Slovenian Recipes

Bleki are nothing more than homemade pasta or egg noodles, cut into square or rectangular shapes. I discovered bleki in the course of tracking down my grandmother's Mystery Soup, which turned out to be the Slovenian take on pasta fazool, or pasta and bean soup.  But evidently the pasta had the starring role, at least in my mother's family, since she referred to the soup simply as "black-eh." In fact, bleki have an oddly exalted status in Slovenian cooking.  An entry on the official Slovenian Tourist Board website describes this "simple dish"  as a "special treat." Bleki were associated with special occasions in rural life, like finishing up the harvest or picking grapes.  A recent cookbook by a Slovenian academician and cooking expert describes it as a "high dish," often served with a cream sauce and pancetta. To make the bleki for the pašta fažul ,. It's a simple recipe: 2 eggs 1 1/4 c. flour 1/4 t. salt Mix and knea...

I was hot on the trail of my grandmother's Mystery Soup. It was a food recollection that surfaced a few years ago.  My mother remembered a special thick bean soup my grandmother used to bring to her, in the early years of her marriage.  No one had a car, so Grandma had to take the bus to deliver it. The name sounded like "black-y" with an exaggerated Slovenian accent. I could picture it so clearly.  My grandma on the bus, in a housedress.  Week after week, carrying a big  jar of her precious homemade soup to the young married couple.  I figured it must be a thick dark porridge, something like black bean soup. I kept looking through my Slovenian cookbooks, but I couldn't find a soup that matched the name or the description. "You're sure that's what it was called?"  I asked my mother. Yes.  She kept repeating the name, with growing insistence.  Now it sounded more like "blahk-eh." "It was made with black beans, right?...

I used to watch her roll out noodle dough on the wooden table of her little kitchen in Cleveland.  She made it look so easy. I was fascinated by the tiny, even yellow filaments she created. My three vintage cookbooks all offered multiple recipes for noodles.  The ingredients were simple: eggs, flour, salt, sometimes a bit of water.  The proportions varied a little.  As  I suspected, the secret wasn't in the ingredients.  It was all a matter of the technique. I followed the directions of the Progressive Slovene Women. 2 eggs 1 1/4 c. flour 1/4 t. salt Beat eggs.  Add flour and salt. Knead dough until soft and pliable, adding a bit more flour if needed.  Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.   Roll out on a floured board as thin as possible. Let dry for an hour. Cut dough into four sections and put one piece on top of the other.  Roll up into a tight roll. Cut into 1/4 inch slices. Unroll.  Spread noodles on towe...