Noodle Kugel: Four Sisters, One Card
Oct 18th, 2008 by Marilyn
Noodle kugel is a humble dish with an outsize name – a funny name, good for comedians and grandmas and giggling kids. Kugel is ripe with pronunciation – koo-gle or kuh-gle or whatever, just pass-me-that-stuff-now. It’s found on Jewish holiday tables and in deli case pyramids, golden twisty egg noodles cut in thick and improbably square slabs, bound by sour cream and more eggs, cottage cheese and drifting sugar. My family’s kugel is found on this 3 x 5 card.
Wearing butter stains and cinnamon age spots, the card appears each holiday in my mother’s kitchen – first under a fridge magnet (“I need to know where it is”) and eventually, on the counter. She could probably make kugel in her sleep, but it sits there, near the Pyrex, guiding the process like a curious lucky charm.
Most Jewish families pass down a kugel and inevitably a kugel family “secret,” some earnest addition like peaches or carrots or even chocolate chips. Kugel-lovers divide into “sweet” or “savory,” and at least in the matter of kugel, I stand with the sweet. I like my kugel luscious, sugared and cheesy, with distinct overtones of blintzes and dessert.
My mom received the Selectric-typed card long ago from Aunt Rose, as dear a lady as there ever was, and it was fondly known as “Aunt Rose’s Kugel” for decades, right up to the shocking family moment when it was revealed to be Aunt Ruth’s. My Grandma Trudy had three sisters – Ruth, Rose and Florence – and all four lived close, wore curlers, shopped sales and checked in by phone before ten. The four Weinstock girls – actually “LaVin,” lost at Ellis Island – were bound by love so fierce that it often excluded their husbands but extended monumentally, and quite judgmentally, to each other. At one time or another, they all baked and served this kugel.
Florence and Rose were the better cooks – my Grandma never met a Cantonese menu she didn’t like – and though Rose’s dish may be as sweet as Ruth’s, there was, of course, satisfaction in setting the recipe record straight. Enjoy noodling around on your own, and repeat the motto with me – never attribute a kugel to the wrong sister.
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Noodle Kugel
1 lb (16 oz) wide noodles (egg noodles)
4 eggs
1/2 pint sour cream (8 oz)
1 lb cottage cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/4 lb (one stick) butter
1 small can crushed pineapple – optional
1/2 box raisins (golden raisins are perfect) – optional
3/4 – 1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon (my mom’s addition – Aunt Ruth is still alive, so let’s keep that between us)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9 x 13 pan with baking spray.
Melt butter, and set aside to slightly cool.
Cook noodles in boiling water until done; drain and slightly cool, placing noodles in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, milk and melted butter. Toss egg mixture together with the noodles to combine, then add sugar and cinnamon, mixing to coat. If you are using the optional pineapple and raisins – and let me add it’s delicious to do so – toss them in now.
Place noodle mixture in prepared pan and bake until the top is lightly browned, 45 minutes – 1 hour. Cool until safe to handle, then cut into squares and serve warm. Leftovers freeze and reheat well.
Leave out the pineapple and raisins, and you’ve got my grandmother’s kugel (we are from the kuh-gle school), which is absolutely my favorite, too. Not too sweet, a hint of cinnamon, lots of cheese, and the only thing I use egg noodles for!
I enjoy the sweet version and its blintz-y goodness — but if I had to choose only one I’d pick savory. Joan Nathan has a spinach 3 cheese recipe that I love to bring over to new moms — it’s packed with iron and protein plus it’s delicious and easy to reheat.
But why waste energy fussin’ the fightin’? Truth be told, I’ve never met a kugel I didn’t like…
Great family story! I love it. For this Kansan, Kugel is foreign culinary territory. I can see it being a hit with my family. We devour anything with noodles.
When we drive home from daycare, my daughter will always ask, “What’s for dinner?” I can’t wait to answer, “Kugel.” She’ll chuckle and then repeat the word with delight.
I’ll let you know how this plays out.
I’m still on a quest to find almond filling in Lawrence. Any ideas?
Take care,
muddywaters
My mum use to make this, minus the pineapples and raisins. She’d add carrots. She got the recipes from my Jewish grandmother. We call it poison noodles here. Reason being is as a kid, both me and my brother hated this.
We never tried it but we hated it. When we watch how she made it, with sour cream and cottage cheese, we would complain and say we weren’t going to eat ‘Poison Noodles’.
After finally trying it, we took back all we said. But we still call it Poison Noodles ;]
Lydia: yes, I love buying the yellow bags of egg noodles for just that purpose, too.
Sally: welcome, you family archiving kugel-lover, you! Joan Nathan is kind of a goddess, so I’d trust her kugel, spinach or sugar or otherwise.
muddywaters (Mike): hope your family enjoys the kugel. As to almond filling, you can try to find the “Solo” brand in the baking aisle. A little sweet, but it works well in the apple-almond braid.
