How to Taste Cheese With Clarity & Confidence

Exploring Culture: Challenging Eurocentrism in the Cheese Industry

In culinary school I learned knife skills; I learned the mother sauces and the sauces they spawned. Everything I learned was rooted in classic French style. Everything I was taught had a focus on European standards. But I wanted to cook like my Big Ma—Southern comfort food—biscuits, greens, and grits. I wanted to cook with […]

Cheese Icons to Celebrate this Women’s History Month

This month (and every month) we’re celebrating the women in cheese who produce, sell, serve, and educate about the wedges and wheels we love.

Gifts A Cheese Lover Will Love!

Holidays are here and so is culture's list of gifts for cheese lovers. So go and indulge yourself!

5 Provolone Recipes You Need to Make This Spring (Pizza, Pasta, & More)

Yes, provolone is a tried-and-true deli staple. But this pasta filata cheese rewards heat, patience, and a little imagination. Its name is rooted in the Italian words prova or provola, which mean “globe shaped.” After the curds are stretched in salted hot water—responsible for the elastic texture—they are formed into different shapes and then brined and aged.

Hand Pies with Provolone and Spiced Plum Compote

These hand pies pair mild provolone with a savory-sweet plum compote for contrast and balance. Plums are cooked with brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary until jammy. The rustic square shape allows for generous filling and clean edges while showcasing the layered interior.

Arancini with Provolone and Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli

Arancini are traditionally filled with mozzarella, but provolone brings a deeper, more assertive melt. Mild provolone softens without disappearing, adding richness and a gentle tang that stands up to the crisp exterior. Sun-dried tomato aioli delivers acidity and sweetness, cutting through the arancini’s richness while echoing southern Italian flavors. Serve hot, when the centers are still gooey and the contrast between crunch and cream is at its peak.

Pizza al Taglio with Onions and Provolone

Pizza al taglio is a Roman-style pie known for its airy, bubbly crumb and crispy crust, often likened to focaccia. This version relies on a long-fermented homemade dough; allow for at least 12 hours, but shoot for 24 hours to let the structure and flavor fully develop.

Beef Braciole with Provolone

Braciole is an Italian-American dish of flattened beef that’s rolled with provolone, prosciutto, garlic, parsley, and breadcrumbs, then braised in tomato sauce. Called involtini, or “little bundles,” it originated in southern Italy, where family variations have been passed down for generations. Today, it’s a classic Sunday supper, traditionally served over pasta or creamy polenta.

Provolone-Stuffed Bolognese Shells

Jumbo cheesy pasta shells are baked atop a flavorful Bolognese sauce, topped with creamy Alfredo and breadcrumbs, and broiled until toasted and melty. This recipe is easy but takes some patience as the sauce has to simmer for a few hours. Set aside a lazy afternoon to allow these complex flavors to develop. Serve with a crisp, light salad and a glass of Chianti.

How to Taste Cheese With Clarity & Confidence

Since the renaissance of artisan cheese in the late twentieth century, the American dairy scene has undergone a remarkable transformation. Over the past few decades, artisan cheesemakers from Oregon to Vermont have embraced traditional methods and local terroir to create cheeses that rival Europe’s best. Award-winning varieties such as Rogue Creamery Rogue River Blue, Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk, and Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog have earned their place in the Academy of Cheese library—a testament to the growing reputation and craftsmanship of American cheesemaking.

Spicing Up Wisconsin: Huma Siddiqui of White Jasmine Cheese Shares Her Story

South Asian cheese is more than paneer, and Huma Siddiqui is proving it with her cheese company, White Jasmine. Based in Wisconsin, White Jasmine produces a line of goudas with mouthwatering names such as Citrus Ember, Saji BBQ, and Tandoori. All of White Jasmine’s cheeses are infused with Siddiqui’s proprietary imported spice blends, which are available for purchase on White Jasmine’s website.

These Cheese Shop Owners LOVE American Cheese

Cheese shop owners share why you should be stocking your cheese drawer with local and American-made wedges.

Mexico’s Most Popular Cheese You’ve Never Heard Of

Meet queso Menonita: A superb melting cheese made by Mennonites in Mexico.

If You Love Cheese and Butter, You MUST Visit Little Cloud

Twenty minutes outside of Madison, Wisconsin, lies Paoli: A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town rooted in the state’s long-standing dairy tradition. From 1888 to 1980, Paoli served as a hub for butter and Swiss cheese production, thanks to a factory perched on the banks of the Sugar River. In 2022, butter production returned. The year prior, a local group of families revitalized and reopened the building, naming it The Seven Acre Dairy Company. Landmark Creamery moved in the following year, breathing new life into the space with its award-winning butter. There’s also a boutique hotel and several eateries on-site, including Little Cloud Restaurant.

Little Cloud’s Café de Paris Compound Butter

The famous butter sauce this recipe is derived from was invented in Switzerland in 1930 at its namesake restaurant—and the 96-year-old classic gets a farm-to-table update at Little Cloud Restaurant in Paoli, Wisconsin. Executive chef Andrew Wilson uses Landmark Creamery butter crafted on-site by founder Anna Landmark. Let it melt on top of a grilled […]