Nistisima: The secret to delicious Mediterranean vegan food, the Sunday Times bestseller and voted OFM Best Cookbook

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Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable margarine, shortening, and vegetable oils, gelatin, olives, as well as honey are allowed. Despite only recently being able to find dukkah on spice shelves in UK shops, this traditional Egyptian seasoning has been around for centuries. Translated from Arabic, dukkah means “to pound” as traditionally it is made by crushing and pounding the nuts and spices in a pestle and mortar, which is how many still make their dukkah. The amounts aren’t set in stone and can be played with, according to your taste – this is a guide and how I like to make mine. The purpose of fasting is to cleanse the body as well as the spirit in preparation for accepting the Resurrection at Easter, which is the most sacred of all observances in the Greek Orthodox faith. The dough should be soft and almost pillowy, but should hold its shape and be easy to roll. Watch video here . You want to avoid adding in too much flour. You want to get to the point just where the dough is pulling away from the side of the mixing bowl, as it's mixing. As soon as you have about 2 cups of flour left, add it slowly. As soon as you see the dough pulling away from the side, it's done. Watch video here. If you're not sure, don't add the extra flour you set aside. Let the dough rest for about 10-20 minutes. Here's another video. Combine flour, almond meal, powdered sugar and vanilla powder together in medium bowl. (If using vanilla extract, do not add at this time.)

Bραβευµένη chef και παθιασμένη μαγείρισσα, έχει καταφέρει µε το δικό της αυθεντικό τρόπο να αναβαθμίσει την ελληνική κουζίνα και να μεταδώσει σε όλους µας την αγάπη της για το καλοµαγειρεµένο σπιτικό φαγητό. Brush the entire pie with a little more oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until crisp and deep golden brown. Georgina Hayden was at a family wedding on the Greek island of Lefkada when she heard that Nistisima had been voted Best New Cookbook at this year’s OFM Awards. To say she was surprised would be an understatement, despite the enthusiastic reception for the book when it was published in March. “When I pitched the idea, I thought it shouldn’t work on so many levels,” she says. “Orthodox Christianity. Religion. A cookbook on fasting [nistisima means “fasting food” in Greek]. Would people get it? It is quite niche, but I am chuffed that they let me write it.” Once in a while, a new cookbook makes you think “Genius!” This is one of those – a collection of mainly vegan recipes from countries where abstaining from meat for religious or cultural reasons is the norm… Carefully researched and lovingly written, and the recipes are excellent' Spoon one-third of the mixture in a line about 4cm above the bottom edge of the pastry, then brush the pastry with more oil. Roll the pastry and filling up like a cigar then curl it into a swirl; this is the centre of your pie. Place the filled swirl in the middle of the cake tin.Hair and makeup: Juliana Sergot using Lancôme and TIGI. Photograph: Pedro Alvarez/The Observer Food writer and cook Georgina Hayden.

Finally add water to cover the plate and bring to a boil, Cover with the lid, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 - 35 minutes. And it’s most certainly not for anxiously abstemious or austere eaters! I’ve earmarked too many recipes to list here, but let me just mention Koulouri (Cypriot Village Bread); Eliopites (Olive, Mint and Coriander Buns); Braised Fennel with Saffron; Batata Harra (Chilli-Dressed Potatoes); Kolokithopita (Pumpkin and Raisin Pie with Harissa); Spanakorizo (Sweet and Smoky Spinach, Tomato and Lemon Rice); Milopita (Apple, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Cake); Pistachio and Cardamom Halva; and Shiamishi (Fried Orange Blossom Custard Pies). And the recipe I’m hungrily sharing with you today is the Jewelled Moutzentra: an oniony lentil and rice pilaff, resplendent with pomegranate seeds!Through fasting, we also learn to feel compassion for the poor and hungry and to save our own resources so that we can help those in need. During the period of Saracosti the faithful fast for a period of 48 days and not 40, as it is falsely believed: the six weeks of Lent and Holy Week. This is not obligatory and most people fast for a couple of weeks before Easter. Cordon Bleu στο Λονδίνο. Ακολούθησαν σεµινάρια ζαχαροπλαστικής πλάι στον Στέλιο Παρλιάρο και στη Σχολή Ζαχαροπλαστικής Valhrona στη Γαλλία. Συνεργάστηκε µε εφημερίδες, περιοδικά και ως σύμβουλος, παραδίδοντας μαθήματα μαγειρικής σε πολυεθνική εταιρεία τροφίμων. The Christmas fasting period starts on the 15th November and ends on the 24th December. From the 15th November till the 17th December,fish is allowed to be consumed but not on Wednesdays and Fridays, which in any case all Wednesdays and Fridays of the year are fasting days. Nistisima means fasting food – food eaten during Lent and other times of fasting observed by those of Orthodox faith. Mostly this involves giving up meat and dairy and instead using vegetables, pulses and grains to create easy, delicious dishes that all just happen to be vegan.

Massage the seasoning into the squash, then grill the slices for 3–4 minutes on each side, until charred in parts and just cooked through. You will have to do this in batches. When ready, transfer to a platter. Place neatly in the pot (I use the same one the cabbage was boiled) starting from the edge to the centre. Second and third layers may be placed on top, then cover with the plate (which must be exactly the size of the pan). This is done so that when the lahanodolmades are boiling they will not open. They can be served as part of a meze platter or salad plate, eaten as finger food or as a main dish. The word Nistisima refers to the food eaten during periods of lent and fasting. These are predominantlyvegan/ plant based foods. And this is how people of Orthodox faith eat for many days and weeks during the year. When you hear the word ‘fast’ you may assume it refers to the act of ‘not eating’. However in this sense, you can eat what you like but it mustn’tcontain animal products (the exception here being shellfish. As shellfish doesn’t bleed, so religiously this is considered ok. However I chose to keep the book vegan).

In a small glass, combine orange juice and brandy (and vanilla extract, if using) and mix them into dry ingredients until everything is completely incorporated and mixture is crumbly. When baking them, I had a misfortune which in the end wasn’t that bad but I was upset at the time. Just a little while after putting the tin in the oven we had power failure. They were nice and brown outside but inside they were still soft. So instead of baking them the second time for ten minutes, I cut them with the knife and spread them in the tin and they baked only with the warmth of the oven.