Well, it’s been a year in the making, but today—on the eve of Saint Phanourios’s feast day—the first leg of my journey with this Greek Orthodox saint and his cake has come to a close. (If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, please click the links in the right column or the main navigation, under “Projects,” that take you to the Phanourios Charity Project page.)

You may have noticed the scoreboard I’ve kept in the blog’s sidebar. Maybe you’ve watched its numbers grow, and now you’re wondering what’s up with the question mark. Well, I can easily count the number of cakes (phanouropita) that I’ve baked to honor Saint Phanourios, but there is no way to reliably quantify the mystery or blessings, the grit or gratitude that belong to my story of the past twelve months.

If you want to read that story, plus get my favorite recipe for this traditional Greek nut-and-spice cake, you can do so over at Leite’s Culinaria, where my personal essay, “Saints, Cakes, and Redemption,” has just been published.

I’m dashing this announcement off in a rush, on my way out of town for a few days, but as soon as I’m able, I will update this post with some acknowledgements. There are so many people to thank.

For now, I’ll leave it at this: Sas efxharisto, Agios Phanourios. Thank you Saint Phanourios.

Save the Date!

This Saturday, April 17, Feeding the Saints will participate in the first annual National Food Bloggers Bake Sale to raise money for charity. Come to the Brooklyn Flea Market in Fort Greene, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and sample unique treats from the FTS kitchen. Plus, if you’re there when they open (and you should be—you don’t want the disappointment of a sell-out), you may catch me helping with sales; I’m tentatively scheduled for 10-11 AM. I’d love it if you introduced yourself, so please don’t be shy: stop by and say “Hi!”

Who:  Feeding the Saints and other food bloggers

What: Food Bloggers Bake Sale

When: Saturday, April 17, 2010, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Note: I will help with sales from 10-11 AM

Where: Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene (176 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn) — see below for directions/map link

Why: Help feed America’s children while feeding yourself with homemade treats

Funds raised through the Food Bloggers Bake Sale will support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America. Nearly 17 million—almost one in four—children in America face hunger. Despite the good efforts of governments, private-sector institutions, and everyday Americans, millions of our children still don’t have daily access to the nutritious meals they need to live active, healthy lives. More information on Share Our Strength can be found here.

The Brooklyn Flea/Fort Greene location
176 Lafayette Ave

SUBWAY
A/C to Lafayette Ave.
G to Clinton/Washington Ave.
2/3, 4/5, B/D/Q, M/N/R to Atlantic Ave.-Pacific St

BUS
B69/B38/B52 to Vanderbilt/Lafayette/Greene Ave.

Click here for Brooklyn Flea site and map