Jewish Food: Recipe for Bubbe's Kugel

I am not much of a cook but have tried to make some dishes around various holidays. They can't be replicated in a supermarket because for the most part the recipes are handed down from one generation to the next. These recipes aren't found in cookbooks and every family has a slight variation in their "formula."

My grandmother was the first person I watched cook. In Yiddish, Bubbe - sounds look goody- means grandmother.

They say that smells conjure up feelings and that makes a lot of sense. Do you know that the best smell to have in your house if it is for sale is bread baking?

My Bubbe also made great apple pies, but my one attempt was a disaster. After she died when I was 15 my mom took over making the kugels. No one makes them better than my Bubbe did; though my mom's are better than mine are.

A kugel is a noodle pudding. I have grown up with it so it is a food that is commonplace especially around the holidays.

Kugels, though, can be eaten at any time of the year and are delicious. We recently went to a party through our religious organization and several kugels were brought. They were all very different than mine, delicious, but different.

In order to make a kugel you will need:

6 eggs 
3/4 cup of sugar

1/4 pound of butter 
1 pound of cottage cheese 
1/2 pound of farmers cheese 
1/2 pound of cream cheese 
1/2 pint of sour cream 
2 cups of milk 
1 package of medium sized noodles 
Cook the noodles until they are soft but not so soft they are mushy. 
Beat the eggs and add the sugar, cheeses, sour cream and milk to the drained noodles.

Melt 1/4 pound butter for the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. 
Put the concoction into this pan. If you would like take crushed corn flakes and put them on top of the kugel with some butter on top of the corn flakes. This gives the kugel a nice crusty topping.

This topping is an example of my own variation. Other examples are to add fruit to the kugel; adding different cheeses or more of one than another. This can be made with low fat ingredients to make it lighter in calories. You can buy light butter, light cream cheese, light sour cream and light cottage cheese.

Bake this for 1 hour 15 min on 350 degrees.

We like to offer sour cream to put on top of the kugel once you serve it. The kugel can be eaten hot or cold. It is delicious either way. It can also be eaten as a main course, side dish or dessert. It is truly versatile.

You can freeze the kugel as I have described it but if you do, do not thaw it out in the microwave because it will get watery. Let it thaw out naturally, then put it in the oven if you want it warm.

This is not an inexpensive dish to make I will warn you of that. It will run you over $10.00, which is a lot for a side dish, or if you are making more than one which is often the case.

You can cut the pieces in as many as you want depending on the size you want. I usually cut it into 15 pieces. You can cut them into 30 and put a toothpick in them as an appetizer.

This is really a delicious and easy dish to make, anytime of the year. If you do make it, I would love to know how you liked it and as you make it, think of Bubbe.