Search for dry curd cottage cheese leads to farmer-owned Westby Cooperative Dairy – Agweek
Where to buy dry curd cottage cheese became a family crisis recently. Farmer-owned
Westby Cooperative Dairy
of Westby, Wisconsin, rescued us from missing out on my mother-in-law’s cheese buttons.
“I can’t find dry curd cottage cheese anywhere,” said my mother-in-law, Carol, on a recent Sunday as we ate knoephla at her and my father-in-law’s home.
If you’re not familiar with heritage German-Russian cooking on the prairie, these terms may be odd to you. For those who were raised with a lot of dough, cream, butter and cheese recipes, you understand. And this time of year, as families gather more frequently around the holidays, my kids ask more than usual for favorite recipes from their Nana’s kitchen.
Cheese buttons are top of the list of favorite family recipes.
Cheese buttons or kase knepfla are noodle dough filled with a mixture of dry curd cottage cheese, onions and spices, a German heritage family recipe for many in the upper Midwest. Pictured are cheese buttons enjoyed by the Pinke family.
Katie Pinke / Agweek
What is a cheese button? Kase knepfla is the heritage recipe name. A thinly rolled dough is used to make a square or round noodle pocket, which is filled with a mixture of dry curd cottage cheese, onions and spices, then boiled and finished by browning in butter. Google shared this recipe with me:
goodfoodandtreasuredmemories.com/wp/recipe/kase-knepfla-cheese-buttons
.
Think of a cheese button like a pierogi or even ravioli — but better, I’d argue. Google a recipe and you’ll find different versions.
Carol tops her cheese buttons with buttered bread crumbs and serves them with sausage, always a family favorite. I’ve never made cheese buttons, but my 15-year-old daughter Elizabeth has learned the art…
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