Meaning “spun paste” in Italian, the pasta filata family includes stretched-or pulled-curd cheeses. They're works of art like fresh mozzarella, provolone, string cheese and Oaxaca, to name a few. Mild and delicate, these cheeses tend to be milky and buttery, making them ideal for adding to summer salads, grill-fired pizzas and patio appetizers. Here, George Crave of Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese creates his fresh mozzarella by hand, artfully stretching and working heated curds into smooth, molten masses before forming them into balls of various shapes and sizes. 

Introducing the Art of Cheese Festival, an exclusive cheese festival created for the world’s biggest cheese lovers, and it’s happening across downtown Madison and the surrounding communities from September 29 - October 1. Want in? Visit ArtofCheeseFestival.com to check out the lineup of events. Get ready! Tickets go on sale on July 13.

Imagine your table as a canvas and fresh burrata as your subject. You can paint a picture-perfect burrata bar worthy of a fine art exhibit with colorful sweet and savory accompaniments like fresh fruits, pickled and roasted veggies, crusty bread and charcuterie. Or use this silky soft pasta filata cheese that’s hand-formed and stuffed with stracciatella—fresh mozzarella shreds soaked in sweet cream—in recipes that showcase the best of summer.

Prestigious cheesemaking mentor, environmental steward, and the owner of Cedar Grove Cheese and Clock Shadow Creamery—Master Cheesemaker Bob Wills is a true renaissance man. He’s known for his butterkäse, unique cheddars and European-style quark. Bob also inspires and hosts other Wisconsin cheesemakers at his factories, collaborating with them to combine the science of cheesemaking with their art. “I don’t know that I intended to change the world,” says Bob. “But my businesses became vehicles for reflecting what I cared about.”