The Lokchen Loony

“Surround yourself with people who believe you can.”

–          Dan Zadra

I’m back in the world of work. I’m full time and feeling good.  I get my old class back, it’s like an old  skool reunion with a few new faces. The day flies by and I don’t even feel fatigued. In the afternoon, we eat, sing and do cake for Sue’s birthday, albeit a day late. I’m a bit worried about lighting the candles in the our building, it would be a tad untoward to set off the new sprinkler system with our birthday bonhomie. Nicky’s Birthday Sponge doesn’t fail to disappoint, it’s mile high and super light although I was a bit heavy handed with the food colouring on the icing which turned out  hot pink!

On the way home, there’s a think that I can’t stop thinking. And the think I can’t stop thinking is Lokchen Kugel.  Once I get an idea in my head, I can’t stop thinking about it, I’m like a dog with a bone. It’s one of my worst habits. By the time I get home, I’m consumed with all thoughts lokchen. This is one of my all time favourite deserts and lately I’m really enjoying my retro  cooking trips down memory lane. Lokchen is basically egg pasta, and kugel is a pudding. The great thing about this recipe is that it is seriously simple to make, uses a little from the larder and the finished article can be devoured hot or cold!

 I dig out my nana’s old recipe book printed in 1961! It’s an oldie but a goodie. It has a plethora of varieties of lokchen kugel but I opt for the original, and in my opinion, the best. Today I use egg vermicelli but you can use the flatter, wider egg taligatelle and it will taste just as good. The kugel is cracking with a yummy crusty top and a superb cinnamony centre.

 While I’m making merry in the kitchen, I decide to rustle up some of Donna Hay’s Easy Vegetable Soup which makes a lovely lunch; it’s so easy and quick to prepare and so yummy to eat. The ice cream maker is sufficiently chilled today so I stir up the frozen yoghurt that I wanted to make yesterday.  The ice cream maker has to be one of the world’s best inventions, it’s just like Mr Whippy!

 If only the kitchen cleaning  was as much fun as the cooking. And how comes the cleaning takes twice as long as the cooking? That’s Murphy’s Law!