44 Februar y 2021
FEATURE
BY KIM HAST Y
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
CINDY BURNHAM
Love
is in the
baked goods
at the home of
Amphitrite Manuel
W
hen it comes to baking,
Amphitrite Manuel blends simple
ingredients with a poetic soul.
e result is batch aer batch of pastries that
are always as beautiful as they are delicious.
And she loves nothing better than to share
them with others. Hers is a dining room table
perpetually laden with treasures dipped in
honey syrup and dusted with powdered sugar.
"I call it my therapy; cooking and baking,"
she said. "I find it creative."
Her husband, Father Chrysostom Manuel,
served as priest at Fayetteville's Saints
Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox
Church for nearly 40 years. Mrs. Manuel, who
is referred to as Presbytera by the congregation,
became well-known over those years as a
woman of many talents. She writes poetry, has
a degree in education and history, teaches the
art of Greek dancing, does needlework and
ceramics.
And a nibble from something out of her
oven is truly a special treat.
"Presbytera could teach a master class
in Greek cooking, especially pastries," said
Lula Pappas Griffin, a lifelong member of
the church. "Everything she bakes is not only
delicious, but exquisitely made with love."
When Presbytera Manuel married in 1961, her new groom presented her with
a copy of a traditional cookbook entitled "Greek Cooker y" written by Nikolaos
Tselementes, the male Greek counterpart of Betty Crocker.
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