Italian Christmas Eve!!

So, this year we've come up in the "hosting Christmas Eve" rotation with my DH's family--11 adults/older kids and 6 kids 7 and under. I love to host so I'm looking forward to it. The last time we had it was 2007 when I had a 2 year old and a 7 month old; evidently we were criticized for catering some stuff. Meanwhile, I've married into the only Italian family in the world who cook NO fish on CE, but whatever...

I am planning on bringing back some fish into the mix along with my ILs traditions...so I need your help!
If you host a traditional Italian CE could you post some of your menu?
Also, could you direct me to some easier (or things to prepare in advance) things...because in 2011 I have a 6, a 4.5 and a 1 year old!

Thank you SOOOOO much for any menus/advice!!!

Message edited 11/19/2011 11:52:55 AM.

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

I hosted CE last year. I had a 5 month old so DH helped a lot. Some tips would be to get help (either DH or other family member) and prepare as much as you can ahead of time (I would do it when DD would nap). Also a lot of these things are fried so I bought a deep fryer and fried everything in my basement so I wouldn't make such a mess in the kitchen!

We had a little bit of everything (not just fish):
-chicken francaise
-eggplant parm
-shrimp oreganata
-fried calamari
-baked clams
-shrimp scampi over rice
-baccala (bc my Dad had to have this)
-linguini with clam sauce
-riceballs

and cold antipasto to start off.

Message edited 11/17/2011 11:54:09 AM.

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

My mom hosts Christmas Eve this year (I do Christmas Day!). We are doing things different this year bc after apps no one ever want dinner and it is such a waste!

Full Italian Antipasto
Fried Calamari
Shrimp Cocktail/Seafood Salad

Homemade Sausage Bread
Baked Clams
Penne alla Vodka

Normally we would have antipasto, baked clams/calamari and everyone would full up and then we would make Shrimp Scampi, Pasta of some sort, Sausage and Broccoli Rabe and it was always left over. We are trying to mix it up this year and keep it a little lighter

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

This is what we normally have:

apps:
baked clams
fried calamari
shrimp cocktails
lobster bisque
salad

Dinner:
crab cakes with chili mayonnaise sauce
shrimp in a puff pastry with sherry sauce OR scampi
lobster tails
linguine with clam sauce
muscles (usually ordered from waterzooi)

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

The Italian Christmas I am usually a part of includes:

Penne Alla Vodka
Cabbage Salad with cheeses and olives (like antipasto salad but without the meat)
Variety of Breads

They do the seven fishes... so for that they usually have:

-Baked Clams
-Anchovies (they usually put it in a dish- like the olive tapenade appetizer or in a pasta dish like puttanesca, etc.)
-Mussels in white wine/garlic/butter sauce
-Crab Cakes
-Calamari
-Shrimp Cocktail or Shrimp in Garlic Sauce
-Lobster or Crab Legs or some sort of white fish for the main course.

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

We did Christmas Eve last year, it was so much fun to host our parents!! We did traditional Italian style, ie feast of the seven fishes (but I don't think we had quite seven).

Appetizers:
Chips and onion dip
Shrimp cocktail
baked brie with apple compote and water crackers
Veggie and Cheese board and crackers

Dinner:
Linguine with clams
Broiled Red snapper filets
Fried shrimp
Mussels Provencal (we had this catered from Waterzooi - huge tray, great idea!!)
Rice pilaf
Broccoli Rabe
Roasted cauliflower

Dessert:
Panettone trifle - Giada's recipe, and I use a Cipriani panettone (THE BEST!!)
Cannoli

There were 7 of us, so we couldn't see having 7 fishes, but the above worked well for us!

Message edited 11/17/2011 12:32:18 PM.

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eves are much smaller than they used to be. My grandmother always did the 7 fishes, but now it's just DH and I, my mom, her boyfriend, and my sister, so my mom cooks and keeps it small. Here's what we normally have now:

Stuffed Artichokes
Shrimp cocktail

Penne ala vodka
Sweet potatoes
Sauteed mushrooms
Salad

Then of course dessert.

In the past when grandma did the cooking we would have:

Baked clams
Shrimp cocktail
Linguine with crab sauce, clam sauce or lobster sauce
Mussels
Lobster tails
Filet of sole
Eel ( )

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

We go to my Uncle's house for a HUGE feast- about 50 ppl..but some things we have are:
(NO MEAT AT ALL)
It's Buffet style, then we all sit down for the main dishes of homemade fettuccini, salad and a few veggies

Buffet:
shrimp cocktail
fried shrimp
fried calamari
crab cakes
seafood risotto
lobster tails
crab legs
shrimp scampi
cold fish salad
baccala salad
anchovies
bean salad
roasted red peppers
cheeses

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

we have:

Cardune (i dont know whats its called in English-- it looks like a long and wide celery stalk) both friend and boiled

Stuffed artichokes

stuffed mushrooms

broccoli rabe and sausage with black olives

Fried shrimps with the heads

Fried Calamari

Octopus Salad

Fried Baccala

mussles and clams 2 ways Red sauce and garlic white sauce

Babalucci(snails) 2 ways... Red sauce/ Garlic Sauce

Sarde-- which i want to say are sardines--just much wider and fatter


For dessert:

Cucidate-- fig cookies
pignolata- honey balls

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

Message edited 11/17/2011 1:58:32 PM.

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

Last year I did Fondue and it was a huge hit! It was especially good for the non-seafood eaters. Oh and most of the people there don't eat fish, only shellfish

This is my menu (not endoresed by the American Heart Association):

Shrimp Oregganata
Baked Clams Casino
Shrimp Cocktail
Mini Lobster Rolls
Fried Coconut Shrimp
5 pepper seafood stuffed mushrooms
Crabcakes


Fettuccine Alfredo
Artichoke Bread
Asparagus

Someone brought Chicken Francaise

and I made steak fondue and had assorted dipping sauces- some I made, some i bought and it was awesome

Message edited 11/17/2011 2:05:52 PM.

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

Re: Help with Italian Christmas Eve

Re: Italian Christmas Eve!!

Thank you all so much--you have inspired me!!

I think I will definitely do the baked clams as well as the crabcakes...never would have thought of crabcakes!