Like most events on Chattanooga's calendar, the annual Greek Bake Sale has been reconfigured.
After last year's overwhelming success - all the yummy sweet and savory treats were sold by shortly after noon - the Ladies Philoptochus Society of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, sponsors of the sale - planned to hold another bake sale last spring. Then COVID-19 hit and that was canceled.
Now, the annual sale has gone virtual. Orders are now being taken online at http://annunciationgreek.org/, with pickup dates scheduled for Nov. 11-13. Payment is made at the same time. You'll also need to schedule a time to pick your items up curbside. You'll wait in your car, and volunteers will bring your order to you.
Sale chairman Thea Ballas says the majority of the money raised will be distributed to local charities around Chattanooga. Past recipients have included Chattanooga Community Kitchen and Room in the Inn.
Additional changes for this year's sale: There will be no hot items sold - only pastries. And here's some good news: If the items sell out quickly, as they have in the past, there will be a second sale in December. Check the church's website for exact dates. Again, the sale will be virtual. The church hall is just too small to accommodate everyone with social-distancing guidelines in effect, Ballas notes.
So, go online, click on the "Bake Sale 2020" banner at the top of the page and place your orders for:
* Baklava: Layers of phyllo with nuts, spices and syrup.
* Kataifee: Shredded phyllo, nut mixture, with syrup.
* Finikia: Spice cookie, with syrup, rolled in walnuts.
* Amygdalota: Crescent cookies with ground almonds, sugar and flavorings.
* Kourambiethes: Greek wedding butter cookies made with toasted almonds and powdered sugar.
* Koulourakia: Twisted butter cookies; great with coffee.
* Paximathia (almond): Twice-baked cookies (biscotti) with toasted almonds.
* Paximathia (anisette): Twice-baked cookies (biscotti) with anisette flavoring.
* Spanakopita (appetizer size): Frozen, uncooked, phyllo with spinach, feta cheese and egg mixture.
* Spanakopita (pockets): Frozen, uncooked, spinach with feta cheese and egg mixture wrapped in phyllo.
* Tiropitas (appetizer size): Frozen, uncooked, feta cheese and egg mixture wrapped in phyllo.
* Tiropitas (pockets): Frozen, uncooked, feta cheese and egg mixture wrapped in phyllo.
* Almond coffee cake: Almonds, butter and eggs.
* Galatoboureko (8- by 8-inch pans): Frozen, uncooked, phyllo pie with custard, butter and syrup.
* Kok (vanilla): Sponge cake filled with a vanilla pastry cream and covered with a chocolate ganache.
* Kok (chocolate): Sponge cake filled with a chocolate pastry cream and covered with a chocolate ganache.
* Baklava cheesecake: A baklava crust is filled with cream cheese and topped with baklava.
* Sweet bread: Sweet bread made with flour, milk, butter and sugar and seasoned with orange zest and mahelpi.
* Loukoumi: A gelatin-based treat perfect with coffee.
And if you want to try your hand at making Greek treats at home, cookbooks will be sold.
Place your orders as soon as possible. Come November, you can enjoy them immediately or freeze for the holidays.
EASY BISTRO REOPENS
One of downtown's favorite restaurants, Easy Bistro and Bar, has reopened in its new location in West Village at the corner of Chestnut and Eighth streets in the former Alimentari, which has now moved down the street. Not only is the decor all new, so is Easy's menu. Favorites are back, but the menu has been expanded to include raw-bar offerings with oysters from the East, West and Gulf coasts; a woodburning oven with accompanying menu items; outdoor dining; and more room for private parties.
In a news release, chef/owner Erik Niel stated: "I'm excited to cook in our new home and could not be more excited about where we are headed. I can't wait to welcome our friends and guests into our new location. Easy Bistro is so much more than the building it has occupied." (It moved from the former Coco-Cola building on Broad Street near the Tennessee Aquarium.)
Easy will be open 4-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 4-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Email Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.
Anne Braly