How to Make Macaroni Taste Like a Dessert

Yes, you read that right. A macaroni dessert.

I know it’s hard to believe that these two words go together but bear with me.

This recipe comes from a book The Taste of Israel by Nida Degutiene. A fantastic introduction to the culture and a recipe collection from a country I dream to visit by a Lithuanian who lived there.

Why do I want to go to Israel, you may ask?

As you probably already know, I grew up in Lithuania. More specifically, in its beautiful capital city of Vilnius. And besides being rich in architectural history and having faced its share of wars, disasters, occupations and revivals, Vilnius used to be home to a huge Jewish community, which made up close to half of the population of the city! In fact, before World War II Vilnius was the most famous Jewish center, and earned the name of Jerusalem of Lithuania.

Fragment of writing on a wall of a building in Vilnius. Photo courtesy Michailas Aizenas.

Needless to say, the number of Jews living in Vilnius today is a far cry from what it used to be. The ones that remained after the World War II moved to Israel or other parts of the world…

But those that stayed are trying to keep the traditions alive through an active Jewish community with cultural events and traditional foods.

I got introduced to Jewish cuisine at an early age through my late aunt’s fantastic pastries and salads and baking and meats and oh my…. Because my father, his sister and brother were the descendants of the Jews that survived the atrocities. And even though the celebrations of Hannukkah and Passover did not have a full religious ritual (because, you know, religion and Soviet Union did not really mix no matter what you believed and practiced), the food was there, you can’t really forbid food, can you now? And boy, do I remember the divineness of it.

Growing up in a family where a hearty Lithuanian pork roast (I know, I know!) and sauerkraut soup competed with Jewish beef stew with plums and teiglach was sure to create a personality that seeks to delve into the wonders of different cuisines and to understand the nature and thought processes of people from different cultures.

Statue of Tsemakh Shabad, a Jewish doctor, social activist, community leader, in Vilnius. Photo courtesy Michailas Aizenas.

So when my father told me about the book, The Taste of Israel, I could not wait to dive in. And I was not disappointed. Living in another culture, makes one adapt and some things are forgotten while making place for newly learned ones. Nida Degutiene, the wonderful author of this book, brought me back to my childhood, and at the same time introduced something new. She explained what kosher means, what is the process and significance of making real matzos, shared the major Jewish traditions and celebrations and this all, of course, was accompanied by delicious recipes.

Most importantly, I once again had to gladly admit that delicious and nutritious food does not have to use a bazillion exotic ingredients or be complicated to make.

I’ll admit, I’ve tried quite a few recipes from the book and each of them brought lots of conversation to our table. Familiar yet different, simple yet nutritious and filling. I chose this macaroni dessert because when I tasted it, I felt an explosion of flavors in my mouth and it took me a while to comprehend how to categorize such a simple combination of everyday ingredients – dinner? Breakfast? Dessert? And since it’s sweet, I went with the latter:) Hope you enjoy!

And if you’re intrigued by the book, you can grab a copy of it here. You’ll have dinner for every day of the week and then some:)

 

 

Helpful kitchen tools

Mixing bowls

Baking pan

Whisk

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Have you ever tried the macaroni dessert?

What is your favorite dessert? Share in the comments below!