Mathews County resident Natasa Stanojevic Monroe is making popular recipes from her home country of Serbia, in particular her specialty, baklava.
Natasa is the owner of Nana’s Baklava and Other Sweets. She made her debut at the Mathews Farmers’ Market, on “a Saturday close to Easter. I had learned about it on Facebook. The woman’s club has also been a big boost for me.” She stays busy making sweets to order and for sale at such markets.
In the Mediterranean and the Middle East, baklava, a paper-thin phyllo pastry filled with sweet chopped nuts with a coating of honey, is found everywhere.
Natasa’s business has steadily increased and orders come in daily. She says, “I love to bake and love to cook. I learned from my mother. In my country only walnuts are used to make baklava and it is not as sweet. Here I try new things.”
In 2017 Natasa and her son Alex, who now helps in retailing, came from the Republic of Serbia to this country to visit friends. Here, she said, “I fell in love,” and s...