Philoxenia on the Plate: Kon Karapanagiotis’s Journey Through Food and Advocacy

Cooking with Purpose: Kon Karapanagiotis on Family, Tradition, and Philanthropy

Kon Karapanagiotis’s journey into the culinary world is deeply rooted in personal reflection, family, and his Greek heritage. His cookbook, co-authored with his mother Sia, is not just a collection of recipes but a heartfelt homage to his family's legacy, shaped by the sacrifices and stories passed down through generations.

Kon was driven by the desire to capture the richness of his family’s traditions and stories, ensuring they wouldn't fade into oblivion. This deeply personal project allowed him to reconnect with his mother and immerse himself in the cultural significance of their family’s recipes.

A key element of Kon’s work is the authentic Greek concept of "philoxenia"—welcoming strangers, which permeates both his culinary endeavours and his work with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), an organisation he founded that has become Australia’s largest refugee charity. At its core, Kon's philosophy emphasizes that food is more than nourishment; it brings people together, crosses cultural boundaries, and provides comfort. His cookbook embodies the beauty of simplicity in traditional Greek cuisine while reinforcing the message that food has the power to tell stories, evoke memories, and bring communities together.

Kon’s activism and compassion shine through in both his humanitarian work and his cooking, each complementing the other. Through his cookbook and ASRC, he continues to uplift those in need, showing that hospitality extends beyond one's kitchen—it’s about opening hearts and homes to those in need.

Get to Know Kon Karapanagiotis: A Q&A Journey Through Family, Tradition, and Philanthropy

Through this insightful Q&A, we dive into the life of Kon Karapanagiotis, cookbook author and passionate advocate of family and culture. Learn more about his inspirations, the journey behind his culinary creations, and how he merges Greek heritage with philanthropy. From cherished family recipes to supporting charities through his work, Kon shares how food brings people together and fosters a deeper sense of community and compassion.

Your cookbook features so many incredible recipes, but is there one in particular that stands out as your favourite? What makes this recipe special to you?

Avgolemono Soup - Greek Lemon and Egg soup, it always reminds me of my childhood, of my mum making it for me whenever I was sick. It brings back so many memories of breaking the fast for Greek Easter, it is comfort, family and love in a bowl.

You created this book in collaboration with your mother, which adds a deeply personal touch. What inspired you to work together on this project? What was the most rewarding part of this experience

The older I get the more I understand how precious and fragile our stories are, our traditions, our culture and how if we do not protect them they can be lost in a generation. I lost my father Leo suddenly when I was just 27 and to this day I have so many regrets about the stories i never asked about, the conversations I never had, you always think there is time until there isn’t. I did not want to have the same regrets with my mother Sia. By creating this cookbook together I am ensuring our Greek traditions, stories, rituals and recipes endure for generations to come.

Also my mum like my father always sacrificed their dreams, potential and aspirations so my sister Nola and I could have the lives we have, they never had the spotlight so it makes me so happy to create it for my mum, for people to see how incredible she is, how gifted she is and the great wisdom she has to share.

I also did not want to be like so many men when they create cookbooks that are only possible because of what their mothers taught them and then pretend it's all their recipes and ways of cooking. It feels so disrespectful to the hard work and gifts of our mums.

It was so special to share this journey together, to grow the vegetables in her garden that we used in the book, to cook every dish in her kitchen, I feel so lucky to have shared this with my mum

Your approach to food seems to be very much about bringing people together. How do you incorporate the concept of "philoxenia" in your everyday life, both personally and professionally?

I carry Philoxenia with me in everything that I do in all parts of my life, I always lead with love, compassion and kindness in my life. I believe in building longer tables with a seat at the table for us all rather than tougher borders or higher walls. I remember that I have just won the lottery of time and place and in another time I would be my grandparents as refugees fleeing a genocide. I have created a charity for refugees called the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre to be a place of welcome, a place of filitomo for those in search of safety and hope. In my personal life i try to always be the best person I can, to treat people with compassion and to see everyone as valuable, deserving of generosity and care

Beyond the kitchen, what are some of your other passions or interests that influence your work?

I love to garden, it connects me back to nature and makes me feel at peace. There is something so affirming and beautiful in having your hands in the dirt and nurturing something to blossom and grow. There is also such a joy in growing your own food and creating a beautiful meal for loved ones with it. I love to travel, to be curious and learn about other cultures and ways of life, it makes me a better human being. I also love to write, it gives me space to reflect and connect back to my heart, soul and mind. At the moment I have just started writing two new books, one is my next cookbook and another on leadership and values

What are the must-have Greek pantry staples that you believe everyone should have at home?

