Better Than it Looks

A favorite breakfast at Cafe Drake HRV consists of nothing more than a toasted onion bialy slathered with herbed cottage cheese. Fresh ground black pepper is the piquant icing on the cake! To make your own begin with the 4% milkfat cottage cheese, sometimes tagged with the inexplicable moniker "California Style". Mix in fresh or dried herbs of your choice along with plenty of black pepper and paprika if you wish. Add salt as needed but go slowly; cottage cheese is already loaded with plenty. Your doctored cheese mixture should stay fresh in the fridge for at least a week and adds novel flavor and texture to baked potatoes and toasted baked goods. Use in place of ricotta when craving a tangier alternative in stuffed shells or lasagna.