{"id":219703,"date":"2026-03-14T16:20:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T16:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/219703\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T16:20:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T16:20:16","slug":"raw-milk-paneer-and-topo-cheese-earn-good-food-semifinal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/219703\/","title":{"rendered":"Raw milk paneer and Topo cheese earn Good Food semifinal"},"content":{"rendered":"

In January, Just Creamery\u2019s farmer cheese and sheep cheese were announced as semifinalists<\/a> in the Good Food Awards\u2019 cheese division, the first time the cheesemaker\u2019s products have been highlighted.<\/p>\n

Abhinav Anand hails from the state of Bihar in India. When he immigrated to the United States in 1999, he craved the fresh-made cheeses of his homeland. He was disappointed in the store-bought paneer he found here, so he took matters into his own hands.<\/p>\n

The first step was to find the right milk. Anand insisted on raw milk as the source for his cheeses, as that delivers the purest, truest flavor. He ended up partnering with third-generation farmer Joe Bento of Valley Milk Simply Bottled<\/a>, based near Modesto.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way he treats his cows is amazing, actually. I mean, very happy cows, very well taken care of, and the milk is absolutely the best. If the milk is good, anything you make of it is good,\u201d Anand said.<\/p>\n

\"Abhinav Abhinav Anand, founder of Just Creamery, shows an area where milk is pasteurized in vats inside his production facility on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Wilton. Just Creamery is a finalist for the Good Food Awards. Originally from India, he said he wanted the cheeses he craved from home, which is why he founded the company. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

In fact, the farm is a sanctuary,<\/a> offering rescued cows a place to live out their lives in peace, even after their productive years are over.<\/p>\n

In addition, Bento\u2019s cows produce A2\/A2 milk, which comes from cows bred to only produce the A2 beta-casein protein<\/a>. This form of beta-casein allegedly makes milk easier to digest for those with lactose sensitivities and makes for richer-tasting than milk with the protein\u2019s A1 variety. The cows are also Jerseys, which produce a higher butterfat content than other cows\u2019 milks.<\/p>\n

Bento is more than the supplier, he\u2019s a partner in the business and one of the cheesemakers. Just as Anand craved fresh paneer, Bento craved the Topo cheese of his parents\u2019 Azorean homeland. They set up a creamery on a small farm on a remote road in Wilton.<\/p>\n

The first step is to pasteurize the milk, which they do at 155 degrees for 30 minutes. This slow, low-temperature pasteurization method retains the milk\u2019s fresh flavor and creaminess; higher temperatures destroy volatile aromatic compounds and denature milk proteins.<\/p>\n

Once the milk is cooled, a coagulant is added. In keeping with their moral compass, Just Creamery only uses vegetable rennet, not animal rennet which must be harvested from calves\u2019 stomachs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur principle to be as ethical as possible, as humane as possible,\u201d Anand said.<\/p>\n

\"Abhinav Abhinav Anand, founder of JUST Creamery, stands among wheels of Portuguese Topo, Gouda and Parmesan in the creamery\u2019s cheese cave at his production facility on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Wilton. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

The curds that form are then drained and pressed for various cheeses. Aside from paneer and Topo cheese, Just Creamery also produces a fresh mozzarella, a Gouda and a young parmesan,<\/a> which they age in a container inside the creamery. They also produce a cream-top yogurt, ghee and a variety of gelatos.<\/p>\n

On the palate, Just Creamery\u2019s products have a rich creaminess and a grassy fragrance that reminds you where the cows grazed.<\/p>\n

To capture that essence of freshness, the products are currently only delivered direct to consumer in the Bay Area. However, Anand hopes to enter the Sacramento market soon.<\/p>\n

\"Abhinav Abhinav Anand, founder of JUST Creamery, cuts pieces of gouda cheese for tasting at the production facility on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Wilton. Abhinav said the cheeses are farm-to-table fresh, made the traditional way in small batches and with zero preservatives, just like homemade. REN\u00c9E C. BYER rbyer@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

The 2026 Good Food Award winners will be officially announced on June 28, 2026, in New York City in conjunction with the Specialty Food Association\u2019s Summer Fancy Food Show.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019m Eating<\/p>\n

This week, Lauren Chapman is taking over the eating duties.<\/p>\n

I went to Sean with two demands: I want brunch options and I want flavors I may have never experienced before.<\/p>\n

He sent me out into Sacramento with a substantial list. And my first stop was Nopalitos Southwestern Cafe.<\/p>\n

Now, given the task I gave Sean and the specialty of Nopalitos, you\u2019d imagine I would get one of the dishes with nopales.<\/p>\n

You\u2019d be wrong. I\u2019d snuck into the breakfast menu by the skin of my teeth. So I panic ordered huevos rancheros.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, it seemed difficult to really go wrong with anything on the menu.<\/p>\n

Nopalitos is tucked away on the corner near Elvas Avenue on H Street. It\u2019s a beloved neighborhood institution, which is why The Sacramento Bee<\/a> has reported on it over<\/a> and over and over<\/a> again.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to see why East Sacramento locals say it \u201cfeels like home.\u201d<\/a> While waiting for my food a customer walked in. One of the folks working at the counter immediately started giving him guff for \u201cbeing an hour late\u201d to breakfast and asking about his life.<\/p>\n

\"Nopalitos\u2019 Nopalitos\u2019 huevos rancheros with chorizo. East Sacramento locals say the neighborhood institution \u201cfeels like home.\u201d Lauren Chapman lchapman@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

The food itself was incredible. I got my huevos rancheros with chorizo ($18.50). The southwestern potatoes were crispy and held up against the green chile sauce I got on my plate. The fried eggs were cooked perfectly and the chorizo itself was flavorful. And the tortillas were piping hot and fresh.<\/p>\n

I got a cappuccino ($4.95) with my plate before driving down the street for Free Museum Weekend admission to the Sacramento Museum of Medical History.<\/p>\n

Though next time I visit \u2014 which I will definitely be going back \u2014 I\u2019m going to get a dish with nopales.<\/p>\n

Nopalitos Southwestern Cafe<\/p>\n

Address: 5530 H St., East Sacramento<\/p>\n

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays<\/p>\n

Phone: 916-452-8226<\/p>\n

Vegetarian options: Substantial. Almost every menu item has a vegetarian option.<\/p>\n

Noise level: Mild.<\/p>\n

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Openings & Closings<\/p>\n

\u201cThat spring roll place,\u201d Quan Nem Non Hoa in South Sacramento\u2019s Little Saigon, has relocated to a new, larger space at 5860 Stockton Blvd<\/a>. Quan Nem Non Hoa specializes in DIY Vietnamese spring rolls, with rice paper you soak at the table and fill and roll with meat and sauces. A post on its social media<\/a> touts that it\u2019s offering the \u201csame delicious springrolls [sic]\u201d and that there are new items on the menu, though it does not specify what.<\/p>\n

A fresh addition to Rancho Cordova, Farm Plates at 3191 Zinfendel Dr. offers fresh, nutritional cuisine<\/a> rooted in Ayurveda including a double-marinated grilled chicken and a variety of salad bowls. Owner Rajbir Randhawa touted that Farm Plates\u2019 chicken has no antibiotics, no additives and no preservatives. Each dish has, mostly, fresh and organic ingredients, she said. Farm Plates also serves rice bowls, soups and fresh lemonade.<\/p>\n

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