I buy them in a bag at the grocery store. No need for any tool to grate -- lol.

I'm in the thumb, about half way between flint & port huron.

Interesting - my Son-I-L is from Montrose - may be close to you. I live in the corner of SW MI (Sawyer) shores of Lake MI. Guess too far away to get together - unless you come this way some time.

Pasta by any ethnic name is yummy! My son makes them by just using a board and table knife and pushing little bits off the board into the boiling broth...YUM...and if it is German it is spaetzle...

I believe these are called rivels. They are made from a very soft noodle like dough and there is a special tool to push the dough through and drop it into water or broth. You can also squish it through a colander, a slotted spoon, a larger opening strainer, etc. They cook very quickly and add good texture to soups.

I've also seen to use a colander to slide the dough across. When I made it I just dropped tiny pieces into the water.

With the grater I think this is spaetzle. I just bought a spaetzle maker a few weeks ago, the brand was Norpro. They are pretty readily available in my part of the country. You can also use a metal colander. By the spelling you might be thinking of knephla which is a small dumpling used in soup or fried with sausage and potatoes. Both are very common German Russian foods and are delicious. I must say I was vey offended by Grannie Annies comment that they were " silly sounding". Not good to make fun of others language or heritage.

Yup this works too! Great by any name!!

Both knefla and spaetzle are available in the freezer case but around here they are 6 or 7 dollars for a 1 lb bag or smaller! Lots of money for flour and egg I think.

I make them also. Can still get the spatzel press at Russo on 29th st. in Grand Rapids. I had a couple of recipes for them, but thought the neffles were fried in butter after they were cooked in boiling water, where the spatzel was just cooked in boiling water or broth.....