Seven fishes (not seven dishes) for Christmas Eve

By Dan Pelosi, The New York Times

A marinara-stained kitchen timer ticks as Donna Berzatto choreographs a complex dance of dishes around limited oven space. “I need you to remember to put the Rockefellers in, and take out the artichokes, which leaves an open oven,” she commands her son Carmy. “I need you to put the branzino on the top and let it broil and get that nice little crispy bit.”

The alarm buzzes again and again and again, a metaphor for the ticking time bomb of family drama brewing during preparations for the Christmas Eve tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. The scenes of the high-intensity cooking feat, from the latest season of the popular FX television series “The Bear,” delivered an emotionally heightened portrayal of a tradition dear to many Italian American families. The 67 anxiety-inducing minutes probably didn’t inspire anyone to tackle the celebratory meal.

This is unfortunate because the food is amaz...