Cookbook talk:Kugelis (Lithuanian Baked Potato Pudding)

There about as many variations on kugelis as there are Lithuanian cooks. Both of my grandmothers had slightly different versions--and my own mother did hers a little differently from either grandmom.

Some recipes call for using sour cream instead of milk; some call for scalding the milk or lightly sautéing the onions. My mother liked to divide the potatoes and boil and mash 1 potato for every 2 raw grated potatoes. Mom added a bit of baking powder to the mix also. One grandmother used bacon fat, the other, butter.

I've also heard of cooks adding farina or bread crumbs for texture.

My own experience indicates that old potatoes produce better results than fresh ones do. I prefer stay away from coarse-grained Idahoes and use white or red potates for a better texture.

What with the bacon fat, sour cream and butter, this is perhaps not the best dish for cardiovascular health, but it sure is yummy!

Chuck