Lauro’s Mediterranean cuisine is an inspired menu for Buehler, who has endless options to choose from among the vastly different cuisines. Her challenge as chef, she says, is to stay true to each region’s culinary traditions. Buehler draws inspiration from the food and ingredients themselves. She also finds inspiration from co-workers and friends who cook and the discoveries she makes at other restaurants.

When she pulls herself away from the kitchen, Beuhler hangs out with friends, has been known to appear at a karaoke bar here and there, and has a passion for traveling. She dreams of warmer climates where she can get back into scuba diving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Braise
4 lamb shanks, preferably raised in Oregon, 16 to 20-ounces each
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped or grated fresh ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons saffron
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup whole almonds
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Caramelized Pears and Shallots
1 ounces (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 small, whole shallots
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2″-thick wedges
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Couscous, as accompaniment
Parsley, to garnish
Plain yogurt, served on side

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the lamb by seasoning liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat oil in a heavy, wide sauté pan until it is very hot, but not smoking. Brown lamb shanks, turn them so that each side is dark golden brown and crusty, which takes about 12 minutes total. Remove shanks from pan.

Reduce heat of sauté pan to medium high and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Cook and stir frequently until the onions begin to caramelize slightly and pick up the color and scrapings leftover from browning the meat, about 5 minutes. Put the shanks in a deep, wide casserole, or a roasting pan. The shanks should fit closely, in a single layer, leaving enough room in the pan to be covered with stock.

Add the sautéed onion, garlic and ginger to the lamb shanks along with the saffron, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, black and cayenne peppers, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and almonds. Cover the shanks with the chicken stock, adding a bit of water if necessary to cover completely. Cover tightly and braise for about 3-1/2 hours, adding the dried cranberries at the last 30 minutes. The lamb should be tender and falling off the bone.

To finish the sauce, melt butter in a sauté pan with oil over medium heat. If the shallots are larger than a small walnut, peel and separate into as many cloves as possible, or trim the root end, without removing it completely. Halve or quarter the larger shallots; the root will hold the layers together. Add shallots to the pan and sauté gently until they begin to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add pear slices and sugar and continue to sauté until everything is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add some chicken stock or water if the sugar begins to get dark.

Remove the lamb shanks from the braising liquid. Transfer the braising liquid to a separate saucepan (there should be about 6 cups), put the shanks back in the braising pan and keep warm. Add pears and shallots to the braising liquid and reduce. It will already be thick. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To serve, while the sauce is reducing, put the couscous on a larger platter and arrange the lamb shanks on top. Garnish with pear slices and shallots and spoon the reduced sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with plain yogurt on the side.

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Makes eight sliders

Pear Ketchup

2 Anjou pears
2 teaspoons clarified butter
1/4 cup diced sweet onion
1 cup clear apple juice or cider
2-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Kosher salt to taste

Sliders
12 slices thick-cut bacon, well-chilled or frozen
3  tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
8 small soft rolls, preferably brioche

To make the pear ketchup, peel and core the pears and cut them into large cubes. Warm the clarified butter or oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent. Add the pears and stir to coat with the butter or oil. Add the apple cider and cook over low heat until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. Set aside to cool.

Puree the mixture until completely smooth, and then add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and taste. The ketchup should be tangy, to help balance the fattiness of the bacon and cheese. Add the white pepper and salt to taste. 
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the sliders, use a food processor to chop the bacon. Keep the slices together and cut the bacon slab into several large chunks. Refrigerate or freeze the chunks until very firm. This will help keep the grind uniform, like ground beef. Crumble the blue cheese into the ground bacon and form the mixture into eight 2-inch patties.

Place the patties on a baking sheet or cast iron skillet and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the burgers over and cook another 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 170 degrees.

To serve, split the roll, toast if desired and spread one side with the ketchup.

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As a veteran hotel restaurant employee, Chef Therres brings 10 years of kitchen experience and a passion for regional and New American cuisine. Before moving to the Renaissance Washington, DC Dupont Circle Hotel, Chef Therres worked at the Wentworth Grill in Charleston,SC for seven and a half years. He also was the Sous Chef at Hamilton’s in Fell’s Point, MD and worked at The Milton Inn, a renovated boarding school in the Maryland countryside, recognized by Zagat and named the twelfth best restaurant in the country by Conde Nast.

