Spaetzle (German or Polish)

Step 1: Beat eggs until foamy and then combine with milk.

Step 2: Mix together flour, salt and spices if included, and beat into egg/milk mixture a little at a time. This can be done with a electric mixer with dough hook or by hand with a wooden spoon. Dough should be stiff and stretchy when mixed thoroughly. Like a lazy noodle dough.

Step 3: Bring a deep soup pot of water or soup to a rolling boil. If you are using a spaetzle maker for German style, fill the basket of the Spaetzle maker and place over the pot of boiling water or soup. As you slide the basket back and forth the tiny dumplings or noodles drop into the boiling liquid.

Step 4: If making Polish style, take a dinner plate and spoon a big glop onto the plate. Then take a metal cereal spoon and holding the edge of the plate over the edge of the pot, dip the cereal spoon into the boiling liquid and scrape/scoop spoon size portions of dough into the pot, dipping spoon in hot liquid repeatedly to keep dough from sticking to the spoon.

Step 5: Continue adding the spaetzle to the pot of boiling liquid until all used up and stir the boiling spaetzle once to keep the dough from clumping together. continue to boil about 2-3 minutes. You will know they are done when they float on the top.

Step 6: If this is for soup, simply slide pot off burner and serve. If you are making these for a side or casserole, remove from pot with a slotted spoon into serving dish or casserole dish. After draining I toss these with butter or fried onions and coarse ground black pepper and serve as a side dish. I make these special for the holidays with pork or ham. And there is never any left over.