Monday, September 20, 2010

Cottage Cheese

Puke and peaches? my friend asked me today at lunchtime while pointing at my lunch. I tried to think of something clever to say back at him about his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Nothing came to me, but my mouth kept moving, so I simply said "peanut butter and jelly?" Nice comeback Nick.

I use to hate cottege cheese also. My mom would get it when I was younger in tubs pre-mixed with pineapple. It was nasty. Or it looked nasty. I never ate it myself. The texture was enough. Thick, heavy curds in pale swamp combined to form bleached mud. Gross.

My friend had been talking about my peaches and cottage cheese that I had brought for lunch. I saw where he was coming from--an observer might lose his appetite if he stared at it long enough--but to me it was bliss. Peaches and cream. Sweet and salt. I don't know how I got into it. One day I just tried it. And loved it.

But I don't think every type is worth eating. Eating Lucerne, for instance, is like eating glue; I have absolutely no desire to eat it. Friendship cottage cheese on the other hand, is delicious. I can't stop eating it. Tell your friends. Tell your colleagues. It is the best. Add some berries, or peaches, or pineapple, and there's nothing better. Really nothing. I eat 1%. Unlike after eating Fage, I'm completely satisfied with the lower fat version, I have no desire for full fat. It's that good.

I guess however, it's time for me to stop being lazy and make my own. And make it better (anyone notice I love starting sentences with and? It's like HAHA I'm not in English and I'm free to do what I want). After browsing a few recipes, I see it's incredibly easy. I think I'm going to use this recipe with 1% milk and maybe I'll try using lemon juice instead of acid. I guess the real trick to making this cheese well is using good milk. I don't drink milk myself so I don't know squat. Anyone have any favorite milk brands or maybe a favorite cottage cheese recipe?

My results will be posted by Saturday at the latest.

9 comments:

cd0103 said...

My favorite is Tomatoes and cottage cheese, but peaches or melon are a close second.

Unknown said...

I've made the cottage cheese type recipes out there with milk and lemon juice vice vinegar...it was delicious. I actually made it to use on some pizza but ate moste of it before I got that far (which in retrospect was good because unlike 'real' cheeses this doesn't melt. The curds came out smaller than store bought cottage cheese-more like a ricotta. I actually prefer though that when making those recipes to use higher fat milk or a mixture of half-half and milk. But to each his own.

quidquid katie said...

I love my cottage cheese with coarse sea salt. Nothing else. I am not a big sweet/savory person so I can't really imagine eating it with fruit!

I'll be interested to see how the homemade stuff turns out!

Lisa Gg said...

I love cottage cheese since I was small. Maybe I am a little freaky but I loved to eat everything when I was younger. Maybe it is my family. We were four children at home and my youngest slibing was 8 years older than me. And we had some pretty crazy cooking housekeepers (my parents worked regulary overtime at theire medical practise). When I did not eat something there would not be enough for me because my brothers with theire constant growth spurts would everthing on the table and in the fridge before I could even voice that I didi not like the food. And my sister the big meany told me everytime that I should think about all those kids in Africa who don't have anything to eat.
So when there was something like cottage cheese on the table I did not even consider not eating it. I would simply try. And I have to say I loved it so much that I tried various forms to eat it. Pure with only a litte bit of cinnamon or pure on a bun with some butter under it. (I am from germany so only the various different buns give it a whole new complexity(I hear that there arent that many differnt buns and breads in America)). Cottage chese with apples and raisin is pretty yumy too. uhh... I am hungry now! I should start making dinner... ^_^

Elizabeth & Chad said...

First, you have to try strawberry jam and cottage cheese for breakfast - SO delicious.

Second, Chef Kory Stewart from Americano in San Fran uses Clover brand organic milk when making his mozzarella. I would start there...

Good Luck!

Nick N said...

mmmm I'll have to try that tomatoes combo

michael: yea i bet the higher fat would make a creamier product with better mouthfeel

quidquid: that sounds really good ill have to try.

lisag: cottage cheese on bread? never tried it but now that I think about it why not? it's like ricotta.

elizabeth and chad: that sounds awesome. Is that milk widely available?

The Empress said...

Cottage cheese on crispbread, with a few sliced plum tomatoes - can't be bettered!

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Eternal Lizdom said...

I eat cottage cheese for breakfast 5 out of 7 days every week, on average. The brand I eat is Dean's and I do the full fat version (I hate lowfat milk products of any kind- the less processing, the better). I've not seen your brand in stores around me, unfortunately. I've tried many different brands and Dean's is the best. I like it with tomatoes, strawberries, melon, peaches, and other fruits, too. My kids love it, too! Eager to hear about your results!