käsespätzle

käsespätzle is german for cheese noodles, as far as i can tell :) i acquired this recipe from toby, who got it from his friend bernhard, both of whom are german.

ingredients
the legit, german-recommended recipe
750 kg flour
5-6 eggs
3 tsp salt
250 mL cold water
300 g shredded cheese
onion

i weighed my whole grain flour and ended up doing this
2 C whole grain pastry flour
2 1/2 C unbleached flour
5 eggs
3 tsp salt
250 mL water (250 mL is just about 8.5 ounces)
1 pound of emmentaler cheese (this is more like 450 g of cheese, but my rule of thumb is that you can never have too much cheese!!!!)

notes
1. i had intended to use whole grain flour only, but ran out, and hence switched to processed flour. but i am very happy with the results. if anything, i will use 2 1/2 C whole grain flour + 2 1/2 C processed flour when i make this next (to thicken it slightly)

2. as for cheese, the stinkier the cheese, the better! the emmentaler is stinky relative to something such as cheddar, but i plan to stink it up a bit more next time!

3. this recipe calls for a special tool, called a spätzle press. the first time i ever made käsespätzle, i used my potato ricer, but wasn't happy with the results (too thin). i do not (yet) have a spätzle press, so i used a cheese grater and a wooden spoon - i will explain the technique later. a colander is an option as well.

instructions
toby just provided the ingredients, and this is how i saw fit to execute:

1. put a large pot of water on to boil (approximately 1 gallon + of water)
2. beat 5 eggs with mixer
3. add flour one cup at a time, mix well
4. add 3 tsp salt
5. add the cold water
6. mix well. scrape sides. continue mixing while you move on to step 7
7. dice one medium sized sweet onion
8. shred the cheese

boil the spätzle
1. once the water is boiling, place the tool of choice (grater, colander, legit spätzle press) over the top of the pot of boiling water.

2. place a blob of dough on top of your press (cheese grater, colander, etc.), and move a wooden (or plastic) spoon (or other implement) back and forth across, until all of the dough has been pushed through. don't worry about the size of the noodles - my preference is variation in size and texture - just press the dough through.

3. continue working one blob of dough at a time until all noodles are in the pot. (stir the noodles in between blobs if you wish)

4. stir periodically.

5. cook for 5-10 minutes (the time required depends on the flour and noodle thickness - whole grain flour requires more time than processed flours)

6. remove from heat. strain.

prepare the dish
1. heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan, on medium-high heat

2. saute the onions

3. add the noodles and the shredded cheese

4. reduce heat to medium. mix well and continuously to avoid burning, until the cheese is melted.

5. serve and ENJOY!!!!

this makes an excellent side for any meat, and personally i enjoy it as a main dish with a lovely salad of greens, avocado, tomatoes, and vinaigrette dressing.