Tarah: Welcome – I’m glad you got over the “Poison Noodle” phase and can now enjoy! I’ll bet the carrot version is pretty good.
Well, fine, rock my world! I also have an authentic, vintage index card from Aunt Rose with this very kugel recipe. I’ve had it, used it, loved it and credited Aunt Rose for over thirty years. This is the very first time I’ve heard Aunt Ruth’s name come up in the kugel conversation! Wow, first the Greenberg revelation, and now this!
You positively nailed the kugel photos – bravo.
That is a lovely dish! Have never eaten sweet noodles.
Came here through foodgawker.
BTW, Kugel is German for ball or anything round.
the only thing better than the recipe (and eating the result of that recipe) is your commentary. great story.
First of all, I love the directions on the 3×5 card – nothing about temperature or mixing the other ingredients. Life was so simple back then.
Second, I think I’m more of a savory kugel person myself although I do enjoy a mix of kugels during mealtime. In our family, we make tons of different kugels on the holidays and they usually make up the side dishes: spinach kugel, sweet potato kugel, noodle kugel, etc.
Thanks for the family noodle kugel recipe.
Can’t wait to try it!
I think you must be living in my recipe archives – so funny I have a card almost exactly like yours that has my family recipe on it which by the way lists the same ingredients – My card was from my Aunt Jackie and it must be about 40 yrs old!! Scary I am dating myself… Thanks for this wonderful memory of life growing up.
This is only the second kugel recipe I’ve ever seen in my life. This first was 100% savory, and this one is definitely more sweet. As my mood and preference for certain flavors can fluctuate with the weather, I can see the need (or desire) for both. That said, I find this version endlessly appealing.
Rhoda: that would be Aunt Rhoda, people – but the aforementioned Aunts are all hers, too. Sorry to break it to you about Aunt Ruth! My mom will be happy to tell you how the truth came out.
PG: welcome, and thanks for reminding me about the word “kugel” – a la kugelhopf, too!
Grace: always love to hear your voice. I just know you’re dishing up something amazing over there – with cinnamon.
Hillary: wow, land of a thousand kugels! I’ve never heard of sweet potato – but what could be bad?
Malloy22: welcome and nice to see you here. Enjoy the kugel!
Cathy: too funny about your recipe, too – does everyone have the same Aunts, or what?
Sandie: the only kugel I really don’t love is the potato version for Passover; all others, especially the “sweet cheesy” one, are for me. Try one for you, too!
Marilyn,
Don’t think I’ve ever had kugel before, tho reading the description of it being : “golden twisty egg noodles cut in thick and improbably square slabs, bound by sour cream and more eggs, cottage cheese and drifting sugar. ” sounds really great.
I gotta agree with the commentors, really nice family story
This is close to how my mom makes it, I think (no pineapple, but yes raisins and cinnamon) – I’ll have to find out whose recipe she has.
I also like sweet potato kugel (from Whole Foods, don’t think I’ve had it homemade) and a savory mushroom and matzoh meal kugel for Passover.
I recently discovered your blog and love this posting. I’m from a sweet kugel family. I would top mine with maple sugar. It may be hard to find in Kansas, but it’s so good.
You photos are amazing too.
This is my grandma’s recipe, with the addition of a grated apple and omit the pineapple.
I found you on tastespotting and want a piece of kugel!
Stacey Snacks
Kang: hope you had the chance to try some yourself – it’s sooo good.
Robin: just like your Grandma’s recipe – Aunt Shirley’s – I only have eyes for the sweet versions. Whole Foods has kugel?
Karen: welcome – oh, maple sugar! I have such a thing for maple sugar and picked some up last time I was in New Hampshire. Now I’m out, and would like some to top my kugel.
Stacey Snacks: hello! I’ve had apple versions before – like your grandma’s, I’ll bet it’s fantastic.
Recipe cards are the gastronomic DNA of family, as proved here. Lovely. Thank you.
All the Bubbes and Tantes in my (and my wife’s) family are gone now, and my wife and I have craved real old fashioned sweet noodle kugel! None of the recipes I’ve been able to find (until this one) have the pineapple and raisins like my Nanny’s and my Mother’s. Take it from a (very) experienced kugel-eater…you NEED the cinnamon!
Thank you for your great kugel recipe and story. I grew up in the Fairfax district of L.A., and I’m sure was one of the few Japanese American kids privileged to sit around my friends’ dining room tables and enjoy kugel, briskets, and Seder dinners.
I’m glad I made my very first kugel from your Aunt Ruth’s recipe…it was simply dreamy and will be a permanent card in my recipe book!
Have used this recipe twice already (kugel fanatic) and am going to adopt it as my recipe of choice. About to make it again, sharing with some Japanese friends in Tokyo, natch! XD