Homage With Fromage: Lincoln In Cheese

(CBS)  Troy Landwehr gives hope to children who love to play with food - especially cheese.

This Wisconsin native who carves cheese has turned a child's pastime into an historical art form.

Over the years he's carved over 250 sculptures, and they're not miniatures. Last year, he did a 2,000-pound cheddar display of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Two years ago, he carved a replica of Mt. Rushmore made of over 600 pounds of cheese. And this year, he has taken on a national monument in Washington, D.C.

On The Early Show Friday, Landwehr unveiled his 640-pound, three-dimensional cheddar sculpture of the Lincoln Memorial. The sculpture was commissioned by Cheez-It to celebrate the monument's 87th anniversary - four score and seven years ago.

Landwehr said he used photographs taken from several angles to get the sculpture looking proportional. He told Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez that the sculpture took more than 40 hours of labor and more than four days to make.

He said he carved the statue for hours in a cooler at nearly freezing temperatures to keep the cheese firm, and also added that the carvings don't need to be refrigerated. When the cheese is made, he explained, the curds are heated and pasteurized. Pasteurized cheese has already been heated and cooked, so all he does is add olive oil to the surface of the cheese as he sculpts to deter hardening.

"I like to carve straight through when you get in the zone you want to keep going," he said.

Landwehr told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith he began carving for the Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival 20 years ago, and has been "enjoying the experience ever since."

And historical scenes aren't the only thing Landwehr has carved. He's sculpted the Batman logo, cows and even Remy the rat from the film "Ratatouille."

According to Landwehr, mild cheddar is best to use because its texture has oils that make it easy to carve. Other cheeses, he said, like sharp cheddar, are too crumbly for detailed carving.

But, what happens to all that cheese after the sculpture is done?

Landwehr assured CBS News that it doesn't go to waste. Spectators can try the cheese, he said, and the rest is cut up and donated to soup kitchens and churches.