It’s an Iowa Thing

Starch overload? Maybe. But in Iowa, these homemade noodles cooked in stock, then ladled over mashed potatoes, are just one more holiday tradition. Author Frances Anderson's mother-in-law, Phyllis, has been perfecting the dish for nearly thirty years. She made her best discovery by accident, trying to keep her son, Mike, from sneaking the raw dough from her cutting board. "If I left the dough to dry, like most cooks do, I would've needed a double batch," Phyllis told us. "Throwing them right into the simmering stock, while the noodles are still covered in a light dusting of flour, makes the gravy extra thick."