If he isn’t in the kitchen, Therres is spending time with his family or supporting his hometown teams, the Orioles and the Ravens. In addition, he enjoys exploring his interests in hiking, running, and living a more “green” lifestyle through biking to work.

Kara was the 2007 recipient of the Stags’ Leap Winery Fellowship at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood, as well as the 2006 recipient of the Terlato Family Scholarship for Wine and Food Writers at the Greenbrier Symposium for Professional Writers.

She is a member of the American Sommelier Association, the Museum of the American Cocktail, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and is a former board member of the Culinary Historians of New York.

Black Pepper Simple Syrup
1/4 cup whole black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar

The Peppered Poire Cocktail
1 ounce gin
1/2 ounce Poire William or similar pear-flavored liqueur
1/4 ounce fresh Bartlett pear puree
1/2 ounce black pepper simple syrup
Sparkling wine

To make the simple syrup, place a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the black peppercorns and red pepper flakes and toast for 30 seconds, shaking the pan frequently to move contents and prevent burning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Reduce heat to medium low and add water and sugar. Let simmer for a few minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup into a container and discard the solids.

To make The Peppered Poire, add the gin, Poire William, pear puree and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well. Strain the contents into a champagne flute and top off the glass with sparkling wine. Float 2 or 3 whole black peppercorns on top of the fizz, if desired.

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After beginning her career in New York, Goldsmith first attracted industry notice as pastry chef for Mark Militello’s celebrated Mark’s Place restaurant in North Miami in the early 1990s. From there, she moved onto Nemo and Shoji Sushi, two South Beach restaurants owned by rising chef Michael Schwartz. A great friendship and mutual respect began to grow. Schwartz moved on to other projects, while Goldsmith stayed on, adding Prime 112 to the roster of restaurants for whom she created desserts. In 2006, looking for a break from the daily grind of the restaurant kitchen, Goldsmith began focusing on projects of passion: developing a line of sweet and savory retail and wholesale products that would carry her name. She also began consulting, working with national restaurant groups and pitching in to help Schwartz shortly after he opened his new Miami Design District restaurant, Michael’ s Genuine Food & Drink. The renewed synergy was undeniable; Goldsmith is now creating inspirational desserts at Michael’s Genuine as the restaurant’s executive pastry chef.

Locally, and nationally, Goldsmith is known for her unabashed creativity and unique flavors. Her menu at Michael’s Genuine spotlights seasonal ingredients. Standouts include candied Granny Smith apple and walnut streusel panini with crème fraiche and caramel sauce, tangerine pot de crème with pistachio baklava and tangerine cardamom confit, key lime cheesecake flan with macadamia short bread, tropical fruit salsa and passion fruit coulis, chocolate cremoso, with sea salt, olive oil, sour dough crostini and espresso parfait and pear and cardamom granita with pistachio pomegranate biscotti.

A Philadelphia native, Goldsmith received her B.A. in Photography and Film from the Philadelphia College of Art. Afterwards, she attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York, graduating with honors from the CIA’s first Baking & Pastry class in 1985. She also studied at the International Pastry Arts Center in Bedford Hills, New York, where she refined her skills by concentrating on the study of chocolate, sugar and presentation.

Goldsmith has appeared on a number of television shows, including Food Network’s Iron Chef (winning with Michelle Bernstein against Bobby Flay); Public Television’s Great Chefs series and Fox News. She has been featured in publications such as Food & Wine, Gourmet, The New York Times, Bon Appétit and the Miami Herald; and has had her recipes published in cookbooks.

Granita
1 1/2 pounds (about 3) ripe Comice pears
8 cardamom pods, toasted and crushed
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced

Biscotti
1 large pears, peeled, cored and cut in large dice (about 8 cups)
2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 large pears, peeled, cored and cut in large dice (about 8 cups)
2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tablespoons cornstarch

Garnish
Pomegranate seeds
Fresh herbs, like mint, basil or lemon verbena

Peel, core and dice the pears into 1-inch cubes.

