Readers were touched by Bob Cebrat's request for another taste of his late wife's specialty, Polish cheesecake. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., resident said the cake was made with large cottage cheese curds.

Carol Cheyne of North Lauderdale, Fla., sent a recipe from a 1953 cookbook, "Polish Heirloom Recipes," which also gives us the Polish title for the cake, serowiec. Louise Sendlein of Key Largo, Fla., says her recipe, which calls for a combination of cottage and cream cheeses, "came to me from a friend and has been our family favorite for 30 years."

Suzanne Gay of Coral Springs, Fla., sent her recipe, which adds 3 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange peel to the filling and omits the lemon. Saundra Kasperowicz says the cake is made with a pastry crust and what we call farmers cheese in Poland.

If you prefer a very smooth filling, Sendlein says, use a blender or food processor to puree the cottage cheese.

CRUST:

1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

FILLING:

1 pound cottage or farmers cheese (this is in place of cream cheese)

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup heavy or sour cream

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. Reserve about 2 tablespoons, and press the rest into the sides and bottom of an 8-by-11-inch pan.

Press cottage cheese through sieve. Add salt to the eggs and beat until thick. Add sugar, lemon juice and zest, vanilla and sour cream. Fold in cheese and flour. Pour mixture over cracker crumbs. Top with reserved crumbs.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Turn off heat and allow cake to remain in the oven until cool, about 1 hour. Chill before serving. Makes 16 servings.

From Linda Cicero's Cook's Corner

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Q: How many times have you seen these words: "I love your column and you are my last resort!" Now it's my turn. My sister loves Sabra brand Supremely Spicy hummus. When she was last in Miami, she discovered that you could separately purchase the hot spice mix, called "S'chug." I used to find it in Winn-Dixie, but no more, and it is not listed on the Sabra Web site. I called and e-mailed Sabra, but have not gotten any response. Can you help me? I would love to give the recipe to my sister for her birthday! The ingredients listed on the jar include hot chile peppers, oil, garlic and spices. -- Jane Pyron

A: A spokesman tells us Sabra still makes S'chug, and that it can be purchased in both green and red versions at Web sites including kol-tuv.com and aviglatt.com. You can ask your grocery store to find out from its Sabra distributor if it is available in your area. Some Middle Eastern markets carry it, too.

In the meantime, here's a recipe for the condiment, adapted from various Israeli Web sites. You can make a variation that is not quite as spicy by adding tomatoes and sweet red peppers. I found various spellings, including skhug and zhug. Besides using it to season hummus, or to perk up soups and stews, it's popular doused on falafel and schwarma sandwiches.

1 bunch cilantro

3 hot chile peppers (or to taste), such as jalapeno or ancho

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarsely chop cilantro. Split chiles; remove seeds for a less fiery mix. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse fine. If it seems too dry, add water a teaspoon at a time. Makes about 1 cup, 8 servings.

From Linda Cicero's Cook's Corner