Sheana Davis
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Sheana Davis (born 1969) is an American cheesemaker, chef, and culinary educator. She is the owner of the ''Epicurean Connection'', in Sonoma,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, and is the creator of ''Delice de la Vallee'' cheese, along with other fresh cheeses. Davis is also the author of ''Buttermonger.''


Early life and education

Davis was born in
Sonoma, California Sonoma is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Sonoma is one of the principal cities of California's Wine Country and the center of the Sonoma Valley AVA. Sonoma's p ...
in 1969. She learned how to cook from her grandfather, who served a meal to farmers and ranchers at the Sonoma Grange every Friday. When she was a teenager, she served as an
apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
under
M.F.K. Fisher Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher (July 3, 1908 – June 22, 1992) was an American food writer. She was a founder of the Napa Valley Wine Library. Over her lifetime she wrote 27 books, including a translation of ''The Physiology of Taste'' by Brillat-S ...
, and also worked for Ig Vella. Davis credits Vella as her mentor and for teaching her about entrepreneurship and food communities. He mentored her until his death in 2011. In 1988, she earned a degree in
Culinary Arts Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called chefs or ...
from Santa Rosa Junior College. That same year, she found a copy of the '' Commander's Palace Cookbook'' at a bookstore. The book launched a lifelong interest in New Orleans cuisine and culture. She proceeded to intern at Commander's Palace in
New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
.
Lolis Eric Elie Lolis Eric Elie (born April 10, 1963) is an American writer, journalist, documentary filmmaker, and food historian best known for his work as story editor of the HBO drama '' Treme'' and story editor of AMC's ''Hell on Wheels''. Early life an ...
describes Davis as an "expert" in New Orleans food. After returning to Sonoma, she began
catering Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, hospital, pub, aircraft, cruise ship, park, festival, filming location or film studio. History of catering The earliest account of major services be ...
. Her daughter Karina was born in 1992. That same year she started the Epicurean Connection. After buying a house in Sonoma, she met winemaker Bob Sessions. Sessions introduced Davis to his son, Ben, whom she would marry in 2016.


Culinary career

After
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, Davis visited New Orleans 14 times to help with rebuilding efforts, including feeding relief workers. Davis also promoted an event with chef
Susan Spicer Susan Spicer is a New Orleans-based chef, who owns several restaurants in that city, including a take-out food market which doubles as a bakery. She has received several awards, and appeared in the 2009 finale of the Bravo television program ''To ...
, in Sonoma, to raise funds for victims of the hurricane. Davis was featured in an advertising campaign for
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in 2015. In 2016, Davis won an "Ultimate Fan" contest for her
tailgating Tailgating is the action of a driver driving behind another vehicle while not leaving sufficient distance to stop without causing a collision if the vehicle in front stops suddenly. The safe distance for following another vehicle varies depend ...
recipe using Nathan's Famous hot dogs at the 2016 Toyota/Save Mart 350. In 2016, Davis was named the curator of
the Last House ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, the final home of M.F.K. Fisher, located in
Glen Ellen, California Glen Ellen is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States. The population was 784 at the 2010 census, down from 992 at the 2000 census. Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London State Historic Par ...
. Davis served as a cheese educator in
Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
on behalf of the
US Dairy Export Council The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and the US Cheese Guild. As part of her work in Dubai, Davis participated in the Dubai Cheese Fest alongside fellow cheese expert Mark Todd. In 2023, Davis released the book ''Buttermonger'' with her daughter Karina Davis. The book focuses on the history and use of butter and numerous butter recipes.


Epicurean Connection

The Epicurean Connection is a catering, cheese production, and cheese education company started by Davis in 1992. The business originally started as a marketing firm, which included
Straus Family Creamery Straus Family Creamery is a California organic dairy, located in Marshall in Marin County. They produce whole milk, reduced and non-fat milk (pasteurized, but not homogenized), butter, cheese, ice cream and yogurt. Their milk is used in the prod ...
and
Cowgirl Creamery Cowgirl Creamery is a company located in Point Reyes Station, California, which manufactures artisan cheeses. Founded in 1994, the company manufactures its own cheeses and sells other imported and domestic cheese and fine artisan foods. Its own ...
clients. In 2005, Davis opened the Epicurean Connection in
Boyes Hot Springs Boyes Hot Springs (also called Boyes Springs or The Springs)is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States. The population was 6,656 people at the 2010 census. Resorts in Boyes Hot Springs, El Verano ...
. It was originally going to serve as an office space for her marketing firm. Davis discovered her grandfather, who taught her to cook, had a business in the same space 40 years prior. Renovations to the space led to Davis finding that the space was originally built as a commercial kitchen. Thus leading Davis to open a small cafe. By 2011, the small shop had outgrown its space and Davis relocated the shop to downtown Sonoma. The "new" Epicurean was a combination cheese shop, cafe serving lunch and dinner, and beer and wine bar. Food options included
Tasso ham Tasso ham is a smoked, spiced, and cured meat, a specialty of south Louisiana cuisine. In this case "ham" is a misnomer since tasso is not made from the hind leg of a hog, but rather the hog's shoulder. This cut is typically fatty, and because ...
sandwiches,
pulled pork Pulled pork is an American barbecue dish, more specifically a dish of the Southern U.S., based on shredded barbecued pork shoulder. It is typically slow-smoked over wood (usually outdoors); indoor variations use a slow cooker. The meat is th ...
sandwiches,
soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ing ...
s, and cheese plates. The space also hosted regular concerts and potlucks, including a monthly Farmer Dinner, in which local farmers brought food to share and networked over dinner. ''
Sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spring ...
'' named the Epicurean Cafe one of the top 50 local food shops in California. Davis closed the cafe, selling the cafe to chef Manuel Avezedo, in September 2015, to focus cheese production, catering and cheese education. Today, under the Epicurean Connection, Davis teaches cheesemaking and cheese education classes to the general public and the restaurant industry. Classes are taught at various locations, including the Silverado Resort. Participants learn how to make
ricotta Ricotta ( in Italian) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after the ...
cheese, resulting in a 2-3 pound finished cheese.


