Parenti serpenti
the quintessential Christmas film and menu inspiration for your holiday parties
Looking for something to add to your movie list this winter?
Maybe you’ve already seen Parenti Serpenti or heard of it — either way I have a few things to say about this cynical classic and hope you do watch it if you have never seen it.
I thought it would be fun to propose Abruzzese additions to your holiday menu from the film. Almost every scene is centered around a dining table and it does make me nostalgic for the dishes that I grew up with during the Christmas season.
If you are interested in Abruzzo, watching Parenti Serpenti is a fantastic way to peek into the world of the Valle Peligna. I remember the first time I watched it, just last year, I was stunned to see familiar dynamics play out on the screen. Mind you this movie came out in 1992, but I had never even heard anyone talk about. I naïvely selected the movie unaware that it was based in Sulmona. Certainly also not knowing I would recognize the midnight Christmas mass scene that was filmed inside the same church where my nonna was married.
Parenti serpenti translates literally to "snake relatives” but a better way of understanding the title is something to the tune of “toxic relatives.” The film itself offers deeply surprising commentary and is originally in Italian but you can enable subtitles. It is currently on Netflix here in Italy.
I do not want to spoil the plot but I will give you some holiday menu inspiration from the movie. Each menu item will have a link to the recipe I follow to make this dish. I do love a themed dinner party and I think it could be fun to recreate the whole meal if you are looking to go outside your traditional Christmas favorites for shock value.
