Edible Sacramento Fall 2022

right out of the ground. I’m all about finding the best ingredients I can.” He’s also known for putting his own spin on classic dishes. For example, instead of the expected chicken piccata, he offers salmon piccata. He substitutes squash for potatoes in squash bravas. Risotto balls are served with cilantro lime aioli, and octopus is fried and ac companied by okra and corn. Chef Polo credits his customers for fan ning his creativity in the kitchen. He says he often tries out new recipes with regulars and relies on their feedback (good and bad!) to per fect his o‚erings. “My goal is to make food interesting. To keep people fascinated by what we’re doing and keep themcoming back,” he says. In Sacramento, he says, diners are highly educated about food and cooking. They ap preciate where their food comes from and are typically familiar with cookingmethods. They demand more thanmeat and potatoes. “They want the food that comes from right here,” he says. “It’s been refreshing to see peo ple not only being openminded about di‚erent things, but excited about them.” This open-mindedness has led toPolo trying newapproaches in the kitchen tomeet changing tastes. He has several vegan items on the menu, which are designed to appeal not just to vegans but also to meat eaters who appreciate the agri cultural heritage of the Sacramento area. “People are gettingmore into vegetable-for ward dishes rather than meat-forward dishes,” he says. “Their mindset is, ‘I’m sure you can cook a steak well, but what can you do with, say, fennel?’ The average diner has a much high er education level when it comes to food. I can push themout of their comfort zones.” ITALIAN FARE, ITALIAN WINE The restaurant has a modest, yet unique, wine list. John is passionate about it, especially Ital ian wine, and not only imports wine but owns a winery in the Lucca region of Italy. The sig nature o‚ering is Orvieto, a light, approacha ble white made from Grechetto grapes grown in Umbria. Naturally, it pairs well with handmade pasta.

VEGAN SUMMER SQUASH PASTA (courtesy of Polo Adamo, chef, Adamo’s Kitchen in Sacramento. Serves 4 to 6) 1 pound zucchini or other summer squash, thinly sliced 1 cup inexpensive olive oil (or ½ cup olive oil and ½ cup grapeseed oil) 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 pound casarecce pasta (can substitute spaghetti) A few sprigs basil, chopped (optional, for garnish) Blistered tomatoes (recipe below) Heat oil over medium heat. Fry sliced zucchini in oil until soft. Remove zuc chini and add garlic, then cook until soft. Add vinegar to oil, pour mixture on top of zucchini, and blend until smooth. Boil pasta according to manufactur er’s directions, reserving a few tablespoons of pasta water. Drain. If needed, add a few teaspoons of pasta water to sauce and blend again. Toss with pasta and serve with chopped basil and blistered tomatoes. For blistered tomatoes: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups cherry tomatoes. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons salt, stir, and cook another 2 minutes until skin is evenly blistered. Remove from heat and serve.

Adamo’s Kitchen Adamoskitchen.com

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