Lightly toast the cardamom pods in a small sauté pan over medium low heat until they smell slightly toasty, about 2 minutes. Cool and lightly crush the outer shells.

Put the water and sugar in a saucepan with the cardamom pods, vanilla bean seeds and pod and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Allow the syrup to sit and infuse at least 30 minute or longer, if possible.

Strain the syrup into a small saucepan, add the pears and lemon juice and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until soft and translucent. Remove pan from the heat and let the pears cool in the syrup.

When cool, puree the pears and syrup in a blender. Pour the puree into a large bowl, add 3 cups of water, stir well and allow the mixture to sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a shallow pan, about 9- by 13-inches. Freeze 30 to 45 minutes then use a fork to scrape the ice crystals that have formed around the edges of the pan into the middle. Repeat this step every 30 minutes or so until the mixture resembles shaved ice. It should take a few hours, scraping about four times.

Cover with foil until ready to serve.

Make the biscotti between scrapings. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or a medium size mixing bowl. Zest the 2 lemons into the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest with the sugar; this brings out the citrus oil and coats the sugar.

Add the flour, baking powder, salt and pistachios to the bowl. Mix to incorporate using the paddle attachment on the mixer, or your hands. Whisk together the eggs, yolk, vanilla and almond extract. Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed or continue mixing with your hands. The mixture will seem dry at first but eventually comes together. When that happens, remove dough from the bowl and form it into a 12-inch by 2 1/2-inch wide log on a piece of parchment paper.

Place the biscotti log on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes total, rotating the pan after 15 minutes. It will spread considerably. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the temperature to 250 degrees.

Once the log has cooled, use a serrated knife to slice it on a slight angle or, for longer biscotti, on a greater angle. Place the slices back on the baking sheet and return to the oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan after 10 minutes. The second time in the oven dries the cookies for crunch. Cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.

To serve, scrape several spoonfuls of granita into a chilled martini or wine glass and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Top with several more spoonfuls of granita and top additional pomegranate seeds and fresh herb leaves. Serve biscotti on the side.

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Streusel topping
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold, cut in small pieces

Pear Filling
8 large pears, peeled, cored and cut in large dice (about 8 cups)
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Goat Cheese Mousse
1 cup mild goat cheese or chevre
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Lavender Honey
2 tablespoons dried lavender
1/2 cup mild-flavored honey

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 x 8-inch baking pan, or lightly coat it with pan spray.

To make the streusel topping, measure the rolled oats, brown sugar, flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter pieces and use a fork, pastry cutter or your fingers to incorporate the butter until they are no larger than the size of peas. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the pears, lemon juice, thyme leaves, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pears begin to give up some of their moisture and the sugar dissolves.

Pour the pear mixture into the buttered baking dish and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 50 minutes to one hour, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit below is bubbly. Allow the crisp to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

While the crisp is cooling, put the goat cheese in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. If it is crumbly, add the sugar and mix slowly on low speed until it is smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix to incorporate. With the mixer on medium-low speed, begin to add the heavy cream in a steady stream followed by the vanilla. Once the mixture begins to come together, increase the speed to medium high and continue to whip until it becomes fluffy. Store the mousse in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the crisp.

Make the lavender honey by pouring the honey in a small saucepan and bringing it to a simmer. Add the lavender and allow the mixture to sit 20 minutes or until the honey is infused with a nice lavender flavor. Strain the dried lavender out of the honey.

To serve the crisp, put a large spoonful on a plate or in a bowl with a dollop of goat cheese mousse on the side. Drizzle both with warm lavender honey.

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After graduating from the New England Culinary Institute, Ethan zigzagged back and forth across the country working for highly regarded chefs at restaurants in Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Upon returning to Texas, he started a small catering company and served as Executive Chef for Austin’s Taverna, a Lombardi Family Concepts restaurant.

Chef Ethan recently left Taverna to pursue an exciting new opportunity with Snap Kitchen, serving as Executive/Concept Chef. Scheduled to open in early December 2009, Snap Kitchen will offer freshly made, healthy meals for grab-and-go or delivery. The Snap Kitchen concept will feature chef-driven cuisine with a strict emphasis on sustainable products and seasonality.