The Rights of Cheese and Man

I've been saving this for nearly a year. It comes from a colleague that works at the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie, New York [and where my niece is now a student!]. As you can see by the picture, the work of "art" was crafted by the fine people at Cheez-its, one of the best snack crackers known to man [and a popular favorite of LBA for the ride home from daycare].

From the original article:

The French may be known for their love of the most pungent of cheeses and the British for the cheese-rolling antics, but the US claimed bragging rights in the world cheese stakes today when they immortalised the signing of the Declaration of Independence into the food-art hall of fame with a giant cheese sculpture in Times Square, New York.

Cheez-It cracker company employee, Troy Landwehr, worked eight hours a day for an entire week inside a 4ºC (40ºF) cooler carving the block of Wisconsin cheddar. He claimed that by spraying cooking oil over the block it would be prevented from melting, but was uncertain how long it might last: “That’s why it looks sweaty. It actually preserves the cheese.” One thing is for certain: if it melts before the celebrations begin, he’ll be right cheesed off (apologies).

The replica of an iconic painting by John Trumbull shows John Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin and others standing around a table signing the historic document, but this is not the first time Landwehr has recreated U.S. history with cheese. Last year he carved a cheese version of Mount Rushmore, depicting presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln.

It is likely that the giant cheese sculpture will quickly become old news to New Yorkers as it is swamped by hordes of tourists crowding for a photo next to its sticky surface: now all together now… cheese!

Happy Independence Day to all! Now I'm off to partake in the annual viewing of "1776." And Cheez-it has done it again for 2009.