ARTERY

THE 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.

Margaret 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.

CC: How did you become the Cheese Lady? fresh milk. I was moved by their love for what they were MC: I certainly didn’t set out to become the Cheese Lady. I doing. And I love Italy. We went back to the Fancy Food Show grew up in New York, lived in Connecticut, and now I live in with Gorgonzola, and it was wonderful. I didn’t know what I Rye, NY, in Westchester County. I went to the Sacred Heart was getting into. I didn’t know how important the Gorgonzola School, with the nuns—I loved it!—then to a college called Consortium would be. But boy did it turn out to be. Manhattanville. I left to study in Paris, then came back and worked in New York City in something totally unrelated to CC: But surely there must have been challenges, too. food: for Steuben Glass. I got married; my husband was half MC: Oh sure. I stepped on some toes. People could be territorial. Italian and half American. He had family in Milan—I’m very Giorgio DeLuca (of Dean & DeLuca) gave me a very hard time. close with them today. We lived here for a little bit, and then he was transferred to Switzerland, then Paris, where we lived for 24 years. He died suddenly of CC: But weren’t you importing cheese, whereas he was a retailer? MC: He felt he owned the whole thing, cancer in 1980. One of his Italian that there wasn’t room for anyone cousins was very well known. My family is from Naples, and my husband’s family is from the north of Italy, and so they He said, “Margaret, why don’t you go else. But later it all changed. The last time I saw him, I gave him a hug. And that was the exception. Mostly, people give me a hard time. Northern and Southern Italians have a famous rivalry. Anyway, this to America and were wonderful. We did a lot of work with Macy’s. Andy Balducci was great, and cousin had founded the Gorgonzola Consortium, and also represented rice growers in Piedmont and Lombardy. They produced Carnaroli rice, which is represent our products there.” And so I did. Zabar’s was great, too. I worked with Dairyland. They were here first. They had some of their own fine cheeses. They got a little annoyed at first, very hard to grow, and very special. It makes the best risotto. He said, “Margret, why don’t you go to America and because it was their world, but there is definitely room for all of us. We worked everything out. represent our products there.” And so I did. I came over, and brought his cheeses and rice to America. CC: The food world can be such a boy’s club. How did you navigate that? CC: That sounds like such a bold move. How did it go? MC: Everyone talks about that, but I have no complaints. MC: I used to pick up all this cheese from the airport and put it in the back of my car. I took them around and showed them People have always treated me well, with great respect, wherever I went. to people. One or two gave me a hard time, because they thought they owned that business. These were cheeses from Piedmont and Lombardy, some beautiful cheeses. I arranged to take them to the Fancy Food Show. It went pretty well. This was 40 years ago, and their cheeses just didn’t exist here then. In the early 80s, they had Parmesan and Pecorino, but they didn’t have all those fancy things we have today. People were very nice to me. They loved the cheeses. So I went back to Italy. And what really got me, what really hooked me, was meeting the producers and seeing their culture. They showed me what the cows were eating; they wanted me to taste the CC: That’s incredibly encouraging to hear. Did you have any mentors along the way? Who showed you the ropes? MC: The person who was so helpful to me was Fred Chesman. Someone had given me his name and told me he could teach me about cheese licenses and such. (I was totally inexperienced at the beginning when it came to importing, FDA, licenses, etc. I needed the help.) He was working with Atalanta Corp. and was kind enough to meet with me. He was incredibly generous and helpful. He explained everything to me and even gave me my first order. Fred was a very respected, loved and admired person in the food industry. He passed

away a couple of months ago. It is a tribute that I mention him to you here—he really helped me, and many others, throughout the years. Everyone was very sorry to see him go. He was an icon in the cheese industry. His father, who founded the firm of Charles Chesman Co., was one of the very first to import cheese from Italy. I was indeed very lucky to have had his advice and help in getting started. Atalanta (where Chesman served as vice president from 1982 through 2014) is a wonderful company for which I have the greatest respect.

CC: What are you working on now? What are you excited about?

MC: I’ve been working for Grana and Piave for the past three years. After three years, the money stops—the money comes from the European Union. This year, we’re going to be promoting Pecorino Romano, Asiago and speck. Montasio needs to be promoted. It comes from Friuli, which is the most northeast region of Italy and borders Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. It’s a very good cheese, a cow’s milk cheese named after the mountains. They asked me about it, and I said yes. It’s not exciting like a Blue cheese or some of these cheeses from Piedmont, but it deserves to be promoted.

CC: How do you go about promoting a cheese? What does that entail? What did you actually do?

MC: I spent a good many unforgettable years presenting and promoting the cheeses of Agriform, a wonderful cooperative from the Veneto. Their cheeses include Grana Padano, Parmigiano and Piave and other wonderful cheeses produced by Lattebusche; Asiago; and cheeses by Mila, a co-op and producer of cheeses in Alto Adige. Being able to work with Agriform 40 has been so special and a real highlight in my career. I also spent several great years working with BelGioioso Cheese from Denmark, WI. Originally, they were known for the superior Provolone they were producing domestically in Wisconsin, but then began expanding by making Mascarpone, Gorgonzola and a long series of wonderful other cheeses. I consider myself so fortunate to have had this experience to work with this amazing company and the Auricchio family. Their place is gorgeous, and their products are exceptional. Working with a U.S. company also opened the window to learn cheese production in the United States, which is impressive and growing more so all the time. It’s also getting better all the time. It’s a really exciting time for cheese in the States. I do a lot of trainings for staff in markets. It’s the most important thing that they understand what they’re selling and can talk to their customers. When you go to buy something, you want to know exactly what you’re buying. I want the markets to love the cheese as much as the people who make it. For me, the best thing is not to just tell people about cheese, but to explain the origin. The origins of Italian cheeses are always very, very interesting. They always have a special story. If you tell people the story, they’ll certainly remember it, maybe even more than the cheese itself.

