Growing up in a family where both parents are children of Italian immigrants, you would think we would know the feast of the Seven Fishes. My mother and grandmother had never done anything like this before. In fact, we didn't really hear of it until I was an adult and saw it in a magazine.

I am in my 20s and I am a new homeowner. I want to impress my family during the Christmas Eve "Feast". We did some research and found a very good list of the contents of the traditional Seven Fish Feast. There are eel, smelt and baccala. These are things that hardly anyone at home likes, so I tried to Americanize the menu a bit and even include New England Clam Chowder to reach seven.

The dinner was delicious and everyone enjoyed it, but all my efforts were in vain. I think our ancestors enjoyed the tradition in the old country.

I discovered this shortly after we reconnected with our relatives in Italy. A generation has passed, but we finally meet again.

On Christmas Eve about 20 years ago, we had two different cousins ​​visiting during the holiday. We can't wait to tell them that we are preparing for the "Seven Fish Festival" for Christmas Eve. Imagine my surprise when their answer was "Ha... what kind of feast?"

They are not from the coastal area near Naples, which is the birthplace of tradition. Italian cooking is very regional to a large extent, especially when my grandparents come over.

So if you are making a feast, or starting your own traditional culture, what do you want to celebrate, enjoy! The most important ingredient is the people you love, appreciate, and enjoy them, no matter what you eat on a special day.

The views expressed in the above post are only those of Dennis Malloy, the host of the 101.5 talk show in New Jersey.

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