Cheesemaking

Davis produces multiple fresh cheeses, all which use local Northern California milks. She began experimenting with various cheeses left over from catering. She made fromage blanc,
chevre Goat cheese, or chèvre ( or ; from French ''fromage de chèvre'' 'goat cheese'), is cheese made from goat's milk. Goats were among the first animals to be domesticated for producing food. Goat cheese is made around the world with a variety o ...
and
crème fraîche Crème fraîche (English pronunciation: , , lit. "fresh cream") is a dairy product, a soured cream containing 10–45% butterfat, with a pH of approximately 4.5., p. 181''f'' It is soured with a bacterial culture. European labeling regulations ...
. Eventually, Davis created her first signature cheese, Delice de la Vallee. Delice de la Vallee is a triple-cream cheese made from goat milk, cow milk cream and whole cow milk. It has been described as "creamy, fluffy, earthy and tangy." It was awarded a first place prize at the 2010 American Cheese Conference and Competition for the best "Fresh Unripened Mixed Milk" cheese. Delice was named one of the top cheeses for cheeseburgers by ''
Saveur ''Saveur'' is an online gourmet, food, wine, and travel magazine that publishes essays about various world cuisines. The publication was co-founded by Dorothy Kalins, Michael Grossman, Christopher Hirsheimer, and Colman Andrews, who was also the ...
''.
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
are fans of the cheese. A second cheese, Creme de Fromage, was introduced in 2010. It is a triple cream cow's milk cheese. It is sweeter and thicker than Delice de la Vallee. Davis' cheese production takes place at a cooperative in
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
. She produces 500 pounds of cheese weekly. Her cheese is served at the French Laundry and Kendall-Jackson. Davis was featured on ''Reinventing the Meal'' with
Richard Blais Richard Blais (born February 12, 1972) is an American chef, television personality, restaurateur and author. He appeared on the reality show cooking show ''Top Chef'', and is known for his take on classic American cuisine. Blais was the runner-u ...
in 2012 for her cheesemaking. She also founded the Sonoma Valley Cheese Conference and Winter Artisan Cheese Fair. In 2019, she was featured in ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' for her
mac and cheese Macaroni and cheese (also called mac and cheese in Canada and the United States and macaroni cheese in the United KingdomBBC, RecipesMacaroni Cheese/ref>) is a dish of cooked macaroni pasta and a cheese sauce, most commonly Cheddar sauce. The t ...
, which uses five speciality cheeses. In early 2024, Davis made was honored in Paris, France. During her visit, Sheana achieved numerous milestones, including induction into th
Guild du Fromage
certification as a Fromaggier, completion of a Sensory Analysis of Cheese course, and served as a judge at the Salon du Fromage. Additionally, she conducted cheese and butter classes a
Paroles de Fromagers
and explored various cheese shops and retailers in Paris. Known for her dedication to the American artisanal cheese community, Sheana has conducted 162 cheese-making classes this year alone
Susan Sturman
a respected cheese professional, praised Sheana’s contributions to the cheese industry and her local community, highlighting her commitment to education, advocacy, and support for those in need.


Bibliography

*''Buttermonger'' (2023)


References


Further reading

*Doppenberg, Jean. ''Food Lovers' Guide to Sonoma: The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings''. Guilford: Globe Pequot Press (2012). 0762779470


External links

*
Video of Sheana Davis teaching a cheese class"Discover Sonoma chef-cheese maker's secret to longtime list of big-name customers"
from ''North Bay Business Journal'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Sheana 1969 births People from Sonoma, California Cheesemakers American chefs Living people Food and drink in the San Francisco Bay Area Dairy products companies in California Santa Rosa Junior College alumni