When You Fast: Recipes For Lenten Seasons — Catherine Mandell

A unique and enthusiastically recommended collection of specialized recipes, When You Fast: Recipes For Lenten Seasons by Catherine Mandell draws upon the culinary traditions of traditional Orthodox Christianity by featuring two hundred recipes that will provide observants of the Lenten season with a diversity of healthy, nourishing, delicious meals. Enhanced throughout with sayings from the Mothers and Fathers of the early Orthodox Christian Church about how the body and soul are affected and influenced by eating habits, When You Fast additionally features sage advice on stocking a Lenten pantry and offers guidelines for fasting in accordance with the Orthodox Christian tradition. From Onion Flatbread; Vegetarian Borscht; Transfiguration Monastery Lenten Hash; and Baked Penne with Vegetables; to Greek Tomato Rice Pilaf; Crabmeat Stuffed Mushroom Caps; String Bean and Pepper Stew; and Lenten Oatmeal Cookies, When You Fast offers recipes for breads, spreads, sandwiches, soups, salads, main dishes, fish, shellfish, and desserts, including dairy-free recipes, dishes with and without oil, and dozens of variations for core recipes.

This Lenten cookbook is excellent for all times of the year as many of the recipes have oil or no oil options. Mostly Orthodox Christians will find this cookbook useful but anyone who is into a vegetarian diet will make good use of this book. This cookbook was quite popular in the parish bookstore I manage so I can attest to its universal appeal. You won’t be disappointed in this book.