One of my most memorable Christmas Eve dinners was at La Peche in NYC, eating the Feast of Seven Fishes prepared by the amazing Chef Tien Ho of Momofuku fame. We sat family style & enjoyed Chef Tien's fantastic menu, unlike anything I had ever had at our Italian family feasts...

It's easily one of the top 10 best meals of my life!

We had lunch earlier at Marea (absolutely fantastic)... I was Culinary VP at Campbells at the time & presenting a short demo on the Today Show on Christmas morning... so my family & I were treated to a few, very special days in NYC before the Christmas show.

Christmas Eve Baccala

I grew up in a Calabrese family, my mother's maiden name was Vigna, celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve with all of our extended family in Jersey City, NJ ...   


The feast is a celebration of the Christmas Eve vigil; it's a fasting day, so no meat. It's ironic that seafood is considered 'fasting' but that abstinence of meat until Christmas Day is the tradition my family has always followed.

In the Roman Catholic Church, we abstain from meat on the eve of feast days and Fridays during Lent.


Dinner always was at my Aunt Flora's home. It always began with fried dough, the Seven Fishes were fried smelts, fried jumbo shrimp, baccala, linguini w clams, fried calamari, lobster tails & baked fillet of flounder. We had beautiful, stuffed artichokes, broccoli rabe, etc... it was always a feast.

Making Baccala

Prep Time: 90 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Yield: 6 portions


Ingredients                                          

12  oz.         Olive oil

3 lbs            Salted Cod, soaked in cold water for 3 days   (changing the water twice per day) 

3 ea.            AP Flour

1 Tbsp        Kosher Salt                                       

1/2 tsp        Black pepper     

1/2 tsp.       Onions, Spanish, peeled & sliced thinly

2 pints       San Marzano tomato sauce (see recipe in blog)

1 lb.             Russet Potatoes, peeled & sliced thinly

note: I like to precook the potatoes by partially baking-cooling and then peeling & slicing so the potatoes cook a little more quickly & absorb the oil, tomato etc...  it's optional. 


How to Prepare Christmas Eve Baccala







Step 1

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan, add the onions to the oil and sweat until tender & lightly colored (not brown). Transfer the onions to a bowl.




Step 2

Rinse the soaked, salted cod in fresh water, drain and pat the salted cod dry, clean any parts which are not white flesh. Cut into 3 or 4 inch slices/ portions.







Season the cod with pepper, dredge in flour (shake off excess).









Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Place the floured cod into the hot oil and fry until lightly browned on both sides, reserve on a plate. Repeat until all of the cod is browned.


When the cod is cool enough to touch, shred into large pieces.



Step 3

Ladle a few ounces of tomato sauce in the bottom of the casserole or tray you will bake the baccala in.


Place 1/3 of the sliced potatoes along the bottom of the casserole (on the tomato sauce).

Place 1/3 of the onions on top and then 1/3 of the shredded cod.





Repeat until all of the ingredients are used.








Add a little sprinkly of breadcrumbs over the top of the baccala casserole and bake in the oven (on a sheet pan to catch any drippings) for 45 minutes at 350°F until bubbling hot and golden brown on top.

Beginners Recipe: Home fries

By Tom Griffiths • November 22, 2025
My first job was as a dishwasher in a local diner. It was hard work, but a lot of fun; the owners encouraged me to finish my cleaning quickly so I could learn to prep and cook. That early exposure shaped the way I think about simple, well-prepared food — especially diner classics. Despite their simplicity, exceptional home fries are surprising hard to find. Truly great home fries should be hot, crisp, and deeply flavorful, not deep fried or those soft, pre-made versions that too often appear on the plate. Once you’ve experienced the real thing — potatoes cooked with care and attention — you never settle for anything less.

Beginners Recipe: Grilled Cheese

By Tom Griffiths • November 22, 2025
This recipe is simple and has flavor, visual appeal and craveability. After making this a few times, try different types of breads and cheeses. Try adding slices of prosciutto or smoked ham or grilled vegetables. I like to serve bitesize squares of grilled cheese as croutons to dunk into cream of tomato or cream of mushroom soup... amazing!

