Italian Christmas Eve

Create an icy cool look for an Italian Christmas Eve by using silver, clear, and diamond accents.

Cover the table with a damask, sage green tablecloth. Set your nice china on silver chargers. Roll sage green napkins into logs and slide into snowflake napkin rings.

Fill pitchers with sgroppino and pour into elegant triangular Champagne flutes. Set placecards in diamond studded place card holders.

Group green pillar candles together around the room and hang a crystal garland festively from the wall or ceiling. A vibrant red bouquet in a matching vase adds a much-needed punch of color.

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For an Italian-style seafood dinner on Christmas Eve, plan on pouring Italian wines and an Italian cocktail called sgroppino. This icy concoction is made with vodka, Prosecco, and lemon sorbet. The recipe serves 2, but it's easily alterable to make a large batch.

Purchase extra Prosecco for those who prefer a glass of bubbly solo.

With the feast of seven fishes offer guests a Tuscan white like Vernaccia, and a light, fruity red like Sangiovese. To look at the cocktail recipe, read more

The holidays are the perfect time to go all out and make a show-stopping, elaborate dessert. The classic Christmas ingredient, eggnog, gets an Italian makeover in this stunning tiramisu eggnog trifle recipe.

Since it's like three desserts in one, you'll need to start making this dish at least one day in advance. To look at the recipe — it's the ultimate finish to a feast of seven fishes — read more

On Christmas Eve it's customary for Italians to consume seafood for dinner; they enjoy course after course of rich fish items. Although my family has Irish origins, I thought it would be fun to plan an Italian-style Christmas Eve — this year we'll be eating seven delicious seafood dishes. To get the party started we'll have raw oysters and cold, marinated anchovies waiting for the guests. Once a group has arrived, the hot appetizers will be set out. Spicy seared scallops are a delightful bite and slices of clam pizza are crisp and salty.

At the dining table a tuna and white bean salad will be served, followed by a silky shrimp bisque. The meal finishes with a velvety lobster pasta with cream sauce. Doesn't it sound to die for? Look at these recipes when you read more