Latest news with #MonteCristo
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Whitestone's Monte Cristo wins top award
Celebrating with the Champion of Champions trophy are (from left) Annabel Berry, Christine Lovell, Maria Davey, Simon Berry and a Woolworths representative, Eve Dhar. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED Whitestone Cheese cleaned up at the NZ Champions of Cheese awards, paying tribute to one half of the instigators of the business. Monte Cristo was named the champion of champions and cheesemaker Jonathan Emerson named champion cheesemaker at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards in Hamilton. The business was started in 1987 by Bob and Sue Berry. Mrs Berry died last month. Her drive and passion for the business was remembered when the wins came. "We've only ever won the supreme champion once before with Windsor Blue. "And for Monte Cristo to go through, it's nice timing, especially with Mum [Sue] passing on last month," Whitestone Cheese managing director Simon Berry said. Whitestone Cheese founder Sue Berry. "When we created Monte Cristo, it was named after our family farm and we're dedicating it to her really. "Here we are recognised as New Zealand's leading producer and getting to this point with all the hard work she's put in, and her vision and her taste". Last month, the business secured an impressive 18 medals, including six highly coveted gold medals at the cheese awards. All the medal winners were then in contention for trophies, which were awarded at a ceremony on Thursday night. Whitestone was awarded five trophies, including the top award, Woolworths Champion of Champions. Monte Cristo also received trophies for Champion Original Cheese and Maui Sheep Milk Best-in-Class Sheep Milk Cheese. Mr Berry said they were "thrilled" with the wins and his father Bob was "ecstatic". Head cheesemaker For Jonathan Emerson, who has been at Whitestone for 14 years, the Champion Cheesemaker title win was "a testament to his focus on quality and technique and also managing all those complex recipes under one roof," Mr Berry said. Whitestone's Monte Cristo had been a "pioneering" sheepmilk recipe cheese. It had taken a long time to perfect. "It has won gold medals before, but to go through to win the grand champion just shows the quality of it," Mr Berry said. Its development came from his parents experimenting with sheep milk suppliers and working with farmers in Southland and Dr Jock Allison at Invermay. "He pioneered it by bringing in the first East Friesian Cross to create a cheese with, so Monte Cristo was born out of that," Mr Berry said. Judges praised Monte Cristo saying it was "the cream of the crop".
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Whitestone creams it at NZ cheese awards
Whitestone Cheese head cheesemaker Jonathan Emerson and managing director Simon Berry at their Oamaru factory. PHOTO: JULES CHIN A sheep milk cheddar made in Oamaru has been named New Zealand's best cheese. Whitestone Cheese's Monte Cristo was the champion of champions and cheesemaker Jonathon Emerson named champion cheesemaker at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards in Hamilton last night. Last month, the Oamaru cheese business, founded by Bob and Sue Berry in 1987, secured an impressive 18 medals, including six highly coveted gold medals at the cheese awards. All the medal winners were then in contention for trophies, which were awarded last night. Whitestone was awarded five trophies, including the top award. Monte Cristo also received trophies for champion original cheese and best-in-class sheep milk cheese. Managing director Simon Berry said they were "thrilled" and his father Bob "ecstatic". Whitestone Cheese Co's sheep milk cheddar, Monte Cristo. Photo credit: Supplied Head cheesemaker Jonathan Emerson, who has been at Whitestone for 14 years, received the champion cheesemaker title which was "a testament to his focus on quality and technique and also managing all those complex recipes under one roof," Mr Berry said. Whitestone's Monte Cristo had been a "pioneering" sheep milk recipe cheese. It had taken a long time to perfect from the 1990s on. "It has won gold medals before, but to go through to win the grand champion just shows the quality of it." Its development came from his parents experimenting with sheep milk supply and working with farmers in Southland and Dr Jock Allison at Invermay. "He pioneered it by bringing in the first East Friesian Cross to create a cheese with, so Monte Cristo was born out of that," Mr Berry said. Judges praised Monte Cristo saying it was "the cream of the crop".
Otago Daily Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Oamaru cheese cream of the crop
Whitestone Cheese head cheesemaker Jonathan Emerson and managing director Simon Berry at their Oamaru factory. PHOTO: JULES CHIN Cream of the crop - a sheep milk cheddar made in Oamaru has been named New Zealand's best cheese. Whitestone Cheese's Monte Cristo was the champion of champions and cheesemaker Jonathon Emerson named champion cheesemaker at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards in Hamilton last night. Last month, the Oamaru cheese business, founded by Bob and Sue Berry in 1987, secured an impressive 18 medals, including six highly coveted gold medals at the cheese awards. All the medal winners were then in contention for trophies, which were awarded last night. Whitestone was awarded five trophies, including the top award. Monte Cristo also received trophies for champion original cheese and best-in-class sheep milk cheese. Managing director Simon Berry said they were "thrilled" and his father Bob "ecstatic". Whitestone Cheese Co's sheep milk cheddar, Monte Cristo. Photo credit: Supplied Head cheesemaker Jonathan Emerson, who has been at Whitestone for 14 years, received the champion cheesemaker title which was "a testament to his focus on quality and technique and also managing all those complex recipes under one roof," Mr Berry said. Whitestone's Monte Cristo had been a "pioneering" sheep milk recipe cheese. It had taken a long time to perfect from the 1990s on. "It has won gold medals before, but to go through to win the grand champion just shows the quality of it." Its development came from his parents experimenting with sheep milk supply and working with farmers in Southland and Dr Jock Allison at Invermay. "He pioneered it by bringing in the first East Friesian Cross to create a cheese with, so Monte Cristo was born out of that," Mr Berry said. Judges praised Monte Cristo saying it was "the cream of the crop".
