Nurturing my inner... now that's using my kugel

This time of year, Spring, mostly brings to mind flowers, warmer weather and to me as a Christian, Easter.  But I grew up in Connecticut amongst a large Jewish population, so I am also keenly aware of the beloved time of Passover and its dear significance to the Jews.

Passover is a commemorative holiday of the sparing of the Israelites in Egypt.  God so loved His chosen people that when He sent plagues on to Pharaoh for his oppression of the Jews, He gave His people a way to be protected.  They remember that love and care (and rescue) every year during the special Passover Seder with traditional foods, activities and story telling.  I decided I would make one of those time honored dishes this year.

Unsure of where to start looking for a good kugel recipe, I talked to my mom who lives in Connecticut and works as a nurse.  The doctors in the practice are Jewish and so she asked them for me.  (Go to the experts I say!  I hope there's no copay involved.)  So one of them went home and kindly talked to his wife (who teaches Hebrew at Yale) who so generously emailed me several options!  These were recipes from her friends.  I carefully looked them all over, with my mouth watering, and decided this was the one I wanted to make for my very first attempt.  And also, one that reminded me most of the kugel I had in my childhood.  I followed that recipe pretty closely.

Cottage Cheese Kugel

1 bag broad egg noodles
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
1 lb cottage cheese
1 lb sour cream

So what's kugel anyway, right?  There are a lot of great things to learn that may be outside of your own little world.  I encourage you to go boldly explore other cultures.  (I tend to investigate the world through my palate if not through exciting vacations.)  For starters, learning is fun.  It will give you a broader view of the great, big planet you live on and the beautiful diversity of people.  Plus, you just may find out that kugel is a wonderful baked noodle dish that children through grandparents love.

Egg noodles have always been a staple in my mom's cooking.  They are flavorful in a different way than regular pasta.  Simple, yet tasty.

Mom mostly made them with butter and
Parmesan.

They are light, fluffy and cook up quickly.  I rinsed them with cold water after I drained them.

Twisty. Good for holding coatings.

In a bowl, I melted the butter and then added the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.  (This recipe originally used the cinnamon in the topping, but I thought I might like it incorporated into the dish.  I always have to do something different it seems.)

Smells like a cinnamon bun.

In a small bowl, I put the eggs and then lightly beat them.

Just to break up the yolks.

To add creaminess to the noodles, cottage cheese and cream cheese were next in line.

The milk products have arrived!

I put the eggs and cheeses into the other ingredients.

An interesting combination I would not have
thought of on my own.

And stirred them with a wooden spoon until incorporated.

More delicious than you realize. Kind of
like liquid cheesecake.

Last in went the drained noodles.  And those were gently tossed around until coated.

The mixture needed something to cling to.
Noodle, thy job is yours.

After it's mixed, you're ready to put into a baking dish.

Now that doesn't look half bad at all.

I poured it all into a lightly greased large, lasagna-sized pan, but you can use something shorter and make your kugel taller if you'd like.

That's done. What's next?

Topping

1/2 cup crushed cornflakes (I used cornflake crumbs, so no physical labor needed from me)
1/2 cup sugar

The topping is to give it a nice crunch and add a final layer of sweet.  Which, I am SO in favor of.

Easier than crushing up your own
cornflakes, but that's up to you if
you'd rather get out some aggression.

I mixed the crumbs and sugar together and spooned them onto the top of the noodles.

An even coating.

The dish went into a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour and is done when the top is lightly golden brown.

It will puff up in the middle as it cooks.

All you have to do is cut squares of the kugel with a knife and serve as a side dish.  It's crispy, chewy and lightly sweet.  It may be different to you at first, but I know you'll like it!

Warm and sweet. Cream and crunchy.

I love the diversity of the people I know.  I could never just be surrounded by people who were exactly like me.  How limiting!  It's such an adventure to learn about other people's traditions and dishes.  And even more fun when accompanied by family stories and personal histories.  So reach out to all sorts of people you work and play with, and let them teach you what they know.  (And cook with you, if you're lucky.)  It's a smart idea.  You'll be so much richer in spirit and more interesting for it.  L'Chaim!  (To life!)