Since I married into my Irish wife's large and extended family, Christmas has been an Irish Christmas for me. In Gallinaro, high in the mountains of Lazio, my relations celebrate too, but the details differ.

In Italy the big celebration is Christmas eve, la vigilia. That's not to say that Christmas day is any less an excuse for overeating and drinking, just that Christmas eve is an extra occasion for gastronomic excess. Traditionally la vigilia is a feast without meat. In poorer and simpler times the menu was baccala, dried salted cod. Traditionalists still include baccala in the meal, but nowadays it is but one of the many fish dishes brought to the table of the cenone; the feast.

It starts as most Italian meals do with antipasto, that is cold meats, salamis; things to pick on. A risotto or pasta follows, and then the fish. In the fiercely competitive Italian kitchen this is an occasion to strut your stuff. Fish is expensive in Italy, so for most Italian tables it is important to provide more than anyone could possibly eat. Three separate fish courses is the norm in our valley, washed down with our own local white Trebbiano. This over-indulgence is always followed by crespelle, fried pastry ribbons. The evening finishes with card games, the three stalwarts of scopa, tre sette and briscola. A form of Bingo is also common.

Christmas day has one big difference from the Irish celebration. Toys are not much in evidence. This is partly because small presents were given to children not on December 25th, but on January 6th; the feast of the Kings. It is also partly because the gifts tended to be silver, gold, or money to reflect the feast, rather than toys.

Apart from that difference, it is, like here, an occasion for all the family to gather around the same table and eat too much. Turkey has still to make it to the level of tradition in Italy - it appears only in the shape of turkey and leek broth as the traditional starter. The Christmas roast could be anything, from chicken to beef. Desert never varies: panettone. This is a high-domed, light sponge which everyone gives everyone else. Personally I'm convinced no one really likes it. People are always trying to give you some throughout the year - they open cupboards and take one of several out to pass on. They seem to be made for giving, not eating.

To make crespelle you start as you would for pasta. Four eggs for half a kilo of flour. You may need to add a bit of flour or some water, depending on the size of the eggs. Make a stiff dough, add a teaspoonful of salt and four of sugar. Work a tablespoon of olive oil into the dough. Roll the dough out thinly and cut it into strips. Tie each strip into a bow and deep fry them in oil. Drain them well and sprinkle with icing sugar.