WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:02.680 Hudson River Radio dot com. 2 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:04.240 It beats listening to nothing. 3 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:09.919 Oh my goodness, it's being Frank Frank, where the only 4 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:16.320 way to be is Frank. Hello everyone, and welcome to 5 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:19.879 Being Frank, where the only way to be is Frank. 6 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:22.600 I'm your host, Frank Leguono, and I'd like to thank 7 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:24.800 you for joining us on what we like to call 8 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:29.519 the Intelligent Conversation podcast, where no conversation is out of 9 00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:34.039 bounds and all points of view are welcome. Listeners to 10 00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:37.200 our program are familiar with our routine, and that is 11 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:40.119 we record live to tape and I give you the 12 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.439 dates so you have some context and relevance. It is 13 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:49.159 the twenty third of December. On this eve of Christmas Eve, 14 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:52.679 I thought I'd try something a little different for this podcast. 15 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:56.840 Instead of our usual intelligent Conversation with a guest, I'd 16 00:00:56.880 --> 00:00:59.719 like to share a Christmas Eve memory that I hope 17 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:02.759 you can all relate to and enjoy. Here it is 18 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:05.799 when I was a kid growing up in Fort Lee, 19 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:10.079 New Jersey, we kept an Italian Sicilian American household. By that, 20 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:13.359 I mean we were thoroughly Americanized, but we also observed 21 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:17.280 many of the Old World traditions and of these none 22 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:21.159 were more treasured and eagerly anticipated by my sister brother 23 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:24.799 and I than Christmas Eve. It was an evening filled 24 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:29.519 with food, laughter, light and love. I'd like to focus 25 00:01:29.560 --> 00:01:33.280 on the food, because through it the others will be revealed. 26 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:37.319 It has become widely known that many Italians, particularly those 27 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:42.079 Southern Italian servant meal consisting solely of seafood on Christmas Eve. 28 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:46.359 The tradition of the feast of the Seven Fishes, as 29 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:49.480 it came to be known here, was popularized during the 30 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:53.200 time the so called Mediterranean diet also became a thing 31 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:56.840 in American pop culture. At our place, we simply called 32 00:01:56.840 --> 00:01:59.959 it eating. But the seven fishes as a prescribed number 33 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:04.239 and type of seafood served is really an American adaptation 34 00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:09.159 of Southern Italian families simply consuming a fish dinner that 35 00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:12.960 is sand's meat on the eve. In Sicily, it is 36 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:17.039 known as la vigilia, or keeping a vigil for the 37 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:19.960 impenting birth of Jesus, and as an extension of the 38 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:23.919 Paschal tradition of staining from eating meat at certain times. 39 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:29.680 The seven fishes label came with American consumerism. At our home, 40 00:02:29.879 --> 00:02:33.280 there was no fixed number associated with what we would 41 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:37.319 eat that evening. However, one thing was certain, it would 42 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:40.680 be a real feast. My mother would shop for days 43 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.240 to get only the freshest seafood. Then she would spend 44 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:47.439 the entire day preparing the meal. We may have had 45 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:50.000 seven dishes, or it may have been a little less, 46 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:53.639 but it was always delicious. No matter what the actual 47 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:56.680 number it turned out to be. The meal always contained 48 00:02:56.719 --> 00:03:03.240 these classics calamari, fried and sauted mussels fra diavolo, usually 49 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:08.360 shrimp either raw, scampy or breaded, filet of soul, Franchase's style, 50 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:12.039 clams or regonato or with lingueni, and of course my 51 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:17.199 mother's favorite bacala, also known as salted cod. The house 52 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:21.919 smelled like heaven for hours. As I got older, our 53 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:24.439 place was also the hottest ticket in town for friends 54 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:28.000 lucky enough to get an invite. One who took particular 55 00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:30.840 pleasure in that invitation is a dear friend from my 56 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:34.000 college days. I'll protect his privacy and only use his 57 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:38.080 first name. Jed and I were teammates on our