Hot news from the Holy Mountain

Hot scoop from Mount Athos – a friend of mine has just produced a double length feature for 60 minutes on CBS (you can download from their website www.cbsnews.com from Monday.)
He has had unprecedented access to the monasteries of Simonos Petros and Vatopedi, and garnered extraordinary footage of the church services, liturgies and interviews with monks. Most amazing is the story of how the monks, after the fall of Thessaloniki in 1941, in desperation wrote a letter to Hitler to save them from imminent invasion by Bulgarian Axis troops – The letter ended up by some miracle on Hitler’s desk, something touched him, and he put the Holy Mountain under his personal protection – but, and there is always a catch, sent in the Sondertruppen whose mission was to “safeguard” the monastery treasures.

I am getting a sneak preview of the script tomorrow, and can’t wait to tune in to the programme. The BBC have been trying for years to get a film crew in. We say to the Beeb “must try harder.”

Evi’s Greek Easter Lamb recipe

Evi’s Greek Easter lamb recipe:

Vegetarians, small children and Temperance League, look away….

Ask your local shepherd to supply you with a whole young lamb and put it on a spit.
Choose a flowery meadow with an olive tree nearby and preferably a little pebble beach within greasy finger wiping distance.
At around 6.00 am, send your husband to build a fire with plenty of wood and start burning it down to get lots of charcoal.
Fuel up a group of pyromaniac young men with plenty of ouzo and wine to spend the next 5 hours turning the spit. Once the lamb has browned, raise the level of the spit so the lamb doesn’t burn.
Baste frequently with a thick bunch of fresh oregano dipped in an emulsion of olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.

Accompaniments should be;
Taramosalata , tzatziki and any other dips you like.
Spinach pies made with flaky fillo pastry, feta, spinach and dill
Cheese pies
A large green salad with a dressing made of dill, spring onion, oil and lemon juice.
Plenty of red dyed hard-boiled easter eggs for the egg cracking competition.
At least 6 small and over excited children.
Lots more wine, ouzo and tsipouro.

Follow with Baklava and Halva “simigdalenio” made from semolina (see our 2010 blog called “sweet teeth”)
Finish up with two tons of Alka-Seltzer and a siesta under the olive tree…..