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The Feast of Seven Fishes

George Hirsch December 14, 2025

The Feast of Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a popular Southern Italian tradition celebrated worldwide. In Italy, it is called “la Cena Della vigilia,” or Christmas Eve Dinner, December 24th, observed by abstaining from eating meat on Christmas Eve and enjoying the holiday meal with family, filled with a seafood spread.

WHY SEVEN? Some say the number seven represents the seven sacraments, seven days of creation, or simply the fact that seven signifies perfection in the Bible. This may be speculation; however, what is known is that this celebration is much appreciated and shared by most Italians and fish lovers.

Fish: You will find virtually any Mediterranean fish prepared from this region—everything from anchovies to eel. Popular fish in the feast include calamari, smelts, clams, and shrimp.

One of my favorites is baccalá, a dried, salted cod.

Baccala How To: To reconstitute the baccalá, you soak it for two days, changing the water three or four times.

I prepare the baccalá in several ways, including sauteed and with tomatoes. Still, it's also quite popular to prepare it in the oven with potatoes or even in a salad with potatoes and black olives.

The Seven Fishes is a feast that brings family and friends together to celebrate a significant evening. The seafood is only the centerpiece of what really takes place, keeping a tradition alive with family and friends. Isn’t that what holidays are really about? Buone Feste!

Seafood Chowder

Fritto Misto

Linguini Calamari Sauce

Baccala and Potato Recipe

Capitone Arrosto & Fritto

Clam Pie Recipe

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Stuffed Calamari Recipe

Shrimp Risotto Recipe

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Meatballs and Quick Marinara Sauce

georgehirsch December 11, 2025

Meatballs started with Italian immigrants coming to America in 1880, and then came the sauce. I have prepared this recipe with inspiration from my Italian Nana. There was no recipe, only years of watching and learning by example. The results have always been the same after making this for my family and huge groups. Nana would be proud, and I'm sure you will be, too, when serving your family and friends. And, enjoy watching the how-to video from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series. Feel free to share.

George's Nana’s Meatballs

Makes 12 jumbo, 24 large, or 40 mini meatballs

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

3 pounds ground beef, 80 / 20 blend; can use a combo of beef, pork, and veal

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, chopped fine

2 eggs, cracked and beaten

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cups day-old Italian bread, pulsed into crumbs

1/2 cup chicken broth to soften bread crumbs (variable amount may have to add more broth to soften crumbs)

Fresh ground black pepper

* Note: all ingredients should be very cold before blending.

**CLICK to WATCH Meatballs + Marinara preperation**

Mix all ingredients in a mixer or by hand until well blended. Dip your hands in ice water before shaping the meat into round balls.

Spray an oven-roasting pan with grease spray.

Use an ice cream scoop to shape the meatballs; roll by hand until they are round. Do not overhandle to prevent over-warming the meat. Repeat until all the meat is used up. Do not overcrowd the meatballs to make it easier to move them while baking.

Refrigerate the meatballs for at least 30 minutes to chill. Prepare the Tomato Sauce below.

Preheat a large, heavy-gauge sauté pan to high heat, or if making a large number of meatballs, brown them in a hot oven at 425 degrees F.

Roast meatballs for five minutes in the oven or on the stovetop until they brown. If roasting, gently shake the pan to move the meatballs to turn over, or use a spatula for the meatballs if browning in a sauté pan. Continue cooking for a few additional minutes (or less if mini) or until the meatballs are brown on the outside. The meatballs will not be fully cooked and will continue to cook in the tomato sauce.

Remove meatballs with a spatula and add to the gently simmering sauce, and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes.

For the Marinara Tomato Sauce:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed San Marzano Tomatoes

2 (6.5-ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon oregano

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons each of fresh chopped parsley and basil

In a large saucepot sauté, sauté olive oil, onion, and garlic over medium heat until light brown. Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with dried basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, pepper, and half of the parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked browned meatballs and top with fresh chopped parsley and basil before serving.

