Who are these people?

Mrs. Ginsberg, Lillian Holloway, "A.P."

I don't know who most of these women are, but I can tell you they all have one thing in common: They are good cooks. I know this because I have, and frequently make, their recipes.

The recipes have been handed down through my mother, who would painstakingly roll an index card into her typewriter to type them out for me. Although my mother is not fond of cooking, she is not a bad cook. She cooks well from recipes, many of which came from her mother.

I believe Lillian Holloway was a friend of my grandmother's. That would make her a southerner, which seems somehow reasonable for a name I associate with my favorite cookie recipe. It's an elegant name for a delectable cookie. In fact, I am "known" for Lillian Holloway's Mergingue Kisses. When asked to share the recipe, I have been known to put my own name at the top of the card. Mrs. Holloway, I hope you can forgive me for shamelessly claiming your kisses as my own.

Mrs. Ginsberg, on the other hand, is a complete mystery to me, but her Noodle Pudding (Kugel) is, to me, the definitive recipe. Kugel is one of those highly debated foods, like bread pudding. Raisins or no raisins? Sweet or savory? Cinnamon or none? I am a purist, thanks to Mrs. Ginsberg, and very much of the no raisins, no cinammon school. Mrs. Ginsberg's noodle pudding is an outrageously rich, cheesy custard with only the delicate sweetness imparted by its dairy ingredients of cream cheese and cottage cheese. The perfect texture of chewy softness with a crispy crust would be marred by the unwelcome addition of raisins.

MRS. GINSBERG'S NOODLE PUDDING

8 oz. pkg. medium egg noodles
4 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. cottage cheese
4 Tbsp. butter, melted (1/2 stick), divided
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups milk
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse. In bowl of mixer, blend cream cheese until soft. Add cottage cheese and mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients except 2 tsp. of butter and blend until smooth. Arrange noodles in a shallow baking pan (lasagna pan or 2 smaller pans). Pour in cheese mixture; drizzle remaining butter over top.

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Can be served warm, or frozen and reheated. In the latter from, cut in small squares, it makes a good appetizer.