European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 07, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Living today German dumplings spaetzle is Hearty addition to Winter meal by Sharon Hudgins special o stripes Magazine germans and austrian Call them spa talc spa Len or and pfc. Alsatian refer to them As Spitzli  Silkni pfc or Wosser Frh re. In Switzerland their names Are  Knopf i and by the time they get to Hungary they be become Galm Hka regardless of the nomenclature however they re All tiny dumplings made from eggs and flour and served As an accompaniment to meats or As a main dish on their own the German term spaetzle Means Little sparrows perhaps in the Hope that these Small dumplings will be As Light As a Feather a result not always easy to accomplish. Knopf to on the other hand Means Little buttons in reference to the shape that these dumplings sometimes have. And the hungarian term Galushka is derived from the italian Gnocchi said to to the Grandfather of All these dumplings. But please Don t gel me embroiled in the argument Over which tiny dumplings should be called by which names. The Only thing i can find any agreement on is the fact that germans would never translate any of these terms As Noodle no matter what your English language cookbooks Tell you. The Correct shape of spa True is another Bone of Contention. Should they be tiny round dumplings no bigger than a hazelnut or larger dumplings the size of a Walnut should they be cylindrical somewhat like Short fat thick pieces of chopped Spaghetti ready made ones often come in this form or should they be longer and thinner almost like pieces of free form noodles what about the kind i be often encountered in restaurants Oblong about the size of a Large kidney bean no two shapes exactly alike even members of the same family disagree about the proper size and shape of Spitzle. Related to the controversy Over the form of these Small dumplings is the debate about the Correct method of making them. The traditional Way is to spread the dough in a thin layer on a wooden Board then scrape and Cut off Small strips or pieces of dough and drop them into boiling water. A faster easier Way is to put the dough into a special spaetzle Sieve known As a Spatzal Schwab or a Passen Nobel which presses the dough into the desired shape just before the dumplings arc dropped into the water. The City Council of Stuttgart once had a serious discussion Over whether the spa talc served at the Stuttgart rats Keller should be made by hand or by machine. The Council members finally agreed that there should always be at least one restaurant in Stuttgart where handmade spaetzle could be found. It was a rare Case of politicians defending culinary tradition in opposition to the mechanization of the modern Kitchen. Most Cooks agree on the ingredients for spa talc flour Salt eggs possibly a bit of Nutmeg and a liquid such As water milk or Cream but few use the same proportions. Some spaetzle recipes produce a very stiff dough others make a Batter Only slightly thicker than Pancake Batter. Some also add chopped raw spinach to the dough making those Beautiful Green sinats Patzl that Are my favorite Type of this dumpling. Spitzle can be either Light simple accompaniment to an elaborate dish or practically a meal in Hesse ves. It s appropriate that i first encountered spaetzle in Augsburg because this food is considered the National dish of Schwabik that Region of Southern Germany which includes Augsburg Stuttgart and Ulm. One restaurant in Augsburg Well known for its sch Wabian specialities has listed at least six different kinds of Spitzle on its menu including Allgauer Kau Patzin and Schwab sche spinal i spar in both mixed with cheese  spinach spa talc with Ham and cheese Butte Spitzle Schwabi tche Eicr spaetzle and be Rosiell  liver Flavoured spaetzle in scrambled eggs. And if you re Ever invited to someone s Home for a traditional sch Wabian sunday dinner you can count on the meal consisting of roast pork with spa talc and salad. Spitzle goes a Long Way Back in the history of this Region. In the medieval German legend of the seven Schwab ians a rotund character from Bop Fingen is known As the "kn6pfleschwab" the spaetzle sch Wabia because in his Hometown people ate spaetzle five times a Day. It was said that these people had two stomachs but no heart and before the seven Schwab ians set off on the last part of their great adventure the final attack on the monster ravaging the Countryside they ate a huge meal of sauteed spaetzle mixed with Allgauer cheese and garnished with browned onions. Maybe it was meals like this that made them Sec monsters in the first place i be been served spa talc in Europe from Alsace to Hungary. Next door neighbors of the Schwab ians both the alsatian and the bavarian make very Good spaetzle indeed. But the finest lightest Spall a i be Ever eaten was in a restaurant in Budapest where the Little dumplings almost floated from he plate to my Mouth. The following recipes for spaetzle and Spinat spaetzle Are traditional sch Wabian ones which produce tiny dumplings just Neoma used to  the Basic recipe explains How to make spaetzle both by hand and by machine. Spaetzle Are often served As the starch instead of potatoes or Rice to accompany roasted Chicken or meats and braised meats such As Sauer Brazen. The hungarians would t think of eating meat dishes such As paprika Porsolt and Lockany without Galushka dumplings their own Type of spaetzle. Spaetzle can also by combined with cheese Ham col age cheese nuts mushrooms sauerkraut or Cream sauces to produce a filling main dish which is Best accompanied by a Crisp Green salad. These tiny dumplings even show up in soups where they Are poached in the soup liquid and in scrambled eggs and pancakes As a Way of using up leftover spaetzle. Versatile yet nourishing and economical spaetzle in whatever form Are perfect to eat on these cold Winter Days. Spaetzle Basic recipe 4 cups All purpose flour 1 Teaspoon Salt i Teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg 4 Large or 5 Small eggs 1 cup water for a Richer version use iwo additional egg Yolks sift the flour Salt and Nutmeg into a Large bowl. In a Small bowl lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the eggs to the flour and gradually pour in the water stirring with a Large wooden spoon to form a smooth dough. Beat with the wooden spoon or the dough Hooks of an electric mixer until bubbles appear in the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes while you heat the water. Put 3 quarts of water and 2 Teaspoons of Salt into a 5 or 6-Quarl pot. Bring the water to a boil. Set a Large bowl of cold tap water on the counter next to the stove. Have ready a Large slotted spoon and a colander for draining the Spitzle. Spread 2 or 3 Cotton Kitchen towels on a Flat surface. Form the spaetzle according to one of the following methods and drop the spittle into the rapidly boiling water 1 0, ,11 method use a wooden cutting will fit vertically into the pot of boiling Boa stripes Mig inc november 7,1985 i