In “Feast of the Seven Fishes,” writer and photographer Daniel Paterna blends his passion for food with a keen interest in Italian-American tradition to give readers a taste of the family recipes that defined his Bensonhurst upbringing. With stunning photos, including pictures of longtime neighborhood Italian grocers, and simple-to-follow recipes for dishes like sausage and peppers or shrimp fra diavolo, “Feast of the Seven Fishes” is a mouthwatering trip through south-Brooklyn’s Italian kitchens.
The title refers to a Southern Italian tradition in which families gather on Christmas eve for a meal with seven different seafood dishes. The celebration commemorates the “Natale,” or the midnight birth of Jesus. The book features many recipes that Nonnas around Brooklyn still whip up for the holiday alongside Paterna’s deeply personal family memoir.
Daniel Paterna is a writer, photographer and designer from Brooklyn. “Feast of the Seven Fishes” is on sale Nov. 5 from Brooklyn-based publisher powerHouse Books.