particularly 58 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:42.039 bad football team. However, he was an exceptionally good player 59 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:46.400 on that otherwise terrible squad, and he was big defensive 60 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:49.680 lineman big about six foot three and two hundred and 61 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.879 sixty five pounds, and boy could eat like it too. 62 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:55.840 Jed was also Jewish, so eating at our place was 63 00:03:55.879 --> 00:03:59.439 a new, delightful cultural experience for him. Plus the food 64 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:03.159 was always great. I remember him dropping subtle hints weeks 65 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:05.360 before the eves just to see if there might be 66 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:08.800 any room for him at our table. Of course there 67 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:12.719 always was. Even forty plus years later and living thousands 68 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:15.879 of miles apart, we still speak of it. This is 69 00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:19.240 really the true spirit of the season. The food just 70 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:23.319 pulled it all together. After dallying over our fabulous meal, 71 00:04:23.399 --> 00:04:26.120 it was time to retire to the fake silver Christmas 72 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:30.639 dream that graced our living room. Despite our protestations for 73 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:33.199 a real tree, my mother refused, saying that they were 74 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:36.279 too messy. They left pine needles all over the place. 75 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:39.279 So at Christmas we took it out of the box 76 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:41.920 and the cellar and assembled it in the same corner 77 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:45.839 every year. Underneath the neatly wrapped packages would soon be 78 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:49.040 ravaged by my sister, brother and I. You see, we 79 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:53.399 simply couldn't contain our excitement until Christmas Day. That was 80 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:57.279 not possible, especially for my sister Joanne. I think my 81 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:01.240 brother Joseph and I we might have impossibly convinced to 82 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:05.040 wait until the morning, but our sister proved in irresistible force, 83 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.279 and what the heck why not? Our parents were certainly 84 00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:11.079 not going to protest. It was a rare night for 85 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:15.399 our version of indulgence. It didn't take long to open 86 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:18.560 our presence, as gift giving was always very modest at 87 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:22.319 our place. We received one gift each from our parents, 88 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:25.160 one from our grandmothers that was usually the socks and 89 00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:29.000 underwear that we needed, and often one from our mother's sister, 90 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:32.800 my aunt Adam Maria. When we were old and able enough, 91 00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:37.480 we also exchanged some simple gifts. As siblings, I often 92 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:41.360 marveled at how extravagant other families were at their holidays, 93 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:44.319 but that was not our way. For us, the greatest 94 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:50.000 gift was always our togetherness. After the frenzy, most of 95 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:52.920 our energy was spent, and more often than not, we 96 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:55.040 simply went off to bed to dream of our new 97 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:59.000 bounty waiting for us in the morning. Those memories hopefully 98 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:02.199 can never be away. This year, we'll be having dinner 99 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:04.079 with my aunt and a few cousins at a find 100 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:06.519 a restaurant in Brooklyn, and I'm sure we'll have plenty 101 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:09.839 of fresh fish. Now, we let the others do the cooking. 102 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:13.759 We just make the memories. Happy Holidays everyone, no matter 103 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:17.199 which one you choose to celebrate, I sincerely hope that 104 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:19.720 has spent in the warm glow of family and friends 105 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:23.000 and help eat lots of fish on Christmas Eve too. 106 00:06:23.959 --> 00:06:26.399 Well that's my story, but I want to add just 107 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:29.480 a little bit more after a brief commercial break, so 108 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:32.199 please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with the 109 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.360 Being Frank Holiday Podcast. 110 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:53.680 Hudson River Radio dot com. Hudson River Radio dot com. 111 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:58.079 Welcome back, everybody to the Being Frank Holiday Podcast. You know, 112 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:00.519 I understand that the holidays are not your for a 113 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:03.639 lot of people, and for a lot of reasons. Often, 114 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:07.279 instead of bringing laughter and hope, the season means loneliness 115 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:11.279 and despair for those I offer this look for the light. 