tonight, my love, we make Spaetzle

I'm going to a potluck gathering tomorrow evening at my buddy Charles's residence. Dinner was originally going to be Korean-themed, but when that didn't work out, the theme switched over to German. Charles and his wife will be prepping Schweinshaxe (ham hock), kraut, potatoes, and a chocolate cake. I told Charles I'd bring something, too. When we were still thinking along Korean lines, I had thought about doing chicken-and-shrimp fried rice, but with the switch to something more Teutonic, I decided to go for a French Alsatian dish. Looking up plats alsaciens on Google brought up the amusing fact that Spaetzle is just as Alsatian as it is German—not surprising, given the history of Alsace. So: Spaetzle it is.

I had originally thought about making my own sausage to add to the Spaetzle, but while I was at SSG Food Market, I saw and picked up some packages of Sicilian sausage and French chipolatas (a favorite of the wizard Albus Dumbledore). The latter were actual chipolatas, not the ersatz, Bratwurst-wannabe crap they used to sell at Costco. The sausages came in 300-gram packages; I bought four. When I cooked everything down, I had 700 grams of meat left over, with almost all of the fat dabbed away. I'll be making over a kilo of Spaetzle pasta tonight, then finishing the dish at Charles's place, assuming there's room for me to do so. (I might bring along a gas range and a can of butane in case the kitchenette is crowded.)

The Spaetzle will get an Italian twist when I stir in an Alfredo sauce—genuine Alfredo this time, not my usual Gorgonzola faux-Fredo. Fresh parsley will act as the flourish. To that end, I've got two blocks of Parmigiano Reggiano to grind up, a brick of demi-sel butter, a good bit of heavy cream, and a small bunch of parsley. Hauling all of this with me will mean taking a cab to Charles's place. I'm too lazy to opt for public transportation in such situations.

Am looking forward to good eats and good times tomorrow.