WIRED
31-03-2025
- Health
- WIRED
Diet-to-Go Delivers a Full Week's Supply of Healthy Meals. Shame About the Carrots, Though
The food falls into the broad category of 'better than expected.' Maybe Diet-to-Go's jambalaya would not have been recognizable to Paul Prudhomme as his home cuisine. But it was tasty enough nonetheless: meaty and stewy with tomatoes, earthily spicy without too much bite except from a peppery andouille. The plentiful shrimp did not carry the rubberiness one fears from reheated foods. The hydration and texture of the rice were also as good as I could expect from any meal that arrived in microwave-safe, recyclable CPET plastic. The plans vary, but in general, you're looking at anywhere from $130 a week for a 10-meal plan to $225 for a full complement of all 21 meals you'll eat in a week—a lot for home cooking or freezer fare, but far less than DoorDash. Have Plan, Will Follow Diet-to-Go's 'Balance' option, its most popular plan, remains stolidly traditional on the weight-loss front, offering old-fashioned calorie-restricted meal planning that has fallen somewhat out of fashion in this modern era of fad diets and hedonistic anti-glutenism. Men get 1,600 calories a day. Women get 1,200. Each of these calorie counts falls significantly below metabolic needs to maintain homeostasis for adults, which is the whole point: It's a diet. The site touts the usual array of success stories from people who've lost 53 or 60 or 85 pounds. There's also an Atkins-style keto option, and Diet-to-Go is one of few plans to design insulin-gentle meals specifically for diabetics or pre-diabetics. The Mediterranean plan I tried isn't specifically listed as calorie-restricted, but meals still hovered mostly below 500 calories. In general, if you follow the service's meal plan for every meal and don't supplement with your own food, you'll be hungry. It's how diets used to work, or not work, depending on your experience. Nutritionwise, meal after meal, everything hovered within USDA guidelines. Calories from fat hovered south of 30 percent for each meal. Sodium, added up over three meals, did not breach the lid. In broad strokes, it's healthy food, as long as it's all you eat. But in practice, you'll probably also eat or snack on other stuff even if you're using the meal program to regulate your weight. Or at least, I certainly did. The meals are a perfectly hearty lunch but a small dinner. You'll be tempted to eat trash late at night if you, like me, are a trashmonster. Photograph: Matthew Korfhage Good Meats, Soggy Carrots When judged as healthy microwaved meals, Diet-to-Go's meals fared very well versus any supermarket competition. But, of course, they can't stack up to fresh-cooked food. Meals I tried from Diet-to-Go tended to follow a very specific pattern. The meats often held better than expected. Starches fared best, especially a diced-apple pancake roll-up breakfast that needed no extra syrupy sweetness; a hearty chicken-and-almond stuffed 'Italian potato' served with couscous; or a hammy, cheesy Monte Cristo laden with jam and served with quite pleasant plantains.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘South Dakota's best bistro': Krave Café serves up a variety of tasty crepes in Aberdeen
Krave Café opened in Aberdeen in August of 2024. They are currently ranked by 605 magazine as South Dakota's best bistro. Krave is also the only location for crêpes in about four hours' travel time from their current location on Eisenhower Circle. Dominika Blum, the owner of the café, was inspired to open Krave by her extensive travels and early life in Poland. She has over 20 years of restaurant experience as well as a degree in architecture. Krave's atmosphere is akin to a local bistro in Europe. 'We take pride in cultivating a family-friendly yet elegant environment, where thoughtful touches like creative menu names, purse holders and various seating arrangements set us apart," Blum said. "For us, it's more than running a restaurant; it's about fostering meaningful connections, building a legacy of care and delivering outstanding service that keeps our guests craving Krave.' Blum said her goal for her business is to inspire joy with every bite and sip, referencing its tagline 'Sips, Eats, Sweets.' The restaurant's baker, Mary Collins, arrives at four in the morning and makes all of Krave's pastries. 'As for baked goods,' Blum said, 'our biscones, a divine marriage between a biscuit and a scone, are a hands-down favorite, followed by our lemon bread and crinkle bars. Guests rave about them every time, and for good reason — they're simply irresistible.' The experience in Krave Café doesn't stop at the food. 'One of the things I'm most excited about is seeing our incredible team continue to thrive," Blum said. "Watching them grow both professionally and personally has been incredibly rewarding." She said she is looking forward to new opportunities for growth with both the restaurant and its employees. But for now, she is excited about the menu — which includes its best seller — crepes. Krave's best seller as far as crêpes go is the Monte Cristo, which features ham, turkey, white cheddar, Dijon mustard, raspberry jam, and powdered sugar. When it comes to teas, however, the coconut green tea is the cafe's most demanded drink. 'Krave After Dark Series' is what Krave Café becomes after hours. The café becomes an event space, which hosts everything from painting classes to lessons in etiquette. Blum also aims to offer live music with local musicians at least once a month. For a schedule of events, find Krave on Facebook or at 'Whether enjoying a café con miel while studying, sharing a pot of tea with a friend, or sparking human connection and conversation, Krave was designed to fill that need,' said Blum. Krave Café is located at 1801 Eisenhower Circle, Aberdeen. Its hours are 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday. This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Krave Café serves up some of South Dakota's tastiest crepes, pastries
