One thing we never had at school was lugalette.
I always thought the word sounded so funny, LUGGLE-ette.
Some of the kids at school called it lug-o-lay,
some called it Indian bread or lug bread or just plain lug,
but they all knew what it was.
Back at home we had it every day, lugalette.
“What are you cooking, ma?” I would ask
just to hear her say “lugalette” and laugh.
Here’s how you make lugalette:
Take enough flour to fill a good-sized bowl about half full
and mix in just a small handful of baking powder, some salt,
a bigger handful of sugar. Then draw a circle in it, to make
a little river, and mix in enough warm water or milk to make
a nice, soft dough. Knead the dough just a little, let it rest a
little bit, then put it in a greased pan and flatten it, careful,
with your hands. Bake it twenty–thirty minutes.
Some people cut the lugalette into squares before they bake it,
cut it into squares right in the pan, that makes it easier to break
into pieces after it’s cooked. My mother used to slice it. You
can eat it hot or cold. If you’ve got some blueberries, you can
mix a handful into the dough, and that’s good, too.
Mino pagwad.
Back home our mother made it every day.
We never had it at school, lugalette.
I always wished for it.