Traditional Recipies of Holy Mount Athos

Traditional Recipies of Holy Mount Athos
Monk Nikitas Agioreitis

    One of the most fatiguing their deaconship tasks in Mount Athos is that of the cook. From early in the morning the cook should prepare the meal of the day, so that by the end of the holy liturgy (Mass) it is ready for the fathers. The menu always depends on what day it is. Fasting in Holy Mount Athos is to be adhered to inviolably. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the year there is only one meal in the day, made with no olive oil at all, with the exception of some celebrations. This deaconship task is exhausting but enjoyable at the same time. The monk undertaking the cooking task is really happy to see his brothers in Christ rest while he offers them his finest dishes prepared with care.
     Cooking is art; it requires experience, inspiration, patience, good will and love to serve others.  If it is done as an errand, it can be tiring and the outcome is not the desirable one.
    Therefore, it is with love that the monk brings the wood to the fireplace or the oven and prepares the ingredients for his cooking. For his recipes he often uses several herbs, vegetables and pulses. On Sundays and special celebrations an array of fish from the Aegean Sea fills the monks’ and pilgrims’ dishes. Regardless of the large quantity of food that the cook has to prepare, it is noteworthy that the dishes are always delicious. Older monks have made sure to teach him the proper portions. This is what usually happens in the holy communal monasteries of Mount Athos. The monastery of Iviros is where the author of this book was apprenticed for years. His one hundred recipes are simple, interesting and relatively easy, making a difference compared to many others.