In late June, The Chelsea GreenRoots community kitchen was filled with sweet aromas of the city's Jewish history as Ellen Rovner demonstrated the making of Lokshen Kugel, Noodle Pudding, with a multi-generational group of happy Chelsea residents. Either sweet or savory, the Kugel mixture of noodles, cheeses, sugar, and raisins, has graced Chelsea’s Jewish Sabbath and holiday tables for decades through the twentieth century, always pleasing fussy palates and enthusiastic eaters alike.  

Most of the GreenRoots cooks had never heard of the iconic Ashkenazic Jewish festive dish, but some cooks, although not from Jewish backgrounds, recalled growing up eating Kugel at homes of Jewish friends, its rich, creamy sweetness fixed in memories of sublime satisfaction at the table. 

After measuring, mixing, and baking, these Chelsea GreenRoots cooks eagerly ate their noodle Kugel, while remembering  their own food and family stories of their Mexican, Irish, Salvadoran, and Italian backgrounds.  

It was a delicious Chelsea evening.