I came late to a newsgroup conversation about halushky but that didn’t stop me from offering my comments and suggestions.  <grin>

If I remember correctly, the chap who posted the picture of his “haluski” dish is from Indiana.  Because of the way he spelled the name of his dish (-ski), I guessed that he was Polish rather than Slovak.  Turns out I was right; he’s half Polish.  My spelling above is an transliteration of the Slovak word to an American English word.  The Slovaks have some letters in their alphabet that we do not have, one of which makes the “sh” sound.  I make do. 

I took exception to his name for the dish and said he had a nice noodle dish but that it wasn’t halushky.  I’m thinking I need to check with a Polish gentleman I know and hope he can tell me if the Poles make the dish as the poster did, with wide egg noodles, or if a little dumplingette is more correct. 

I told the newsgroup poster that he inspired me to make halushky for dinner tonight to put beneath my short ribs.  Here you go, Joe!  This is my recipe as taken from my electronic file for same.  In mixing the batter, I used more flour than called for, easily closer to 2 cups than to 1-1/2 cups.  Truth be known I could have added another couple tablespoons and would have been fine with it.  Note that I made a double batch.  A single batch as written would have been fine.

Halushky - Without Potatoes

Recipe By: Barb Schaller - Posted to Usenet’s rec.food.cooking 1/11/2000

Serving Size: 2

1 egg

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

~ 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup milk

Mix egg and milk with a fork or whisk.  With a wood spoon or sturdy spatula, stir in flour, salt, and baking powder to make a thick batter.  Oil the bottom of the struhadlo, inside and out (I spray olive oil on it) to make cleanup a little easier.  Push the batter through the struhadlo into boiling salted water and boil for about about 30 seconds after they rise to the top (fast).  You may want to test for doneness.   Drain, mix with whatever you’re going to mix them with (fried cabbage and onions; maybe some cottage cheese; maybe some chopped green onion in melted butter) and serve.  Do not rinse.

Notes:  Flour and milk measurements are approximate.  You kind of have to feel your way through it.

While tonight’s batter was a little looser than I normally make it, it was good.  It fell through the holes in the struhadlo without any help and the halushky did not disintegrate.  It was just as it should be.  If the batter is much thicker, it needs help going through the holes and I use a stiff rubber spatula for that.  Note that my German Spaetzle-Asse comes with its own scraper. 

This is one type of halushky.  A more typical one, I think, involves grated potatoes.  I’ve never cared much for them because the potatoes turn grey too darned fast!  Do a Google images search on halushky and you’ll see at least a couple references to Bryndzove Halushky as being the Slovak National Food Dish.  <grin>  That dish is made with bryndza cheese and way too much bacon fat, and topped with crisp bacon bits.  Bryndza cheese is a fermented sheep cheese, maybe on the order of feta cheese.

Lest one think that convenience mixes are an American convention, know that a powdered halushky mix (just add water, mix, and a cook) is available in Slovakia and online. 

I should note that there is another way to drop the batter into the water.  Mom used to mix the batter on a flat plate and cut them into the boiling water with the side of a soup spoon.  She would dip the spoon into the water between the droppings of the batter.  I have done it that way but not for a long time. <grin>