Grandmother Richter Sure Looks Like A Minnie and Makes A Killer Kugel

Doesn't she look like her first name could be Minnie?

My wife and I are constantly assigning suitable names to people we see on the street. We usually agree with each other's choices. Good game to play while stuck in city traffic or waiting in line. I still think this woman could be Groucho Marx's mother MINNIE. I bet she made a killer kugel.

Kugel (Yiddish: קוגל kugl or קוגעל, pronounced either koogel or kigel, as was pronounced in Galicia) is any one of a wide variety of traditional baked Jewish side dishes consisting of ground or processed vegetables, fruit, or other starches combined with a thickening agent (such as oil, egg, or flour). It is sometimes translated as "pudding" or "casserole".

Kugels may be sweet or savory. The most common types are made from egg noodles (called lochshen kugels) or potatoes and often contain potatoes, but there are recipes in everyday use in modern Jewish kitchens for a great diversity of kugels made with different vegetables, fruit, batters, cheese, and other flavorings and toppings.

Some modern cooks add a small amount of baking powder. In addition to lightening the dish, the powder's alkaline chemistry breaks down the potatoes and produces a smoother texture while promoting browning.