Venison is rarely found in retail stores and usually must be ordered by mail or from a wholesale meat company. It comes in standard cuts, similar to those for lamb, veal, or beef. The leg is one of my favorite cuts because it offers great flavor with little waste. Any tender cut of venison, such as the loin, leg, or saddle, may be used in the following recipe. Part of the current popularity of game and fowl is the natural leanness of the meat. Because it lacks fat, the meat does not have a built-in basting method to help keep it moist during cooking. For this reason, it is particularly important that game and fowl not be overcooked. This is certainly the case with venison, as even the most tender or carefully braised pieces can become dry if not handled carefully. Medium rare to rare is the most desirable degree of doneness. I like to use a marinade that enhances the flavor of venison without overpowering it. A few hours before cooking, I rub the meat with a mixture of equal parts freshly ground black pepper, juniper berries, and fennel seeds mixed with a little dried thyme and olive oil. Spaetzle is a classic Austrian noodle. The batter is passed through a perforated pan into boiling water to produce the noodles, which are then cooked in hot butter until golden brown and crispy. By introducing vegetable purees or ground spices into the mix, you can transform this somewhat uneventful white noodle into an innovative starch. This recipe adds dried mushrooms to the spaetzle dough and is a great game accompaniment.