of cards or bingo game called tombola, it all starts again!

My best wishes for a fabulous and peaceful new year.

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Travelling to new places and discovering new dishes, inspiring others to discover "Culture through Cooking", Judy Witts-Francini, the Diva behind Divina Cucina celebrates food and the people that prepare it. Cooking teacher, food writer and Italian life coach, Judy calls the Tuscan hills outside Florence her home since 1984.

Comments

[heather]

mmmm. i think you should adopt me, judy. i would eat at your house everyday!!!