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Cheese Lady OF ITALY Margaret Birmingham Cicogna, who was a student at 91st Street for 11 years from the fall of 1940 through her graduation in the spring of 1952, said she has “nothing but wonderful memories” of her time at Sacred Heart. “You know, I made my First Communion with Mother Ranney,” she said. “I thank God every day for my Sacred Heart education.” Following is a profile of Margaret published in Cheese Connoiseur magazine.
M
argaret Birmingham Cicogna ’52 is one of the United State’s leading authorities on Italian cheese. “People call me the Cheese Lady,” she told Cheese Connoisseur over coffee in New York City. “But I do a lot more than cheese.
I went to school. I have a family.” Still, Cicogna’s deep knowledge and passion for cheese, and close relationships with the producers she’s worked with over many decades, have more than earned her the title. She has held influential leadership positions at Consorzio Gorgonzola, BelGioioso Cheese, and Atalanta Corp., and now is an independent consultant working on what she does best: educating, celebrating and promoting highquality cheese from Italy to lucky American retailers and consumers. She acts as a liaison between farmers, producers and the wholesale retail market, and is a volunteer with the Italian Trade Commission. It was a pleasure to chat with Cicogna, who exudes true joy when discussing cheese. Reprinted with permission from Cheese Connoisseur magazine. The full article, published in April 2018, can be found at www.cheeseconnoisseur.com. Story by Hannah Howard • Photos by @Vpvisuals
