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February 24, 2006

Searching for Cholent in a Kugeled World

In less than three weeks, the Shmooze Club will be entering its first cholent in Hillel's Iron Blech competition. In order to prepare for this event, we need some of your cholenty ideas to crock up a winning version of this savory, meaty Saturday-for-lunch delicacy. Furthermore, if you'd like to be added to the prep/cook team for this event, please submit your culinary resumé, preferrably with samples, to the Cholent sub-Committee. In the meantime, while you mull over award-winning cholentary ideas, have a gander at some of the recipes from last week's Malka and Elimelech Kugelov Kugel-off.

Also, if you haven't already inquired/signed-up for the Relay for Life team, please do so through the link --> or by contacting Ruby (rubyr@). Thanks.

Min's Noodle Kugel (#2 @ the competition)

8 oz. wide noodle noodles
4 oz. butter or margarine
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/2 lb. dried apricots (optional)
Topping:
1 cup corn flake crumbs
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
  1. Cook noodles, drain, add butter/margarine, and set aside
  2. While noodles are cooking, beat eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, sugar, and milk
  3. Combine noodles and mixture together in greased 8" x 12" pan
  4. In a separate bowl, mix corn flakes and brown sugar
  5. Sprinkle on top of kugel
  6. Dollop the topping with butter/margarine
  7. Bake for 1 hour


Kosher for Passover Apple-Matzah Kugel

4 large, tart apples (e.g. Granny Smith), cored and diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
6 matzahs
6 eggs
1 teaspoon salt		1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp.) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine for topping
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F
  2. Toss apples with brown sugar and orange juice, set aside
  3. Break matzah into medium-sized pieces and soak in warm water until soft but not mushy.
  4. Beat eggs and combine with salt, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter/margarine, raisins, and apricots
  5. Add drained matzahs and apples to the egg mixture. Stir kugel well and pour into a grease 9" x 13" pan.
  6. Dollop top with margarine/butter
  7. Bake kugel for 1 hour. If the topping browns too quickly, cover with foil, and continue cooking

Posted by rubyr at 09:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 21, 2006

Malka and Elimelech Kugelov present the results

TORONTO—This Saturday afternoon, over thirty-five Shmoozers shpatsired over to a little house on Church Street, 1023 to be exact, to warm up, but more importantly, to participate in the first, hopefully-annual, Malka and Elimelech Kugelov Kugel-off. Kugel recipes, anecdotes, and stories abounded. Shmoozing dominated. And all enjoyed.

On an afternoon where the biting wind and unseasonable cold made all the participants shiver in their coats, the atmosphere inside the house and the abundance of kugel reversed these effects creating a feeling of warmth, an aroma of the familiar, and a satisfied grin on all of their punim.

Kugel entries ranged from the standard potatoes and egg noodles to the more exotic and creative squash, lasagna, and matzah. Amidst the thirty-something judges, a wide discrepancy of palate sensitivities, salt-tolerances, sweet-tooths, and kugeling savvy existed as well.

After much debate by the Kugel Officiating Committee (KOC for future reference), a standardized system of toothpicks was decided upon for ranking purposes. Each participant was given three toothpicks to place in the kugel(s) of their liking. After the judges sampled the delectables, the KOC counted the toothpicks and released their results:

  1. Ian's Bundt Noodle Kugel Part 1*
  2. Jacobson Girls' "The Crumbler"
  3. Orly's "Min's Noodle Kugel"
  4. Sandra's "Piping Hot Potato Kugel"
  5. In four-way tie for fifth place:
    • David & Aaron's "Seven Layer Kugel"
    • Ruby's "Jerusalem Kugel"
    • Daphna's "Squash Kugel"
    • Fallon & Shira's "Alice's Kugel"
  6. Avery's "Fruity Israeli Kugel"
  7. Ruby's Kosher for Passover "Apple & Matza Kugel"

"The competition was fierce, the abdominal space was limited, but I feel that we all won, even though the Jacobson's (and Ian) took home that joy that only my Bubbe experiences on the holidays when we all come over for dinner," said Zack Weiss.

*The French judge is under investigation for unfair toothpick practices. We will notify you of any changes to the official results once they become available.