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Raise your hand if you can explain what a kugel is....
any takers?
I have a clear memory of my class in third grade trying to describe the definition of a "kugel" to my teacher. Is it a soufle? A casserole? A pie? A combination of all three?
There really is no right answer here- every kugel is different. I think the best way to describe a kugel is any side dish that contains eggs and is baked in a pan. But what I love about the word "kugel" is that it's magical. How you ask? Easy peasy-
Take any dessert you like, and change the name of it to Kugel, and BAM you got yourself a healthy side dish!
Here, let me show you:
I have a clear memory of my class in third grade trying to describe the definition of a "kugel" to my teacher. Is it a soufle? A casserole? A pie? A combination of all three?
There really is no right answer here- every kugel is different. I think the best way to describe a kugel is any side dish that contains eggs and is baked in a pan. But what I love about the word "kugel" is that it's magical. How you ask? Easy peasy-
Take any dessert you like, and change the name of it to Kugel, and BAM you got yourself a healthy side dish!
Here, let me show you:
Carrot Cake? Guess again- its Carrot Kugel
Apple Betty? Nope, its Apple Kugel
Blueberry Pie? Uh uh- Blueberry Kugel
Peach Crisp? Not really- its Peach Kugel
Do you see where I am going with this?
I think we draw the line at Chocolate Kugel, but even that I'm not entirely sure of. The point is, some of you may think that this recipe is Butternut Squash Pie. But if you've been any paying attention, you would know, its not. Its:
(all together now)
Butternut Squash Kugel
Ahh, the beauty of it all...
Butternut Squash Kugel
2 butternut squash
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
8 oz. Rich’s whip or heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla
2 graham cracker pie crusts or 2 recipes Pat-A-Pie crust (unbaked)
Peel and cube squash. Boil in medium sized pot until soft; drain water. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into two 9 inch graham cracker pie crust. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes (until set).Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.
In english you can call any dessert 'kugel' and then it will be fancy... If I'd do that in German - here kugel means something like 'ball' - everybody would state me insane :D
ReplyDeleteBut nice recipe ;)
zuckerbaeckerei.blogspot.com
It is sooooo true. But you forgot to add that adding noodles also turns dessert into a meal. Cheesecake plus noodles? Noodle Kugel! And I actually have seen chocolate kugel (I think it is in the TAG cookbook--there are noodles so it is a kugel).
ReplyDeleteAlso notice how babka can be conveniently also changed from dessert into something you eat during a meal by calling it Cinnamon Sugar Challah or Chocolate Chip Challah?
Zuckerbäckerin-Thats really funny! I would imagine the word originated from Germany, I wonder how that came to mean "side dish."
ReplyDeleteLaura- Hysterical, and so true! I have heard of people making cinnamon buns from extra challah dough! And challah from extra babka dough!!
I couldn't figure out how to describe a kugel either! I linked to your quandary in my post. :)
ReplyDelete-Miriam
I love your description of kugel! We were having the same conversation here over Rosh Hashanah when I served apple cake, aka apple kugel with dinner. Glad to know I'm not the only one. Makes me feel better about serving bread pudding, aka "challah kugel", as a side dish for our pre-Yom kippur meal.
ReplyDeleteKugel: Because cholent just isn't fattening enough by itself.
ReplyDeleteJerusalemStoned- Can we make a tshirt out of that? pretty please? By the way, I think I figured out the secret ingredient in Outdoorsman's chulent.( Yes, I have been pondering on that for the past 3 years!) Do I get a prize?
ReplyDelete