Buon Natale, Y'all

We feel that stealing Christmas traditions is the only way to go. This year we are having a Feast of the Seven Fishes. We are not Italian. We know an Italian or two. My mother had a second cousin twice removed who died...but years later my mother found out that she was alive and well and married to an Italian in New Orleans.

I know that in the Italian tradition one is supposed to have salt cod. In Alabama we don't have regular cod, so we sure as hell don't have salt cod... you can't even fish with salt cod.

Seven Fish is my favorite Key West restaurant.

Remember, this is the Southern version of seven fishes.

Here's the menu:

Fried Oysters
Fried Catfish
Crawdaddy Hush Puppies
Crab Cakes
Spaghetti with Tabasco Butter Poached Lobster
Shrimp and Truffled Grits
Redneck Riviera Chowder

Since New England chowder has a cream base and Manhattan chowder has a tomato base, Redneck Riviera chowder has a sweet potato base.


Our Cocktail at the Burn Pit/Fireplace is a variation on a French 75.

Italian 75

2 oz. gin
2 sugar cubes
2 oz. blood orange juice
Prosecco

Shake the first three ingredients in a shaker.

Pour into a tall glass.

Fill to the top with Proseco.

Have a lovely Christmas Eve. I know I will.