RECIPES: Cottage cheese a sweet or savory ingredient fit for Miss Muffet

This is not a diet story, despite cottage cheese's reputation for being diet food.

You'll find no lettuce leaves or canned peaches here.

You will find recipes celebrating cottage cheese for all its milky lusciousness.

Sure, it's lower in calories and higher in protein than some of its dairy case brethren and sistren, but cottage cheese's appeal, especially here, lies in its rich (but not too rich) and satisfying creaminess.

Its mild flavor and slightly acidic tang work best in savory dishes, but don't rule it out for sweets. It may be too salty for blending with strawberries (we tried), but we loved it in oat pancakes with maple syrup and blueberries.

If the curds turn you off — give it a whirl in a blender or food processor to make it smooth and creamy with a texture similar to ricotta.