(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.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 10

　　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

　　

Step 1

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.

　　

Step 2

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

　　

Step 3

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.

　　

Step 4

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.

　　

Step 5

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.

　　From THE WORLD OF JEWISH COOKING by Gil Marks. Copyright © 1996 by Gil Marks. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.Buy the full book from Amazon.