>  JW> Svickkova - Beef Sirloin In Cream Sauce
>  ML> Would go well with the below.
>  ML> Grandma Vanicek's Czechoslovakian Potato Dumplings
>  ML> These are *not* fluffy dumplings as in chicken and dumplings.
>  ML> They are a "sturdy" potato dumpling
> Speaking of such, central and eastern Europeans also seem to like
> heavy dumplings the size of softballs made from raw bread dough,
> just kneaded, not raised. They are nasty boiled but somewhat
> palatable if they are then sliced and fried in butter or lard
> afterwards.

We often forget that for a lot of people on this
planet just getting a full belly takes some effort.

> Roslind's Mom's current husband (she's been widowed twice) is
> German-Canadian and grew up poor. We once took them to a fairly
> upscale Austrian restaurant and bread dumplings were on the menu as
> an optional side dish for the boiled beef. Hank was surprised to see
> them on the menu of a white tablecloth place and waxed nostalgically
> about boyhood dumplings his mom made on breadmaking day and how good
> they tasted after walking home from school on a cold, windy Prairie

Ah, the joys of nostalgia (a weird concept, as
the etymology of that term involves pain and
discomfort).

> day. So we just had to order two of them.

Of course. They do tend, as other plump round
objects do, to travel in pairs (as Woody Allen said).

> These ones were boiled, sliced, fried in garlic butter and then
> sprinkled with chopped parsley, with both mustard and horseradish
> available for dabbing on them and so rather tasty. I thought they

Rather frou-frou. Were buttered crumbs also strewn
over? I like that variation and preferentially eat the 
crumbs (this goes for other stodgy dumplings, too).

> were going to be a substitute for potatoes but they turned out to
> come as well as. The only way we managed to finish off even one of

Surprise! Luckily they should rereheat well.

> them was with copious quantities of imported beers. Hank and I

As our middle-aged pots grow.

> ordered one of everything we had never heard of before and split
> each one. That's when I had my first Kriek. So Hank and I split one

I'm not a Belgian fan, nor a lambic fan, and a lot of
the cherry and raspberry versions are jazzed up with
artificial sweeteners, what's with that.

> of them and took the other one home to re-heat in the toaster oven
> for breakfast. Roslind and Olive declined to get involved with

I presume you're referring to the dumplings again,
not the kriek.

> either the dumplings or the beer.

Prudency!
> 
> Speaking of cold Prairie winds I still get shivers listening to this
> old folk song by Ian and Sylvia Tyson ...
> Four strong winds that blow lonely
> Seven seas that run high
> All those things that don't change come what may
> But our good times are all gone
> And I'm bound for moving on
> I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way

I had long since forgot about Ian and Sylvia.

> Think I'll go out to Alberta
> Weather's good there in the fall
> I got some friends that I can go to working for
> Still I wish you'd change your mind
> If I asked you one more time
> But we've been through that a hundred times or more
> 
> Four strong winds that blow lonely
> Seven seas that run high
> All those things that don't change come what may
> But our good times are all gone
> And I'm bound for moving on
> I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way
> 
> If I get there before the snow flies
> And if things are goin' good
> You could meet me if I sent you down the fare
> But by then it would be winter
> There ain't too much for you to do
> And those winds sure can blow cold way out there

> ... An especially fine example of Eastern European dumplingcraft.

After Tafelspitz and dumplings, you can have this 
for dessert -

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

      Title: Kartaeuserkloesse (Carthusian Dumplings)
 Categories: Desserts, German
      Yield: 4 servings

      4    Stale, hard [kaiser-type]           1 pk Vanilla sugar*
           -rolls                              1 c  Plain breadcrumbs
      1    Egg                             1 1/2 tb Water
    1/4 l  Milk (1 cup plus 1 Tbsp)            3 tb Sugar
           Grated peel of 1 lemon              1 ts Cinnamon
     20 g  Sugar (1 1/2 Tbsp)

  Shape the rolls into dumplings by rubbing the crust of all sides.  Put
  these dumplings into a mixture of egg yolk, milk, lemon peel, and sugar.

  Once they have absorbed the liquid all the way through, gently squeeze
out
  excess liquid by hand.  Whisk the egg white and water, and dip the
  dumplings in this mixture, and then roll them in breadcrumbs.  Deep fry
in
  fat until golden brown, then roll in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

  Serves 4.

  [*Note:  I would probably use 2 tsp of vanilla sugar.  K.B.]

  From:  D'SCHWAEBISCH' KUCHE' by Aegidius Kolb and Leonhard Lidel,
Allgaeuer
  Zeitungsverlag, Kempten.  1976. (Translation/Conversion: Karin Brewer)
  Posted by:  Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 9/92

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