Dave Bugg wrote:
> I've never had kugel, which means I've never made it. Someone I know just
> loves it, so I thought I'd like to give it a try.

There are probably millons of versions of kugel (some consider any
pudding a kugel) but I only consider noodle kugel authentic, potato is
a new world ingredient and I do not consider the potato version a
kugel. And of the various noodle kugels only those made with fine egg
noodles are acceptible, to me.

Go here and pick, choose, and refuse:
http://www.jewish-food.org/cgi-bin/w...xchars=10 000

But this is the only true kugel, everything else without exception is a
*******ization... adding or subtracting is unacceptible. Can't be
easier... supposed to be heavy and rich... I consider it six servings.
The perfect marriage for braised brisket.

KUGEL YERUSHALMI

(Hasidic Caramelized Noodle Pudding)
The Chmielnicki massacres in Poland in 1648, the apostasy of the false
messiah Shabbetai Tzvi in 1666, the subsequent partition of Poland, and
other problems shook the Jewish communities of eastern Europe. Some
Jews found an answer in the freedom offered by the Enlightenment
(Haskala in Yiddish). Others turned to Kabbalistic healers and miracle
workers. One of these holy men was Israel ben Eliezer, commonly called
the Ba'al Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name). By the time of his death
in 1760, he had created a full-fledged religious movement known as
Hasidism and, within a generation, the bulk of the Jews in central
Poland, Galicia, and the Ukraine were Hasidim.

Beginning in the late 1700s, groups of Hasidim began moving to the Holy
Land in order to live a more fully religious life. They brought with
them the traditions of eastern Europe, including their manner of dress
and foods. It was among the Hasidim of Jerusalem that this distinctive
noodle kugel, which features a tantalizing contrast of pepper and
caramelized sugar, was popularized.

1 pound thin noodles or vermicelli
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
about 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
6 large eggs, lightly beaten

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the noodles
and cook until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or a
large tube pan.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and stir
until dissolved. Stop stirring and cook until dark brown but not
burned, about 10 minutes.

Immediately add the noodles, stirring to coat evenly. Remove from the
heat and season with salt and pepper. Let cool until lukewarm, at least
15 minutes, then add the eggs. Adjust the seasonings.

Spoon the noodle mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake until
golden brown and crispy - about 1 hour for the baking dish, about 1
1/2 hours for the tube pan. Serve warm or at room temperature with
roast chicken, meat, or cholent.

Serves 10.

The World of Jewish Cooking
September 1999
Gil Marks
Simon & Schuster


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Sheldon