116 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:14.720 It can often be found in the most unlikely of places, 117 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:18.879 but it's there if you look, I promise. As we 118 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:21.879 close twenty twenty five, I would also like to take 119 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:25.000 this opportunity to thank our many guests who have provided 120 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:29.720 us with so much intelligent conversation throughout the year. I'd 121 00:07:29.800 --> 00:07:34.040 also like to thank Hudson River Radio's owner Brian Horowitz 122 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:36.800 for giving me the opportunity and freedom to do my thing. 123 00:07:37.399 --> 00:07:41.000 And of course the mailman, mister Neil Richter, deserves a 124 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:45.040 special shout out for keeping us on the rails. And 125 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:47.160 perhaps most of all, I want to give a great, 126 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:49.160 big thanks to all of you who have taken the 127 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:53.040 time and made the effort to listen being Frank and 128 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:58.360 validating our intelligent conversation. Also, if you happen to enjoy 129 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:02.480 my writing, I contribute into opinion column every Friday at 130 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:08.279 Nyaknewsanviews dot com and my personal blog is www dot 131 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:13.000 talk dash Frank dot blogspot dot com. You can also 132 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:17.480 catch me at medium dot com. Here's a reminder from 133 00:08:17.560 --> 00:08:20.720 Ray and Dave Davies of the Kinks and their Christmas song. 134 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:27.319 Remember Christmas spirit is not what you drink. Let's close 135 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:30.279 with a real fun tune from nyak's own Peter Danish. 136 00:08:30.360 --> 00:08:34.039 If you know Peter at all, you will totally understand. 137 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:38.679 Look for more intelligent conversation in twenty twenty six with 138 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:42.960 being Frank, because it's the only way to be Thanks 139 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:54.960 for listening, everyone, have a great holiday. 140 00:08:56.360 --> 00:09:01.279 Shop in Christmas screen sees it of all would be 141 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:06.279 snaty ate in the shade, but are right there and 142 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:10.879 lie out the frozen fear. They were checking the halts well, 143 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:17.879 the beach was still near. King spice, belly shells and 144 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:23.120 stead cells are starting themselves. 145 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:25.320 Ah, I can. 146 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:28.639 Wait till that they stet it gonna start the Christmas year. 147 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:32.080 Let me see there online. I should say it's before 148 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:34.840 run jingle in through the year. It's very un right, 149 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:36.480 but it's just say it right seriously. 150 00:09:36.679 --> 00:09:37.799 I was like, it's so clear. 151 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.159 What can't they wait till that they skid and start 152 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:51.320 the Christmas year? Sixtembers for sweaters and not pepper and sticks. 153 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:54.480 You get the most full of carols and. 154 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:56.440 Fake snow tricks. 155 00:09:56.679 --> 00:10:01.960 The corn may still stands, but the rings like elves 156 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:08.679 with no calendars, year after year took your still for 157 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:09.679 his preak. 158 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:13.639 But Sina's floow just won't. 159 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:18.080 Be the light. I can't go. 160 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:22.720 Wait till after Thanksgating start the Christmas year. We're carrying 161 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:27.240 while harving Hopkins this time rhymes getting weird old retails 162 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:30.360 jumping while it's coping. It's the same manson each year. 163 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:33.399 I can't do wait till after thanks say. They then 164 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:35.200 start the Christmas year. 165 00:10:40.679 --> 00:10:43.639 By Labor Day. They do the. 166 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:51.000 Mass by flat dating sound. The one day I fear 167 00:10:51.279 --> 00:11:01.960 they'll make a clear Christmas starts the fish cool new Year. Oh, 168 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:04.720 I can't do it. Jill to Thanksgiving to start the 169 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:09.320 Christmas chair, the too Gristans give gratia just before the 170 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:10.320 slaves appear. 171 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:13.799 It's holly and jolly, just slightly early soon. 172 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:17.960 No, every year, why can't they wait till to Thanksgivin and. 173 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:31.480 To start the Christmas year. This is Hudson River Radio 174 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:33.399 dot com.