We started with an antipasti lunch, beginning with shrimp cocktail, with the cocktail sauce made from roasted tomatillos. Then we had red peppers stuffed with tuna (from a jar). We made baccala, of course. Next came fried calamari, which I had never tried at home before. We went with calamari fritti arrabiata, based loosely on the recipe at a restaurant called Paravicini's in Colorado Springs. Unbelievable. Even my wife liked it, and she does not eat seafood.



Tonight we're having linguini with clams and mussels, and also ricotta gnocchi--my wife's grandmother's recipe (kind of like this one), made with buffalo ricotta from Italy . We'll have our family red sauce with meatballs (beef, pork, lamb) and sausage, but the sauce this time got the addition of anchovies.



That's seven total, for the Feast of the Seven Fishes. We mixed it up some, but it's a traditional Italian American thing to do on this day. Cause it's snowing outside, my folks are in town, there are three very excited kids waiting for the big guy, and it is just such an important night.



Merry Christmas everyone.