Hungarian Cheese Dumplings from Santa Fe Railroad

I must try that railroad relish. We always have plenty of green tomatoes. And to come from the Great Northern Railroad dining cars was a huge plus. You know how we all love trains. One of these days, Erma, when my ship comes in, I hope to take the Canadian Pacific through the Rockies, and then one of those old steam train excursions through the Yukon and Alaska.

A Hungarian friend once served me the most delicious dumplings with Chicken Paprikash. She was a refugee from the 1956 uprising in Hungary with hair the color of her Chicken Paprikash. Naturally, I had to have the recipe. She sheepishly admitted that she didn’t use a heirloom Hungarian recipe but one from a neighbor who worked on the Santa Fe Railroad. Anya admitted that the Santa Fe recipe was easier and tastier than the original. These make a really nice change from potatoes or rice with a meal. No one guesses that they are really cottage cheese, and everybody LOVES them.

Hungarian Cheese Dumplings from Santa Fe Railroad:

1 pound dry cottage cheese
4 eggs, large
12 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter

Put the cottage cheese through a ricer. Add the beaten eggs and stir well. Next add the flour and salt and stir until smooth. Make the dough into balls about the size of a walnut.

In a large saucepan bring 2 quarts of water and a dash of salt to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil and drop in the cheese dough balls. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

When done, remove with a slotted spoon and drain off all the water. Keep dumplings warm.

In a small skillet, melt the butter and sauté the fresh bread crumbs until nice and golden brown. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the dumplings and serve hot.

Makes 6 servings