Linda Krull carefully stirred a large bowl filled to nearly overflowing with 24 eggs, a cup of lemon juice, six cups of sugar, tangles of noodles, vanilla and canned crushed pineapple as she explained the daunting task ahead : making dozens of kugels and cakes in preparation for the Jewish High Holy Days, which begin after sunset Sept. 18.

The treats will be served, along with other traditional foods, at 11 community dinners hosted by Chabad Jewish Center from Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah, which ends Oct. 11.

Up to 200 people might attend some of the meals. So that's a lot of kugel, and the reason Krull, Rabbi Berel Levertov's wife, Devorah Leah, four of the Levertovs' youngest children, and eight or so volunteers from Chabad Jewish Center were boiling, peeling, stirring and pouring in a kitchen frenzy Sept. 1.

Brian Nelson, a chef from Bishop's Lodge, will prepare other food such as salads, soups, chicken, brisket, salmon and various snacks. There is no kosher caterer in town — and no commercial kosher kitchen — so Nelson will be cooking in the center's kitchen.

Last week, the kitchen was filled with 25-pound bags of flour and boxes of apples, some provided by a neighbor. Kristina Krenzel said she multiplied many of the recipes by six or more, then used her measurement table from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking to convert cups to pounds. She bought the ingredients for six different kugels — noodle, carrot, apple, cranberry, Yerushalmi and broccoli; and six kinds of cake — chocolate chip, marble, crumb, pie-filling crumb, chocolate and honey.

Potato kugel cannot be prepared until the last minute. But the other kugels and cakes will be cooked and popped into the freezer for later. "Jews freeze," Krull said with a laugh.

Devorah Leah Levertov, obviously a cool head and an old hand at organizing these cooking marathons, said the reason so many of the dishes are sweet is that, especially during Rosh Hashana, people are thinking ahead. "We want to have a sweet year." Hence, no vinegar. By Sukkot, she said, some "sharp" dishes will return.

Karen Tobin, president of the Women's Circle, called the Yerushalmi kugel a "diabetic's nightmare" because it involves lots of butter and brown sugar. She described it as a "Sugar Daddy without being on a stick."

Kugel is a staple of Jewish cooking, once very popular in Eastern Europe because its ingredients are cheap, said Tobin. Her great-grandmother, who grew up along the moving border between Russia and Poland, always claimed that if you had potatoes and onions, you had a meal, she said. And if you had eggs to add, you had a feast.

Flo Vinnick, who was peeling apples rather than going to the gym, said cooking together is a tradition in her faith. "Jews are feeders," she said. "Gentiles will say, 'Let's meet for a drink,' while Jews say, 'Let's go for a bite.' "

The goal of all this cooking, Rabbi Levertov added, is to "provide a full holiday experience." Food, he said, is "a way of honoring the Sabbath."

In addition to sweets, fish and carrots (in Yiddish, merrin) — symbols of plenty — are popular at holiday meals because, Levertov said, "We want our good deeds to be multiplied."

Contact Anne Constable at 986-3022 or aconstable@sfnewmexican.com.

Recipes

Sweet Noodle Kugel

• 2 boxes medium egg noodles, cooked
• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 3 cups sugar
• cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 2 cans crushed pineapple

Mix and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Can freeze.

Potato Kugel

• 9 potatoes, shredded
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 onions, puréed in food processor
• 3 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
• Mix and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Do not freeze.

Broccoli Kugel

• 20 ounces frozen broccoli, cooked in water and 1 tablespoon onion soup mix
• 2 cups of mayo
• 1/2 cup drained liquid
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• corn flakes

Mix drained broccoli and other ingredients; add 3 eggs; put layer of corn flakes on bottom of oiled pan. Pour broccoli mixture on top and finish with layer of corn flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Can freeze.

Recipes courtesy of Devorah Leah Levertov

At a glance

Year 5770: In Judaism, represents 5,770 years since the creation of Adam

Rosh Hashana: Jewish New Year, also known as Head of the Year and day of soul-searching, repentance and judgment

Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement, observed with a 26-hour period of fasting and intense prayer

Sukkot: Feast of the Booths, which are meals eaten in the sukkah, a temporary dwelling

Simchat Torah: Reading of the last portion of the Torah followed by the beginning of Genesis

Chabad Jewish Center Schedule

Rosh Hashana

• Sept. 18: Service at 6:30 p.m., followed by community dinner at the Hilton Hotel; RSVP www.freehighholidays.net
• Sept. 19: Services at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sept. 20: Morning service at 9:30; shofar on the Plaza at 5 p.m.

Yom Kippur

• Sept. 27: Kol Nidrei, 6:30 p.m.
• Sept. 28: Morning services at 10; Yizkor memorial service at 1 p.m.; evening service at 5

Sukkot

• Oct. 2: Evening service at 6:30, dinner following
• Oct. 3: Services at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 4: Service at 9:30 a.m.

Simchat Torah

• Oct. 9: Evening service at 6:30, dinner following
• Oct. 10: Morning service at 9:30; evening service at 7:30, followed by sushi dinner
• Oct. 11: Morning service at 9:30, followed by Kiddush