Dessert Noodle Kugel

In this somewhat poignant memory Paula writes:
In a prior post, Teddy wondered how a Boston Irish woman could submit some of the recipes I have shared. Here is one of the stories behind a few of them.

Growing up I used to be the errand girl for a lot of the older neighbors. Kids today are missing out on so much of the wonderful lessons and history that I was fortunate enough to get. One lady in particular was a favorite of mine. When I was 10 years old she was 87. Mrs. Addleman had outlived her husband and both of her sons. She was a petite lady with the longest braided hair I had ever seen. Even in her little house-dress, she was elegant.

Many afternoons she would call me to clip the hedges in her front yard, go to the store for her groceries or to make her something to eat or just keep her company. After finishing the tasks, I would sit for a long time and listen to her many wonderful memories. In the time we spent together, she talked me through many of her recipes because she had become to frail to do much for herself. She encouraged me to copy the recipes for myself.

This was one of the first dishes she taught me to make and each time I make it, I am brought back to my early days in the kitchen.

I can thank Mrs. Addleman for contributing to my being the Insane Cook that I am today.
Dessert Noodle Kugel

Ingredients:
  1. 1/2 Pound Wide Egg Noodles
  2. 1/2 Stick Melted Butter
  3. 2 Cups Sour Cream
  4. 1 Pound Cottage Cheese
  5. 6 Eggs
  6. 1/2 Cup Sugar
  7. 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
  8. 1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
Directions:
  1. Boil noodles in water for 4 minutes
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine noodles with all other ingredients.
  3. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
  4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes until top is golden brown.

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This recipe causes much tender nostalgia and a sad yet knowing smile. Noodle Kugel brings back an incredible amount of memories. I was brought up on the West Side of Manhattan and though there are an incredible amount of synagogues in a few square blocks, the synagogue we frequented on a daily basis was a "shteebel". Explaining just what a "shteebel" is would take a life time. Suffice it to say that it was a synagogue and a home. A small synagogue where everyone knew each other and most of the members were Holocaust survivors. My father frequented this synagogue and felt at home there. Every Saturday after prayers there was a Kiddish, and cholent and kugel, and Noodle Kugel were served. (It was a parve version and not the dairy version that Paula presented us with though.) Noodle Kugel was a favorite of the old kosher dairy restaurants that populated the Jewish neighborhoods of the Lower East Side as well. It is one of those dishes, that whenever I smell it or see it, brings back memories of simpler days when all I had to do was run into my father's arms and fell him hug me and tell me he loved me... and all was right with the world. It is one of those dishes that though easy to make you will find people waxing nostalgic over and dreamy eyed with memories of days long past. This recipe is going to be tried in my house in the next couple of weeks. It is just one of those dishes where the pleasure will be in just seeing it served and knowing that the memories still live. That in and of itself will make it taste a little like the Garden In Eden. And this in the end is why we cook and feed our children. To give them those wonderful memories for the times when they need it.

Comments

Funny how this just proves that some of the best memories are born in a kitchen. It really doesn't matter who's kitchen.

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