Greek extra virgin olive oil of course, Greek oregano, not the rubbish you get at big supermarkets, the proper oregano from the mountains of Greece, olives, good salt, Greek feta, again not that abomination called Fetta, always Dodoni, kefalograviera to make saganaki, beautiful Greek pastas like kritharaki and hilopites and of course lemons, rosemary, nutmeg, white vinegar, honey, Greek yoghurt and phyllo pastry!

Your work extends beyond just writing cookbooks. Can you tell us more about your involvement in community projects or initiatives?

I founded a charity called the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre 23 years ago in the space of 8 weeks as a class TAFE project with a group of students I was teaching at the time. 23 years on it is now the largest refugee charity in Australia, helping over 7,000 people seeking asylum with everything from food, health care, housing, aid to legal assistance, education and employment to pathways to independence through our two social enterprises and cafes. It does all of this independent of funding from the Australian Government with over 200 staff and hundreds more volunteers.

With all proceeds from your book going to the ASRC, what impact do you hope this book will have on the lives of refugees and asylum seekers?

I have donated $220,000 to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre being the proceeds of our cookbook to provide food for families seeking asylum through our foodbank, to provide a seat at the table for the families we have the honour to serve. We cannot have safety and dignity if we are hungry. I hope it makes the families we support who have lost everything feel loved, seen and welcomed.

Your work with refugees is incredibly inspiring. Can you share how your experiences with refugee communities have influenced your approach to food and hospitality, particularly in your cookbook, A Seat at My Table: Philoxenia?

It made me want to create a cookbook that has a social purpose and impact, that inspires people to have conversations in their communities about refugees and to see their own stories and journeys in these pages of our cookbook. Our cookbook is deliberately not like any other Greek cookbook you will come across, yes the recipes may at times feel familiar but with it come essays on hope, justice, compassion and love. Within it are stories that encourage us to be kind, to help change the world, to welcome, be engaged in our communities and to care.

You’ve been involved in various initiatives that support refugees and advocate for their rights. What motivated you to become so deeply engaged in this cause, and how do you see the intersection between food and social justice?

I grew up at an early age understanding what it was like to not belong, to not be seen or wanted. My early memories as a child growing up in the country was of being told to F off back to my own country, of being called a Wog. I understood what it was like to be “othered” to be seen as less valuable and worthwhile as a human being because of where my parents came from or the sound of my name. I was the first to even go to High School in my family, where I spent most of those years being bullied at school or told by teachers to drop out of school because I would never amount to anything. My lived experiences drive all I do along with the experiences of racism and exploitation my mum and dad endured in farms and factories to support my sister and I. I was raised to think not just of myself but of my community, to stand for something, to be proud of where I came from and to live my life with pathos, filitimo and philoxenia.

There is a deep connection between food and social justice, firstly food security is a human right we all have a right to. Secondly, as a I write in my book our food, our recipes is one of the few things all migrants and refugees hold onto and bring with them when they have to leave their homeland, it creates the social scaffolding and social armour they use in Australia to be seen as human, to integrate and to find a way to belong.

In your work with refugees, have you found any particular stories or experiences that have profoundly impacted you?

Every story, every family stays with me, the ones that have most profoundly impacted me are the ones of the children I have worked with who spent years locked up in immigration detention centres and had their childhoods stolen from them

Greek hospitality, or philoxenia, is about welcoming strangers as friends. How do you see this concept playing out in your work with refugees, and how can others embody this spirit in their own communities?

The refugee story is the Greek story, we are a people that have been displaced as refugees (I am Pontian Greek, being the grandson of Pontian refugees), we have been occupied and invaded countless times as a country, we have survived wars, fascism and a rise in extremism and through it all Greeks have not lost their love of community, their filitimo, their hospitality and the beauty of our people to welcome people into their homes and communities.

How others can embody it in their day to day life is not complex or costly, it is the opposite, we can all embody this spirit by being curious and compassionate, by having an open mind and heart. By remembering that unless we are Indigenous to Australia our ancestors are all immigrants or refugees too and we are their legacy and we should be proud of where we have come from. It is to not allow our hearts to be poisoned by fear and hate, to think of our community not just ourselves and to be intentional in being kind, it is easy to be selfish and to hate it takes character an care,  it is easy to be selfish and to hate it takes character and care to be kind.

Food often serves as a powerful connector, bringing people from diverse backgrounds together. How have you used food as a tool for building bridges between refugees and local communities?

By celebrating tradition while fostering a deep sense of community, Kon's cookbook, activism, and philanthropic spirit demonstrate that food can indeed transcend borders and build bridges where none existed before. His contributions serve as a reminder that the kitchen, like the world, is a place where compassion, culture, and stories intertwine.

Shop this amazing cookbook here