Day 11: A Few Cookbooks for Lent

Yesterday, we talked about a cookbook we like, titled "The Lenten Collection."  Today, we want to point out that we have several cookbooks that are geared or contain recipes that can be used by a family practising Orthodox fasting.  The Lenten Collection (1996, Morris Press) was one of the finds at a used bookstore.  Many churches throughout the U.S. and Canada publish cookbooks as fundraisers, and we have found that some of those are absolute treasures.  This is because the recipes are submitted by the parishioners -- all of whom hail from different parts of Greece, Cyprus, the U.S. or Canada, so each one brings his or her own style to a dish.  We may see ten recipes for taramasalata, and each one is different.  So, we try each of the ten over the course of the year (or less), and learn which one we may like the best, and which one is most like what we already know.  As many people do, we often are geared toward the familiar.

There are other books available that offer reasonable recipes for fasting foods.  Another one of our favourites is the cookbook that we picked up on one of the trips to the Monastery.  Who better to talk about fasting-appropriate foods than a monk?  Since monks don't eat meat any time, it is a great way to start in fasting.  Many of the recipes in this book are easy to follow, geared toward organic cooking, and use natural, fresh ingredients.  It is very clean food.  For some of the recipes, we find that we have to add a little more spices and seasonings, since often the seasoning is very light.  But, that's a personal preference. For many, I am sure, the Monastery's seasoning is just right.


We also like the Greek Monastery Cookery for Great Lent because the recipes are noted as 'strict fast' or not.  If it is not noted, then it is acceptable for any fasting period, but if the notation is there in the book, we know that we are fine for a strict fast.  This makes it easier for the layman to follow the guidelines without too much stress or worries.  We like it when we don't have to worry too much!

The size of a book can matter to some.  Often, we get burdened by such large cookbooks that are not too portable from the shelf to our kitchen counter.  So, we do pay attention to the size of a book.  When looking at cookbooks, we often look to see if there are any "new" recipes, in that, are there some combinations of food that sound absolutely delicious?  We check to see if there are pictures -- in colour, each recipe, or in a section?  We look at a cookbook to see how old it is -- sometimes, the newer ones try too hard to be "healthy" or "light" or "modern" that the recipes lose the essence of the original food.  For example, you cannot make a traditional avgolemono sauce without the eggs just so you cut some calories.  That doesn't work for us. An avgolemono without eggs is not really an avgolemono!  So, we try to avoid books that are "extreme" like that.


Lastly, when it comes to a cookbook, we like to know if it is one that features stories -- whether of the author, the village, or the recipe itself.  Michael Psilakis' How to Roast a Lamb - new greek classic cooking is one of the books with many such interesting stories.  Psilakis tells about his childhood, his first experience with a dish, and some of his family tales around certain foods.  It makes us feel like we know the Chef more, and gives us a personal connection to him and, therefore, to some of his recipes.

When finding the right cookbook for yourself, it has to be one that has at least one recipe that you will use.  Since we all look for different things in a cookbook, each collector establishes a unique  cookbook collection based on their own criteria.  A cookbook must speak to you about the food and methods, and be a book that you will open and understand.  If it is overwhelming to read the recipes, then that is not the right book for you.

We have many cookbooks.  Our collection is eclectic and interesting, but is also a work in progress.  As time passes and our tastes change, so do our books.  We have many classic, traditional-style food books, as well as several from the famous chefs of today.  We have ones handed down from our parents, and ones that we have received as gifts.  All of them are treasures, all of them are interesting.  We are blessed to have so many choices, and so many good resources to help us experience food and culture from so many different perspectives.  We are also very blessed to have all of you who are reading this to share your take on any cookbooks that you have, so we can all continue to learn together.


"It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4; cf. Deut. 8:3).