Looking for Suggestions

We have a fun Christmas Tradition.

It started back before we were even married. By Christmas night, we are always a bit burned out on ham and turkey and all the usual holiday foods, so we invited Diann's parents to join us for dinner.

Years ago, I worked in an Italian Restaurant, and so that's what I knew how to cook, so I made an Italian meal, Diann set a fancy table, used all her fancy dishes and we had a ham-turkey-less Christmas dinner.

It was so much fun, that the next year we had a big stir fry, egg rolls, crab rangoons and fortune cookies.

From there we started drawing a new country every year, and each year we have cooked as close as possible to a traditional authentic meal from that country. We have since done, among others, Poland, Israel, New Zealand, Brazil, Switzerland. We research the Christmas Traditions from that country, and we have a fun cultural learning experience as well as a very formal, elegant meal.

This year, we drew Italy, and, although I know how to make a lot of Americanized versions of pasta, I don't know a lot of authentic Italian dishes.


I am, therefore looking for Information. Does anybody have any history , or personal knowledge of Christmas in Italy? Have you spent Christmas there? Does your Italian Grandmother have a favorite recipe that she has made on Christmas Day ever since she was a girl and learned it from her Grandmother?

We are working on putting our menu together now, and are looking for authentic, traditional Italian Christmas recipes.

Of course, between my blog and Diann's we will bring you all a full report on how our dinner turns out.