Eddie Hertzberg Noodle Pudding

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I found this recipe in Nika Hazelton's cookbook American Home Cooking. Ms. Hazelton was an expatriate from England who married an American. She was a prolific cookbook author who traveled over the world. She died in 1992. This cookbook of hers is not just an exercise in ego. Ms. Hazelton selected the quintessential American family dishes from every region in the United States. Every recipe works perfectly

As cooking became trendy and precious in the United States, she seemed to raise a speculative eyebrow. Facing a group of wine writers in New York several years ago, Mrs. Hazelton waved aside questions about white truffles and little-known family vineyards. "I'm here to show you a meal from Tuscany that has the virtue of not being too expensive and not taking much genius or fuss to prepare," she informed her audience and proceeded to demonstrate the proper way to make escarole and rice soup. - Molly O'Neill, New York Times 

Eddie Hertzberg's Noodle Pudding - from New York

1/2 pound medium Noodles, homemade or store bought
6 tablespoons Butter
Salt and freshly ground Pepper
2 cups creamed Cottage Cheese
2 cups Sour Cream,

Cook the Noodles in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water until almost but not quite tender. Drain. Turn Noodles into generously buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Toss with 4 tablespoons of Butter, Salt, and plenty of Pepper. Stir in the Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream and mix well. Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Butter. Cook in a preheated moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. 4-6 servings.

Mr. Hertzberg must have been a great cook. Although made of simple ingredients, this noodle pudding or kugel is elegant enough to serve to company. In order to get the fabulous texture and taste, you must follow directions precisely. If you do so, this recipe is simple, inexpensive and sublime. I made one alteration. I top the pudding with panko bread crumbs. If you also do that, you must watch carefully as a bread crumb topping burns easily. And this dish is easy even if you "can't cook."

Wisconsin Bars

I found this recipe in a regional cookbook entitled Cooking Wisconsin Style published by the Wisconsin State Journal. It was published in 1985 as a compendium of 30 years of the Journal's collected recipes. I do not know if one can still obtain a copy.

Wisconsin produces about a quarter of America's cheese. I am not surprised that this apple dessert contains two kinds of cheese and butter. And if cut in larger portions, is best served with iced cream. Wisconsin is the Dairy State.

This recipe courtesy of Mrs. Lawrence Eberle of Lone Rock. The painting below is by Dennis Plamann, a Wisconsin Artist, and it is entitled Frank Fox's Farm.

Wisconsin Bars

1/4 cup Sugar  

1 cup Butter
2 Egg Yolks
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Flour
4 cooking Apples, medium sized
1/2 pound Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Egg Whites
1 and 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup Cream Cheese

Combine the butter, egg yolks, baking powder, salt, flour. Blend until a crumbly mixture is formed. Put half the mixture in a 13x9 inch cake pan and press it down. Reserve the remainder.

Grate together in one bowl the apples and the cheddar cheese. Discard the cores and only the larger pieces of the apple peelings. Add the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix well. Spread this mixture as the second layer in the cake pan. Spread the remaining crumbly mixture to form the third layer.

Whip egg whites until peaks are formed. Gradually add powdered sugar and cream cheese, beating continuously. Spoon this topping over the contents of the cake pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Yield 3 dozen bars. 

Note: These can be cut into bars or served in larger portions with ice cream or whipped cream.

Ms. Mary Walker's Garlic Pate

Never enough Garlic.

GARLIC PATE

18 large Garlic cloves
3 slices fresh whole wheat Bread (crumbled)
6 ounces Cottage Cheese or Ricotta Cheese
1/4 tsp Salt
1 'pinch' ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Peel and quarter garlic cloves and put into food processor with half the breadcrumbs.
Chop/blend well.
Add rest of breadcrumbs and cheese and continue to blend.
Add salt and pepper and blend again.
Dribble the olive oil into the mix - and blend again.

Note - If you want to eliminate the 'bite' in the raw garlic - just begin the recipe by covering the raw garlic with water and microwave for (on high) for a couple of minutes, then drain and discard the water. Freezes well in small amounts! I like it made with 'raw' garlic!

Editor's Note - Ms. Walker started with a recipe from Bloomsbury Kitchen Library and then messed with it. I like a small amount of olive oil poured over and some chopped parsley for garnish. Good bread. Some crudites. Olives perhaps. Heaven for garlic lovers.