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Honey Glazed Acorn Squash as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch November 22, 2025

As sweet as candy! This is one of my long-time favorite dishes. Seasonal, simple, and a wow for your guests. A type of winter squash known for its distinctive ribbed, dark green exterior (often with an orange patch) and sweet, nutty, yellow-orange flesh. It is commonly baked, roasted, or stuffed and is a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C.

I've prepared acorn squash several ways, roasted in an oven and grilled on an outdoor grill. Yes, squash is just perfect for the grill. Wow, your family and friends will love my candy-like acorn squash.

A perfect dish to go with my Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf! or for a holiday celebration, drizzled with honey and filled with cranberries.

Honey Glazed Acorn Squash

Makes 6 Servings | George Hirsch Lifestyle

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3 Acorn Squash, split in half lengthwise, remove seeds

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 Tablespoons, honey, melted

pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

Brush six halves with olive oil and place upside down on a low to medium temperature grill. Cook for 10 minutes or until the inside begins to lightly brown. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, nutmeg, and honey. Turn over the squash and baste with the butter mixture. Close the cover of the grill and continue to cook on a low temperature for 15 – 20 minutes or until the inside is tender.

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Hot Apple Tart as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch November 1, 2025

The original legend tells that an apple tarte was made upside down by mistake—and so, I call it a confused apple pie. And the tart is still a tart with or without the e. Believe it or not, tarte tatin is easier to make than apple pie and could even have higher appeal because it’s served warm. So put your best pastry move on and make it for your guests for dessert; they’ll love the show!

Tarte Tatin aka Apple Tart

Makes six servings

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2 large green apples, peeled, cut into quarters, remove the core and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 stick of sweet butter

1/4-1/2 cup pure cane granulated sugar depends on the tartness of the apples

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread room temperature butter in the bottom of a nine-inch nonstick ovenproof sauté pan. Sprinkle sugar completely over the bottom of the pan. Arrange apple slices on top of the sugar. Cover apples with puff pastry dough, but do not stretch the dough. Press the dough lightly around the inside rim of the pan. Cutaway corners of excess dough, so puff pastry fits into the round sauté pan. With the tip of a knife, poke three to four tiny holes in the dough.

On the stovetop, begin to cook the tart on high heat until the dough begins to bubble. This will take about 3-4 minutes. By cooking on the stovetop, you are browning the sugars and apples. If the dough bubbles up too high, gently pierce the dough with the tip of a knife to allow excess steam to escape. Once the tart has been cooked on the stovetop, place it in the oven for ten to twelve minutes or until the pastry is light brown and fully baked.

Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to set for about thirty seconds. CAREFULLY place a large serving platter inverted over the tart. With a towel holding the hot pan and another hand on top of the inverted platter, turn the platter right side up and unmold the tart from the sauté pan.

Top with powdered sugar. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

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Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

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IPA Leek Onion Soup

georgehirsch September 9, 2025

The Addition of a good craft beer to this classic recipe adds another dimension of flavor, which complements the caramelized leeks and onions. My favorite, an IPA or dark beer, is better, but you can use your favorite brew.

IPA Leek Onion Soup

Makes 4 servings

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4 cups leeks, white and green, split-washed and chopped

2 cups sweet onion, sliced

2 large shallots, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup craft-brewed IPA beer

2 quarts or 8 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

4 shredded slices of Gruyere cheese or good Swiss cheese

*4 large sourdough bread slices.

Preheat a soup pot to low-medium temperature.

Add olive oil, leeks, onion, and shallots. Add salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add beer and simmer for 2 minutes. Add broth and hot sauce, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove cover, stir, cover again, and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, make cheese toast.

Top 4 pieces of bread with cheese and toast like a crouton in a hot oven, or broil for 2 minutes or until cheese melts and is slightly browned.

To serve, fill 4 bowls with soup and top with cheese toast.

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