Even though I’m from Oltenia, because my mother is from Ardeal, I got to spend my summers over there, with my grandmother, in the Bihor county. My granny is one of those women that always wears a scarf on her head, “zadii”(a blending of skirts with an apron on top), vests and shoes that look like “opinci”(traditional romanian shoes), that laughs heartly all the time,that knows how to properly cook and take good care of a household. Altogether, my grandmother is a woman and a half! And one of her specialities, that I like very much, are the “pătăşti”.

This is actually a soup that contains delicious pieces of white cheese covered in dough. Here’s what you need to do to prepare my grandmother’s “pătăşti”. First of all, you need the following:

-         flour

-         water

-         2 eggs

-         white cheese

-         1 onion

-         2 smaller carrots, or 1 carrot that is bigger

-         cooking oil

-         ½ spoon of sweet pepper spice or paprika

-         salt and pepper

-         chopped parsley

After you’ve gathered all the ingredients, you have to prepare the dough from

flour, water and the two eggs. You spread the resulting dough until you get a thin, round sheet, just like the one used to make noodles. On one half you scatter a lot of cheese that you already grated or cut into very small pieces. The other half of dough you put over the one of cheese, and you pat it with your palm in order to properly stick.

After which cut the newly formed half, that contains two layers of dough with a layer of cheese in between, into small square pieces (my grandmother had a special metal wheel with which she used to cut the squares with, but you can also use the knife or whatever cookie dough shapes you have, if you want to get more creative). Make sure that the little squares are separatted from each other and put them up for dry until you prepare the soup.

Now you have to peal, wash and chop the onion, after which you simmer it in cooking oil in the pot that you are going to use for the soup. You do the same with the carrots, and then you add the spoon of paprika. You stir it well, and then you add water enough to fill half the pot after you make sure the onion and carrots are properly simmered. Then you put in the salt and pepper, and when the water is boiling you add the “pătăşti” squares in the pot. When the little squares are rising in the water (this being a sign they’re on the right track), you put in the chopped parsley and a cup of cold water. You stir a little bit more and you’e done!

Enjoy your meal and I hope you like the “pătăşti” just as much as I do!