Latest news with #mozzarella
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
James Leprino, ‘Willy Wonka of Cheese' Who Revolutionized Pizza, Dies at 87
James Leprino, who transformed his family's small Italian grocery store in Denver into a mozzarella empire, producing 85 percent of the cheese for pizzas in the United States as the primary supplier for chains like Domino's, Papa Johns and Pizza Hut, died on June 19. He was 87. Mr. Leprino's death, which has not been widely reported, was announced in a statement from the Leprino Foods Company in Colorado. It did not say where he died or give a cause. Called 'the Willy Wonka of cheese' by Forbes magazine, Mr. Leprino owned a company that industrialized the production and sale of mozzarella, making him a seminal figure in the piping-hot rise of pizza on the American food pyramid, as well as a billionaire twice over. In accelerating the exportation of pizza from neighborhood pizzerias to delivery chains and frozen-food aisles, Mr. Leprino's company had to reinvent the process of making mozzarella. With more than 50 patents for cheese making, Leprino Foods reduced the aging process for mozzarella from 14 days to four hours, created a preservative mist to prevent crumbling and adopted quick-freezing methods that had previously been used for peas. 'The company's production of mozzarella is the envy of the U.S. cheese industry,' The Denver Post Magazine said in 1995. 'The U.S. steel industry found huge productivity gains when it developed technologies to continuously cast long, thin slabs of sheet steel from molten metal. Leprino has perfected the same process with mozzarella.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Times
5 days ago
- General
- Times
Radicchio, hazelnut and blood orange salad recipe
The beauty of this recipe is that it is rather flexible, as a number of the ingredients can be substituted according to availability, and of course, personal taste. You can swap the hazelnuts for pine nuts or walnuts, but whichever you chose, make sure you roast them until they're dark with an intensely nutty smell. We love to grate ricotta salata, a firm, salty Italian sheep's cheese, over this salad, but if you can't find it, then you can use a ball of mozzarella — just freeze it until it's hard enough to grate first. Serves 4 • 150g hazelnuts• 3 blood oranges• 2 heads of radicchio or 4 red endives• 1 tsp honey• 20ml white wine vinegar• Generous pinch of dried oregano• 70ml good-quality extra virgin olive oil• 1 ricotta salata (or 1 large buffalo mozzarella, frozen for a few hours) 1. Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 5. Roast the hazelnuts on a baking tray for about 8-10 min, until they're a dark amber colour with an intensely nutty smell. 2. Juice a blood orange then put the juice to one side. Use a small knife to trim all the peel and pith off the other 2 oranges. Make incisions on the inside of each segment to release the flesh as whole pieces — like you would with a Terry's Chocolate Orange. 3. Next, cut the radicchio or endive down the middle and free the leaves from the core with a knife. Cut the leaves in half, into non-uniform shapes. Wash them thoroughly then spin or pat dry. 4. For the dressing, whisk the reserved orange juice, honey and vinegar together. Add salt and black pepper and the oregano. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mix while whisking consistently until you get a slightly thicker, glistening dressing. This process can also be done in a mixer or blender. 5. Put the radicchio leaves and orange segments into a salad bowl, crush the hazelnuts with the side of your knife to get uneven pieces and pop them in the bowl too. Pour over the dressing and toss thoroughly, then taste for seasoning. 6. Finally, grate the ricotta over the top of the salad, which will give it a zingy, salty edge. If you cannot get hold of ricotta salata, take a ball of frozen buffalo mozzarella. At the last minute, retrieve the mozzarella and grate finely over the top and serve. Neil Paterson and George Colebrook run Arete, a private dining company based in London and Edinburgh
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lactalis boosts staff numbers in US with two factory investments
Lactalis is creating around 50 US jobs as the France-based dairy major invests in two factories in New York state. The world's largest dairy manufacturer is ploughing about $75m into its facilities in Walton and Buffalo to expand production of mozzarella and sour cream. Lactalis' projects will be supported by tax credits from the local Empire State Development fund - $750,000 for the Walton site and $550,000 for the Buffalo plant. According to a statement from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Esteve Torrens, the CEO of Lactalis's business in the US, the investment will ensure the retention of 800 full-time jobs across the two factories. The projects are expected to be completed in 2027. The facilities in Walton and Buffalo process 800 million pounds of raw milk annually from 236 local dairy farmers. Torrens said: 'Lactalis has two plants in New York state that are key to our growing business in the US. Our Buffalo plant is home to a significant ricotta and mozzarella production under the Galbani brand. Our Walton plant continues a rich tradition since 1882 of producing Breakstone's Sour Cream and is essential to strengthening our cottage cheese business in a rapidly growing category.' The Buffalo plant produces mozzarella, ricotta and provolone-style cheese under Lactalis' Galbani brand, and also whey powder. The investment for the site is part of the $123m committed by the company for Buffalo from 2020 to 2027. In this round, $60m has been earmarked for the installation of six new vats, the addition of a cheese belt and a robotic palletiser. Lactalis said 20 of the new jobs will be created at the Walton sour cream and cottage cheese plant as the factory undergoes a $15m modernisation project to expand production. It will include new fillers, air filters, laboratory equipment, new roofing and boiler upgrades. 'By investing in the Lactalis USA facilities and assisting with improvements, New York is retaining hundreds of jobs and adding new jobs, as well as helping to support the region's dairy farmers,' Hochul said. 'New York will continue to work with businesses in the agri-food sectors as they expand and grow to ensure good-paying jobs remain in our communities.' The Walton and Buffalo facilities are among the 11 manufacturing plants and corporate offices Lactalis has in the US, according to the statement. It also has sites in Illinois, New Hampshire, California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Vermont and Arizona. Lactalis' factory in Tulare in California was the recipient of a $55m investment last year for its Président brand. Meanwhile, Lactalis entered an agreement to acquire the US yogurt business of food peer General Mills in 2024. Further afield, the French dairy major is bidding for the assets of Fonterra's consumer business and the cooperative's dairy and ingredients foodservice businesses in Australia. The news emerged in May soon after reports surfaced that Canadian dairy giant Saputo, along with Japan's Meiji Holding Co. and US investment firm Warburg Pincus, were also among interested parties. "Lactalis boosts staff numbers in US with two factory investments" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
CBS News
20-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Denver's James Leprino, a food industry giant who made his fortune producing mozzarella cheese, dies at 87
One of the most successful figures in Colorado business history passed away on Thursday. James Leprino was 87. Jim Leprino Leprino Foods Jim Leprino helped transform the small grocery business started by his Italian immigrant father in the West Highlands neighborhood of Denver into a powerhouse of an international cheese producer, still headquartered in the same neighborhood. Leprino Foods Company is the world's largest producer of mozzarella cheese, fulfilling contracts with many of the best-known pizza companies. It is also a leader in the production of dairy ingredients produced in its facilities around the world. Forbes ranked Jim Leprino as the sixth wealthiest person in Colorado in 2025, with a fortune worth over $2 billion. Leprino Foods is one of the nation's top privately held companies. File photo of Jim Leprino at Leprino Cheese Co. in the late 1970s Denver Post via Getty Images "He had a profound influence on countless lives," said the company in a statement Thursday, saying he had, "a larger-than-life presence." Additionally, the statement said: "He had a generous heart and a deep commitment to giving back. He never forgot the community that stood behind his family's business through the years, and he gave freely to causes that helped others. He cared deeply about people's well-being and was especially passionate about supporting medical and healthcare advancements that could make life better for future generations." The company says he is survived by his wife Donna; his daughters Gina and Terry, as well as grandchildren, nieces, nephews and a great grandchild.
