  Halušky: Humble King of the Slovak Kitchen  By Rachel Salaman
 Photo: Brian Jones  When describing their national dish,
halušky, Slovaks often say it is like gnocchi, the small Italian
dumplings made out of flour and potato. In flavour, halušky is
very similar to its Mediterranean cousin, but there are
fundamental differences in the way the two dishes are made and
served that give the Slovak dish its unique pizzazz.  For
example, gnocchi dough is usually made out of cooked potatoes
mixed with flour, while halušky dough is a runnier affair,
created with liquidised raw potatoes. The shell-shaped gnocchi
are cut off a roll of dough, but halušky are pushed into boiling
water through round holes in a pan specially designed for the
purpose. They come out like fat little asymmetric worms, and are
traditionally eaten smothered in the local sheep's cheese
bryndza and sprinkled with fried bacon bits.  Vegetarians can
substitute the bacon for fried onions, scrambled eggs, cooked
cabbage, or sauerkraut.  The Method  T