Bleating Heart

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THE CHEESEMAKER

Seana grew up in Southern California, where the only cheeses in the house were Velveeta & Kraft singles, along with the occasional commodity block cheddar. At a rather young age, she developed an interest in fine food and cooking. By the time she was in junior high, Seana was cooking meals for the entire family and reading Bon Appetit side-by-side with Vogue and Seventeen magazine while listening to Duran Duran and Depeche Mode. By this time, she had tasted blue cheese, feta, real cheddar, and knew there was a whole cheese world beyond what her mom chose to put in the frig. Seana spent the last 15 years in San Diego, attending UCSD and doing administrative work at The Salk Institute and The Scripps Research Institute. Driven by an ever-growing need for more fulfilling work, and the desire to do something involving fine food, Seana left her desk job in the summer of 2008 and immersed herself in all things CHEESE. She began working as a cheesemonger at Venissimo cheese shop in Del Mar, CA and quickly noticed that this work didn't feel like "work" at all. She looked forward to each day in the cheese shop, finding both her mind and taste buds stimulated by all the beautifully crafted cheeses. Within a matter of weeks, Seana realized that cheese is the perfect marriage of edible art & science, and decided that she must create a cheese of her own. Books were read, classes were completed, cheeses were tasted, cheesemakers were visited both here & abroad, animals were milked, and cheeses were made. This whirlwind adventure resulted in bringing cheese to market in August 2009 - less than a year from quitting that desk job.
 
milking some sheep             cleaning the bulk milk tank         working in the aging room            going on a date
10 random things about Seana:
  1. I wear silver Hunter brand rubber boots when I make cheese because I believe one must always have their own flair
  2. I have a degree in Sociology but have never worked as a sociologist
  3. I am a recognized BJCP beer judge and a home brewer
  4. I wear a camping headlight when I am cleaning my cheeses in the aging room
  5. I love cocktails
  6. I have 2 wiener dogs, Jethro and Seymour - full size wieners, not purse size!
  7. I drive a Mini Cooper and I also have a scooter but it doesn't get driven as much as the Mini
  8. I know how to milk a sheep by hand, it just takes a really long time
  9. I love MAC lipgloss and keep a tube in the creamery
  10. I nearly always have music playing, especially while I make cheese