tim fischer

I recently sat down with Cameron Adair, chef at Amici Pizza and Bistro in Northeast Minneapolis, to talk about the restaurant, which celebrates its first anniversary on February 28. The owner, Greg Pratt, and Adair, leading the kitchen, opened last year in the redecorated space formerly occupied by Snap Pizza.

Bacon and eggs are my kind of salad. This simple, hearty, bistro toss up is perfect for Easter lunch or brunch. It makes a lively light spring dinner, too (but you’ll need lots of good crusty bread and perhaps some Shepherd’s Way Frisago as well). The sunny presentation is stunningly simple as frying bacon and poaching eggs. The fun is in poking the yolk and making a joyful mess of it all.

Though frisee is the classic green, I prefer peppery watercress (and with luck we may have some clinging to the edges of those burbling streams very soon). Toss in field greens or baby spinach if you like, a little sorrel and arugula as well. Some recipes call for lardoons, the fancy name for thick cut bacon bits (I prefer the thinner rashers, cooked crisp.) That said, the bacon makes this meal. Find the best from any of these local sources, and pick up some heritage pork, too.

Porketta is one of those recipes that you shove in the oven and forget about. The meat emerges tender and succulent. It serves a bunch of people, and the leftovers – sliced high and piled on crusty baguette, or slathered with bbq sauce on a soft, whole wheat bun, or diced and simmered in ragu for pasta – make things easy on the cook.

It’s one of those recipes that came to the Iron Range with Italian miners, was adopted by Czech neighbors and Norwegian farmers, and is now found on menus throughout the Twin Cities (and given an uptempo spin).

For September's Simple, Good, and Tasty local food dinner, we're trying something a little bit different - the biggest, best, funnest local food potluck and pig roast that the Twin Cities has ever seen. SGT will provide the pig - you bring your family, friends, and a dish to share. This is a great, inexpensive opportunity to meet local food enthusiasts, cook up your CSA/farmshare bounty, and eat great food.