CC: That’s why I love to write about cheese. Such good stories.

MC: Right. Take Grana. Sometimes when I show the aged Grana, the Stravecchio or Reserva, people are surprised that it’s Grana, not Parmigiano Reggiano. Grana goes back to the year 1000. Cistercian Monks moved from France to Italy, south of Milan—there’s a beautiful castle there. The Cistercians were

excellent at agriculture. There were swamplands, which made CC: That’s completely understandable. What is your for rich soil, and the milk and cream were exceptional. They favorite part of what you do? started making cheese, and it became popular. Now it’s one of MC: I love that I get to see the whole thing through—from Italy’s most popular cheeses. The cows go out on pastures. the producers, to stores, to customers…and then at the end When you’re up in the Dolomites, you see these happy cows. of that journey, maybe you write about it. It’s satisfying. I It’s really something. For everything you export, you pay an also love bringing people to Italy. Sometimes I put together export fee. So, if I was going to bring in 10 cheeses, I was trips. I’ll take teams from markets and buyers and introduce going to pay 10 times the fee. But I had a lot to learn; if I did them to Italian producers. They’re absolutely beautiful trips. it right, there could be one fee, one invoice, It’s quite an experience. I tell the producers, rather than 10. Agriform worked with me “Show them everything.” And they really on this. They helped me out. In the do. We see the pastures, the grass and beginning, I was young. I could take a risk and do these things. I spent a lot of time at the airport. I What really got me, what really hooked me, the cheesemaking from start to finish. Last time, when we got to the airport, people were crying. learned more and more. CC: Many decades later, so much has changed, some of that thanks to you. The was meeting the producers and seeing their culture. They showed me what the cows A man said to me, “Margaret, you’ve changed our lives.” They’ve never forgotten. Neither have I. specialty cheese world is growing all the time. How were eating; they wanted me CC: It sounds magical. When you’re not being the is the cheese landscape different from when you began? to taste the fresh milk. I was moved by their Cheese Lady, what do you do for fun? What is your non-cheese life like? MC: The business has definitely changed. There is so much more beautiful artisanal cheese available in the United States. Just so much cheese. A love for what they were doing. MC: I have two children. My younger son died four years ago. CC: I’m so very sorry to hear that. lot of these gorgeous little cheeses are really MC: Thank you. Anyway, I love music. I love expensive. But promoting them still takes hard work. You spending time with friends. I have a granddaughter, and have to go out and explain, tell their story and really sell spending time with her is very important to me. They live in them to people. You’ve got to give them the history. Since I New Jersey, right across the Tappan Zee Bridge. And of course, love the producers so much and know them well, I love to do I travel to Italy quite often. it. I love to tell the stories about them. There are so many products out there, and so much competition. Sometimes it CC: What’s next for you? can be ruthless. I don’t want to get into any ruthless fights, MC: I’m always checking out stores and their cheese departthat doesn’t make sense. I always tell the truth. It’s easier to ments. Many markets are really improving their selection and be honest. quality. And I’m selling my house; I’m downsizing. It’s a new CC: You worked for a lot of prestigious specialty food I’ll be back in Italy soon and have more trips ahead to orgacompanies. How did you get involved with Atalanta and nize. It’s a great time for cheese.

BelGioioso?

MC: It’s a small world, so I got to know people pretty fast, and well. It happened naturally. I connected producers with companies who could champion them. I always wanted to work as a consultant. I have always appreciated the freedom of working for myself. chapter. I’m excited about working with Friuli and Montasio.

The Man Behind the Sky

The next time you’re at 91st Street, stand in the Rotunda and look straight up—past the red velvet banister we were never allowed to touch, through the majestic spiral of the sweeping marble stairs. You may already know that the stained glass skylight above you was designed by Tiffany & Co., but you probably didn’t know who created the vibrant surrounding mural: French artist and architect, Hector d’Espouy.

Hector d’Espouy (1854–1929) grew up in Cazères, France and attended Jesuit schools. Although he loved painting, his father (a justice of the peace) pressed him to become an architect instead. After studying at the School of Fine Arts in Toulouse, and then Paris, he apprenticed in the workshop of the French architect Honoré Daumet. In 1884, he won the first Grand Prix de Rome, a prestigious French award for arts and architecture students, and lived at the Villa de Medici from 1885 to 1888. During this stay, he traveled extensively, visiting all of the historical sites throughout Italy, Egypt, Asia Minor, and Greece, drawing and sketching all the while. While he won medals and awards for his drawings, what he seemed to value most were the monuments themselves. He wrote to his family: “These noble buildings still appear to me as the highest expression of common sense…They are of perfection and incredible simplicity in every detail. The more I study them, the more I am lost in admiration.”

Although he obtained his formal diploma in architecture once back in Paris, he quickly became known for his decorative painting, and was hired to paint numerous public places, such as museums and theaters, both in France and abroad. Highlights include a fresco on the ceiling of the entrance to the Pantheon of Paris (1891); decoration of Paris’s Rose Palace (1902); and paintings and interior decorations of the presidential train (1915) and National Library of France (1917). In 1903, he painted the Rotunda mural in the Burden mansion, which depicts allegories of the arts.

Mr. d’Espouy won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition and was knighted by the French Legion of Honor in 1901. He had a wife and son, Jean, who was also an artist. He remained forever attached to his hometown, Cazères, where a street was named in his honor.

LORE AND LEGENDS