Sheana Davis facts for kids

Sheana Davis, born in 1969, is an American cheesemaker, chef, and teacher who loves food! She owns a company called Epicurean Connection in Sonoma, California. She's famous for creating a special cheese called Delice de la Vallee, plus other fresh cheeses. She also wrote a book called Buttermonger.

Sheana's Early Life and Learning About Food

Sheana was born in Sonoma, California, in 1969. She learned to cook from her grandfather. He used to make meals for farmers and ranchers every Friday. When she was a teenager, Sheana worked with famous food writers and experts like M.F.K. Fisher and Ig Vella. Sheana says Ig Vella was her mentor. He taught her a lot about starting a business and working with food communities. He guided her until he passed away in 2011.

In 1988, Sheana earned a degree in Culinary Arts from Santa Rosa Junior College. That same year, she found a cookbook from Commander's Palace. This book sparked her lifelong interest in the food and culture of New Orleans. She even went to New Orleans to intern at Commander's Palace. People like Lolis Eric Elie say Sheana is an "expert" in New Orleans food.

After returning to Sonoma, she started a catering business. Her daughter, Karina, was born in 1992. In the same year, Sheana started her company, the Epicurean Connection. Later, she met winemaker Bob Sessions, who introduced her to his son, Ben. Sheana and Ben married in 2016.

Her Culinary Journey and Helping Others

After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Sheana visited the city 14 times. She wanted to help with rebuilding efforts. This included feeding the people who were working to help the city recover. Sheana also helped organize an event with chef Susan Spicer in Sonoma. This event raised money for the hurricane victims.

In 2016, Sheana won a contest for her amazing tailgating recipe. She used Nathan's Famous hot dogs for the 2016 Toyota/Save Mart 350 race. Also in 2016, Sheana became the curator of the Last House. This was the final home of M.F.K. Fisher, located in Glen Ellen, California.

Sheana has also traveled to Dubai to teach about cheese. She did this for the US Dairy Export Council and the US Cheese Guild. She even took part in the Dubai Cheese Fest with another cheese expert, Mark Todd.

In 2023, Sheana released a book called Buttermonger with her daughter, Karina Davis. The book is all about the history and many uses of butter. It also includes lots of butter recipes.

Epicurean Connection: Food, Cheese, and Learning

The Epicurean Connection is a company Sheana started in 1992. It offers catering, makes cheese, and teaches people about cheese. The business first began as a marketing company. It helped clients like Straus Family Creamery and Cowgirl Creamery.

A "cheese cake" made by the Epicurean Connection

In 2005, Sheana opened the Epicurean Connection in Boyes Hot Springs. She originally planned for it to be an office for her marketing business. But she discovered that her grandfather, who taught her to cook, had a business in the same spot 40 years earlier! When she renovated the space, Sheana found it was built as a commercial kitchen. This led her to open a small cafe there. By 2011, the small shop needed more space. Sheana moved the shop to downtown Sonoma.

The "new" Epicurean was a combination of a cheese shop, a cafe serving lunch and dinner, and a bar with beer and wine. They offered tasty foods like Tasso ham sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, soups, and cheese plates. The space also hosted concerts and potlucks regularly. This included a monthly Farmer Dinner, where local farmers shared food and connected with each other. Sunset magazine even named the Epicurean Cafe one of the top 50 local food shops in California.

In September 2015, Sheana closed the cafe. She sold it to chef Manuel Avezedo. She wanted to focus more on making cheese, catering, and teaching about cheese.

Today, through the Epicurean Connection, Sheana teaches cheesemaking and cheese education classes. These classes are for everyone, from the general public to people in the restaurant industry. Classes are held at different places, including the Silverado Resort. Students learn how to make ricotta cheese. They usually end up with a finished cheese weighing 2-3 pounds!

Sheana's Cheesemaking Journey

Sheana Davis serving Delice de la Vallee at an event in 2015

Sheana makes several fresh cheeses. All of them use milk from local farms in Northern California. She started experimenting with different cheeses left over from her catering jobs. She made cheeses like fromage blanc, chevre, and crème fraîche. Eventually, Sheana created her first special cheese, Delice de la Vallee.

Delice de la Vallee is a triple-cream cheese. It is made from goat milk, cow milk cream, and whole cow milk. People describe it as "creamy, fluffy, earthy, and tangy." In 2010, it won a first-place prize at the American Cheese Conference and Competition. It was named the best "Fresh Unripened Mixed Milk" cheese. Saveur magazine also named Delice as one of the best cheeses for cheeseburgers. Even famous people like Jay-Z and Beyoncé are fans of this cheese!

In 2010, Sheana introduced a second cheese called Creme de Fromage. This is a triple cream cow's milk cheese. It is sweeter and thicker than Delice de la Vallee.

Sheana makes her cheese at a special cooperative in Berkeley, California. She produces about 500 pounds of cheese every week. Her cheese is served at famous restaurants like the French Laundry and Kendall-Jackson.

In 2012, Sheana was featured on a TV show called Reinventing the Meal with Richard Blais. The show highlighted her cheesemaking skills. She also started the Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference and Winter Artisan Cheese Fair. In 2019, the Huffington Post featured her for her amazing mac and cheese. It uses five different specialty cheeses!

In early 2024, Sheana was honored in Paris, France. During her visit, she achieved many important things. She was welcomed into the Guild du Fromage and became a certified Fromaggier (a cheese expert). She also completed a course on how to taste and analyze cheese. She even served as a judge at the Salon du Fromage, a big cheese event. Plus, she taught cheese and butter classes at Paroles de Fromagers and explored many cheese shops in Paris.

Sheana is known for her dedication to the American handmade cheese community. She has taught 162 cheesemaking classes this year alone! Susan Sturman, another respected cheese professional, praised Sheana's contributions. She highlighted Sheana's commitment to teaching, supporting, and helping others in the cheese industry and her local community.