Anne Whiteman was the mother of Michael Whiteman, a Brooklyn native and the business and creative partner of the legendary Joe Baum in designing and operating many restaurant projects, among them the food services of the World Trade Center, including Windows on the World, and the restoration and operation of the Rainbow Room.
If this is the kind of food Michael grew up eating, then it's no wonder his palate is so finely tuned. This recipe is typical of highly evolved dairy noodle kugels, in that it is dessert-sweet and topped with corn flakes, although it doesn't call for the canned crushed pineapple that so many less refined recipes do. Here, the cottage cheese is pureed with the sour cream, milk, and eggs to form a silken custard to hold the noodles. Michael and I are not certain how his mother arrived at the odd amount of sour cream, but I have decided not to change it. It is called "birthday kugel" because his mother made it mainly for those celebratory occasions.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
Topping
Preparation
Step 1
To make the kugel, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, whirl together the eggs. Add the cottage cheese, sour cream, and sugar. Process until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the milk, raisins, melted butter, vanilla, and orange and lemon zests.
Step 2
In a large pot, bring at least 5 quarts of water to a boil over high heat, salt, and cook the noodles until just before they are fully cooked, about 5 minutes, but check package directions for exact timing. Drain and stir the noodles into the egg-cheese mixture, then refrigerate, tightly covered, overnight. (I think this step of preparing ahead was mainly for convenience. I have baked the pudding immediately, and it turns out lighter; the noodles don't absorb as much of the custard.
Step 3
Lightly butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Step 4
To make the topping, toss together the corn flakes, melted butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. To bake the kugel, pour the noodle mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the topping. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.
