Sure, we may never go as far as describing cottage cheese as refined, or elegant, or even complex, but deserving of some air time it is. We hereby extoll its simplicity and versatility and deride its mistaken identity solely as a dieter's delight.
Just what is it, though, how is it made, and what are the best ways to enjoy it?
Just the visual sight of cottage cheese is actually a good way to understand the cheesemaking process. Simply put, cheese begins as milk, and becomes solid to varying degrees through a process known as acidification, whereby milk is soured, and coagulation, which with the binding power of rennet or another coagulant, forms protein chains that surround fat globules, which become individual curd particles. What's left is whey, which is drained off. At this point, curd can be manipulated in a number of ways, but with cottage cheese, the interference stops here.
It's just plain curd, really, which hasn't been pressed at all. Most cheeses are pressed, even just slightly, in an effort to expel whey and moisture. It's this non-process that makes cottage cheese unique, in combination with one other step: After the whey is drained, the curd is washed with cool water, which lowers the acidity and amps up one's perception of sweetness.
The same process, incidentally, occurs in goudas, which is partly why sweet tooths hold them in such high favor.
In our opinion the kind of cottage cheese to savor is the large curd, full fat variety, which is made with rennet and has a lower acidity. It's also lower in moisture than the small curd, non-renneted, higher acid styles, which often come off as soupy because of its high whey content. At its best, cottage cheese has a sweet, creamy flavor profile, with a textural complexity that sets it apart from anything else in the cheese case. Hm. Maybe it IS complex!
We've heard it before: You love cottage cheese. Some more great implementations:
A great recipe for homemade cottage cheese and some interesting visuals of the make process can be found at David Lebovitz's site, here.
Related: Good Question: A Reader's Love of Cottage Cheese
Related: Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes
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In Lebanon, they make this great dessert they call a tutti-frutti. Basically, it's cut fruit in a goblet, covered in thick syrupy juice (I use Loosa) then comes a dollop of cottage cheese drizzled with honey and a wedge of coconut.
MMMMmmmm yummy!
view meenasyaz's profile
I learned this from my college roommate - use cottage cheese as a dip for blue corn tortilla chips.
For some reason it is really yummy (and quick and cheap obviously).
I have been dying to try Cowgirl Creamery's cottage cheese (they are a SF thing, but I imagine you can get them in cheese shops around the US),but a $6 for 8oz I have not made the plunge yet. Anyone else tried it?
view Robbybird's profile
What's the difference between cottage cheese and ricotta?
view mh330's profile
For a quick on the go breakfast, I put about half a cup of cottage cheese in a mug and stir in some Penzey's smokey seasoned salt. I top it with a morning star veggie breakfast sausage patty. A healthy and fast breakfast that fills that savory fix in the morning.
view Chris Sauter's profile
Ricotta is a finer curd. In italy, it's a lower-fat product, made from the second-cooking of the milk, after the first cooking makes a different cheese. Ricotta = re-cooked. Also, traditional ricotta is made from sheeps milk.
In the US, the main difference is the size of the curd.. ricotta is fine, sand-sized chunks. Cottage cheese is un-even sized curds, from pebble sized to marble, and in a more creamy whey usually.
view cheflaura's profile
I dig the cottage cheese with just a little salt and pepper.
I've never understood the old ladies who eat bulldozed mountains of it with canned peaches, tho!
view Bx's profile
Give me my cottage cheese, anyway, anyday!
view emeraldtea's profile
In England once I ordered a huge baked potato topped with cottage cheese, butter and pineapple chunks. Not the healthiest meal, but oh so delicious!
view willson's profile
Like Robbybird, I also enjoy it as a dip with tortilla chips. But my favorite is mixed with apples, flaxseed/granola and tart dried cranberries. However, while talking to my neighbor this morning we got on the subject of food and she shared that one of her favorite things is a good piece of bread, toasted, spread with a layer of peanut butter and then topped with cottage cheese. She said it sounds gross but to try it so I plan to. It has 3 of my favorite things so why not?
view rosebud's profile
Scoop the seeds out of a chilled cantalope and fill with cottage cheese for the best & easiest summer supper.
view Kate (NC)'s profile
I used to love cottage cheese, but after stomach surgery five years ago, it was all I could hold down for a while. I ate so much I got sick of it.
view madampince's profile