Seafood; Grilled Swordfish Steak

By Tom Griffiths • November 21, 2025
Often when I'm fishing, people catch bluefish or skate and throw them back. I always run over and ask to keep one or two. Bluefish are quick and easy to fabricate and a delicious dinner to prepare when I get back home from fishing all day. I prefer simply dredging in seasoned flour and frying pieces in olive oil & butter mixed together. Perfect with cold beer or white wine!

Senate Bean Soup

By Tom Griffiths • November 19, 2025
Senate Bean Soup is one of those enduring American classics — simple, hearty, and steeped in tradition. Served daily in the U.S. Senate dining room for more than a century, it’s a dish that reflects the straightforward, honest cooking of its era: navy beans, onions, potatoes, and the unmistakable depth of smoked pork. Add croutons and it becomes classic!

Beginners recipe: Croutons

By Tom Griffiths • November 19, 2025
Years ago I shared a food stand with close friends at a large fairground. Our families worked the booth on the weekends and it was a lot of fun. I often came in early to prepare five or six soups... Spicy Vegetarian Black Bean, Chicken & Macaroni, Beef Barley, Tomato etc... We served salads and sandwiches as well; the most popular sandwich was sliced roast beef on a toasted roll with gravy, onion rings, and provolone, we frequently ended up with extra rolls at the end of a shift. Naturally… croutons. At the time, I typically served croutons only with certain soups—styles that truly benefited from that added texture and richness. But the rest of the team had a different idea. They started offering croutons on every soup, no matter the style, and the customers absolutely loved it. It became one of those small, unexpected touches that kept people coming back .

Chicken Noodle Soup

By Tom Griffiths • November 17, 2025
As a Certified Master Chef, I’ve spent years refining my craft—studying broths and consommés, and even spending days in Italy learning to make a deeply flavorful brodo with an exceptional Italian chef. For me, chicken noodle soup represents the perfect one-pot meal: nourishing, balanced, and simply delicious. It’s a reminder that even the most familiar dishes can showcase craftsmanship and care when prepared with intention and respect for quality ingredients.

Chili con Carne

By Tom Griffiths • November 13, 2025
A highlight of my year is judging a neighborhood chili (and apple pie) contest over Veterans Day weekend. Each year the competition grows, and the chili just keeps getting better. Some participants get creative with their garnishes—topping their chili with crème fraîche, yogurt, sour cream, or an assortment of snacks like Fritos, Bugles, and tortilla chips. I’m always impressed by the effort and flavor combinations that home cooks bring to the table. It’s a pleasure to support our veterans and be part of a community that celebrates good food and camaraderie. I was so inspired this year that I decided to share one of my own chili recipes.

Soup; Pasta e Fagioli

By Tom Griffiths • November 11, 2025
At the beginning of my career, I commuted into New York City to work in some of the finest restaurants in the country. One winter night, during a raging snowstorm, the bus got stuck, and a few of us decided to walk home — a few miles for me. The highway was quiet, the snow falling heavy under a bright full moon. By the time I reached home, cold and very hungry, my parents were sitting at the dining room table with a steaming pot of pasta e fagioli, crusty Italian bread and a bottle of Italian red wine. Simple, humble, and absolutely perfect — the kind of meal that reminds you why food matters.

Beyond Garnish: The Culinary Science of Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

By Tom Griffiths • November 6, 2025
Beyond Garnish: The Culinary Science of Sage, Rosemary & Thyme

Soup; Pumpkin Soup

By Tom Griffiths • October 31, 2025
Every culture seems to have its own way of celebrating squash. Years ago, when I was invited to assist the amazing Puerto Rican Chef Alfredo Ayala at Worlds of Flavor at the CIA San Antonio campus. I spent the morning carefully preparing diced pumpkin and other mise en place for Puerto Rican Sofrito, Adobo & Habichuelas Guisadas (Bean Soup) Chef Ayala arrived in the kitchen with a paper bag of Ají dulce, (Rocotillo peppers) from Puerto Rico and the other Latin chefs went wild! When he came to greet me he tossed all of my pumpkin dice into the garbage, poured a few cups of rice onto the table and discussed how to peel garlic. He explained he had eaten this same, exact rice dish every day of his life and shared the pumpkin I had prepared was for Halloween; he needed butternut squash. I had told the procurement chef the same thing earlier but decided to keep that to myself… an absolutely amazing experience learning to cook pumpkin and rice with Chef Ayala, a true master!