Use Your Noodles

If you’re Jewish, the coming high holidays are nothing to joke about. “Around this time, a lot of Jews enter a period of preparing for them,” says Georgina Kolber of the Mizel Museum. “It’s an intense time for a lot of people; it’s when they set their intentions for the coming year.” But before the intensity of the upcoming Day of Atonement, Kolber and the folks at Mizel thought it would be a good time to lighten the mood a little by throwing a World Kugel Day Festival.

Kugel (if you’re not lucky enough to already know this) comprises a variety of baked puddings — some sweet and made with noodles, some savory and potato- or vegetable-based — that are a mainstay of Ashkenazic Jewish-mother cooking (in which everyone’s mom makes the best), and they are all absolutely delish, in every comfort-foodie sense of the word. “Especially if you have been a bad boy or girl, what better way to relax than by eating a high-caloric traditional Jewish dish?” asks Kolber.

This year’s inaugural event features kugels prepared by seven high-profile invitees, including Robin Baron of Udi’s and Daniel Asher of Linger and Root Down, among others (yes, kugel-tasting is part of the deal). While the chefs are cooking kugel, there will be live music, artist demos, kids’ noodle art, recipe-sharing and other family-friendly indulgences.

Celebrate all things kugel from 2 to 5 p.m. today at the museum, 400 South Kearney Street; admission is $10 to $15 per person or $25 for a family, eats included. Get details online at www.mizelmuseum.org or call 303-749-5014.

Sun., Aug. 19, 2-5 p.m., 2012