``My wife learned from my mother, who learned from her mother,'' said Marrazzo. ``My wife was grateful to learn a lot of these things before my mother passed away.''
But in a bow to his wife's ancestors, the family has added some Norwegian fish dishes, such as smoked cod, to the menu. They draw the line at others. ``We allow her to stay in the kitchen and eat the pickled herring,'' he joked. A few years ago Marrazzo's sister put together a book of family recipes and gave them out as Christmas gifts. There are about 30 recipes, including the pasta and anchovies, that have been passed down through the generations.
``We try not to make these things more often than once a year so they remain special,'' Marrazzo said.
* Ask Sister Mary Scullion what her favorite holiday meal is and she doesn't hesitate for a second.
``My mother's coleslaw. It's the very, very best in the whole world,'' said the advocate for the homeless, who co-founded Project HOME. But wait a minute. There was this cranberry dessert that a volunteer at the Women of Hope shelter made that was also ``incredible.''
So which is it, coleslaw or dessert? ``Both,'' she said.
Christmas at her home in Northeast Philadelphia was ``a very, very special, festive wonderful meal - the centerpieces of which were a turkey and ham. But for Sister Mary, it was the coleslaw that made the meal.
At Women of Hope, at 12th and Lombard Streets, Christmas is also a big deal.
``The meals make it special,'' said Sister Mary, who admits to being a terrible cook. ``Everybody eats together and has a really quiet day. A lot of love and care goes into making these meals. And you can taste it.''
Especially the cranberry dessert, which they served from about 1985 to 1991.
