Easter is right around the corner, and wedding showers and bridesmaids luncheons will fill calendars in coming weeks. So the annual spring Greek Bake Sale is happening just in time to help round out your menus.
"Last year, our customers told us that they wanted our baked goods for Easter, upcoming graduations and baby and wedding showers," says bake sale chairman Thea Ballas.
The website, annunciationgreek.org, is up and running. Click on Bake Sale 2022 to a page where you can place an order for delicious treats, such as a new cookie added this spring: marble koulourakia. It's a twisted butter cookie that's part chocolate, part vanilla.
Also, the all-time favorites will be available:
- Baklava: Layers of phyllo with nuts, spices and syrup.
- Kataifee: Shredded phyllo and nut mixture with syrup.
- Finikia: Spice cookie, with syrup, rolled in walnuts.
- Kourambiethes: Also known as Greek wedding cookies, these are butter cookies made with toasted almonds and powdered sugar.
- Koulourakia: Twisted butter cookies; great with coffee.
- Almond paximathia: Biscotti with toasted almonds.
- Anisette paximathia: Biscotti with anisette flavoring.
- Spanakopita: Frozen, uncooked phyllo with spinach, feta cheese and egg mixture. Appetizer- and pocket-size available.
- Tiropitas: Frozen, uncooked feta cheese and egg mixture wrapped in phyllo. Appetizer- and pocket-size available
- Almond coffee cake: Almonds, butter and eggs.
- Kok: Vanilla or chocolate sponge cake, filled with vanilla or chocolate pastry cream, then covered with chocolate ganache.
- Baklava cheesecake: A crust of baklava, cream cheese filling topped with more baklava.
- Greek Easter bread: Sweet bread made with flour, milk, butter and sugar and seasoned with orange zest and mahelpi.
- Pastichio: Greek-style lasagna with layers of pasta, meat sauce and béchamel sauce. Sold frozen.
- Floreges: A nut mixture in rolled phyllo with chocolate glaze.
- Saragli: A nut mixture in phyllo rolled pinwheel-style and drizzled with syrup.
- Cookbooks: "Greek Cooking in an American Kitchen," filled with many of these recipes and more.
Place your order as soon as possible, as Ballas says the most-popular items - spanakopita and tiropita appetizers, pastichio, baklava cheesecake, almond cakes and sweet bread - sell out quickly.
And, for the first time in a number of years, the Greek Bake Sale will feature hot foods, including spanokopita and tiropita pockets. So come and enjoy a cup of hot coffee along with your Greek treats. All proceeds will help the many local charities supported by the Ladies Philoptochos Society, sponsors of the bake sale.
In addition to internet orders, orders may also be placed by calling 423-504-6735. They may be picked up 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, April 15, at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 722 Glenwood Drive across from Memorial Hospital.
NEW ON THE MENU
Just in time for the finish of the outrageous March Madness NCAA basketball tournament, Miller's Ale House has added three new barbecue dishes to its menu. All start with pork butt that is smoked in-house for at least 12 hours, then hand-shredded. Each dish is finished with a cornucopia of different flavors, colors and textures. Servings are generous, so wear your comfy stretchy pants or bring a friend to share.
- Backyard BBQ Mountain Melt: Chipotle barbecue pulled pork, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, applewood smoked bacon and scallions on a bed of seasoned fries ($15).
- BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos: Chipotle barbecue pulled pork, fresh pico de gallo, shredded cabbage, guacamole, garlic-lime crema and pickled onions served in grilled flour tortillas with a side of black beans ($13).
- BBQ Pork Nachos: Crisp tortilla chips loaded with pulled pork, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, fresh pico de gallo, roasted corn and black-bean salsa and scallions, drizzled with chipotle BBQ sauce, garlic-lime crema and served with a bowl of white queso for dipping and dripping ($14).
The trio of deliciousness is scheduled to be on the menu through early May. It's very possible these smoked pork creations may reappear at some point. Some past specials, such as the chicken Parmesan, Key lime pie and the incredible doughnuts, are all now permanent fixtures on the menu. But there's no telling when they might reappear, so get them while they're chipotle hot.
Miller's Ale House is located at 2119 Gunbarrel Road.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.