My Favorite Family Tradition
Whereas most families celebrate the holidays with a turkey or a plump slab of ham, my Italian family celebrates with anchovies.
No, I’m not kidding.
It’s a traditional italian meal known as bagna cauda (pronounced BANYA COTTA), which loosely translated means “hot bath.” And don’t let me mislead you, it’s not all anchovies. Basically, it’s an olive oil “bath” infused with anchovies, garlic and herbs. It simmers all day long and come dinner time, is served in a heated dish. Once prepared, you can put any number of vegetables or seafood in the dish and let them soak up all the olive oil goodness. My family is partial to mushrooms, leeks, red cabbage and shrimp. And a good loaf of french bread is a must for catching all the drips.
While some people may think this meal doesn’t sound like “fit fare,” it really is. Olive oil is incredibly good for you (in small doses) and no one can argue about the health benefits of veggies. Plus, those little salty fish that people are so scared of are a wonderful source of vitamins, protein and unsaturated fats. And on a personal note, my Italian great-grandmother lived well into her 90s, and she ate this stuff all the time!
There are numerous variations to the bagna cauda recipe, so just type it in your favorite search engine and start a new tradition this year. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday full of good, healthy food and fantastic memories.
That sounds wonderful, May. I’m partial to anchovies, myself. Like tofu, people just “think” they dislike something when they really don’t realize what the flavor actually IS, which they claim to dislike. I must have a good anchovy in my caesar salad, and roasted over green beans is wonderful, as well. It’s also a vital ingredient in a good tapenade, for me. I will try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.