Spaetzle ("Sparrow" Dumplings)

3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil while making the noodle dough. Beat eggs with milk. Mix flour with salt and nutmeg. Beat egg-milk into the flour to make a very wet dough. Spoon a large blob of dough onto a small plate. Hold the plate with one hand over the pot of simmering water. Scrape off pieces of the dough by pressing the tip of a table knife against the rim of the plate so that the dough drops into the water. Work as quickly as possible.

When the dumplings rise to the surface, skim them with a slotted spoon into a warm bowl of melted butter. Toss the spaetzle lightly with a fork in the butter before serving. Or, as an alternative, put the butter in a frying pan and add 4 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs. Cook until golden brown and crisp and toss with the hot spaetzle. Alternatively, pour the melted butter over the spaetzle and toss with poppy seeds.