Bubbie's Lokshen Kugel
I have already shared so many of my beloved Bubbie’s recipes. Unfortunately, she passed away last week. She was such an inspiration to me, especially in the cooking department. Knowing what I know now, it is truly amazing how she was able to cook all her special dishes from scratch with zero recipes. Gefilte fish, chopped liver, veal roast, cabbage rolls, goulash, chicken soup, paprika chicken and the list goes on and on. We musn’t forget the desserts, as she was a serious chocoholic, cocosh, cakes, lokshen kugel, cheese buns and of course kippis. When the food was ready, she would say, “come essen!”, and if we didn’t like one of the dishes, she would say “well, you don’t know what’s good”! And she was probably right! I am so thankful for the time we spent together cooking and how she was able to teach me some of our families’ most favourite dishes. It was a gift to be able to cook some of those recipes for her, when she no longer could, and for her to enjoy it as much as we did. I will be sure to continue to make these dishes and keep her memory alive. She was an extraordinary woman and it has been a huge loss for myself and my family. I will love her forever.
This week is the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. It is customary for us to eat dairy on this holiday. I decided to make my Bubbie’s lokshen kugel because I miss her and thought it would be a great way to honour her. She never really wrote down her recipes but after cooking with her in the kitchen, I got a feel for what type of ingredients she liked to use. This kugel tastes exactly like hers. Lokshen kugel is essentially a sweet noodle pie with cheese. My Bubbie’s secret addition would be a can of fruit salad. It really added that extra something.
I hope you try making this lokshen kugel recipe and keep my Bubbie’s memory alive, just as I intend to do. This kugel is worth gossiping about!
Bubbie's Lokshen Kugel
Yield: 10-12 servings
INGREDIENTS:
12 oz pkg of wide twisted egg noodles
2 cups sour cream
2 cups dry pressed cottage cheese
5 eggs
3/4 cups + 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot, boil the noodles until they are cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, oil, 3/4 cups sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, salt and the fruit salad.
3. While the noodles are still hot, drain water and place the hot noodles into the bowl. Mix well until incorporated.
4. Place the noodle mixture into a large, greased baking dish. Sprinkle the top with extra sugar and cinnamon.
5. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes, until mixture is set and top is crispy. Enjoy!
