Chef Sameh’s culinary path began at a young age, when he shadowed his mother in their home kitchen. That, he claims, is where he developed his “palate.” To hone his skills, Chef Sameh attended The Art Institute International Minnesota, where he graduated with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Culinary Arts. While attending school he was an active member of the American Culinary Federation, where he joined numerous food competitions; which, ultimately lead to countless awards and medals.

In 2009, Chef Sameh launched his own line of gourmet spices – Spice Trail by Chef Sameh Wadi, which are hand-crafted at Minnesota’s Saffron.

Makes 4 servings

2 to 3 pounds Alaskan king crab, shelled and cut in 2-inch pieces

Pear Tabbouleh
1/3 cup fine bulgur wheat
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup boiling water
4 cups Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomatoes cut in 1/4-inch dice
2 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
2 Forelle pears, cored and cut in 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup mint, torn in small pieces by hand
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Forelle pear, thinly sliced

For the tabbouleh, rinse the bulgur wheat under cold water and drain well. Place bulgur in a bowl and toss with olive oil, and then add boiling water. Cover bowl tightly with plastic and let stand 15 minutes. Drain in a sieve, pressing on bulgur to remove excess liquid.

Transfer slightly cooled bulgur to a larger bowl and toss with parsley, tomatoes, scallions, pears and mint. Mix well to distribute ingredients evenly and add lemon juice and olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, adding more of either or both as necessary. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

To serve, place pear tabbouleh in the middle of a plate. Arrange king crab pieces around the tabbouleh and garnish with several slices of Forelle pear. Drizzle lightly with olive oil before serving.

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Last year, Chef Carmen appeared on Top Chef Masters season 2, where she made it to the final round. Her success led her to a bevy of other opportunities, including supporting the 2010 US Open Tennis Championships and joining the newly-formed Nutrisystem Culinary Council while developing healthy cuisine for the new product line, set to launch in 2012. Chef Carmen is also introducing her own line of upscale take-home meals, Sazon by Chef Carmen, in the New York marketplace with plans for national expansion.

In 2003, Chef Carmen was sole proprietor of Miami’s Carmen the Restaurant, named “One of the best new restaurants in America,” by John Mariani of Esquire magazine. The New York Times proclaimed the restaurant was “One of the city’s hottest hangouts,” and the Miami New Times named it “The best new restaurant.” Among the awards granted Carmen the Restaurant were the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for 2006-2004; AAA’s coveted 4 Diamond Award in 2005 and 2006; and a listing in the 2007 ZAGAT “America’s Top Restaurants” book.

When not in the kitchen, Chef Carmen can be found working on her other passion – community outreach. For many years, she has been involved with Share Our Strength, the James Beard Foundation and a variety of other local and national organizations, including two non-profits she founded – Chef Carmen Cooks for a Cure and Feeding the Mind Foundation.

3 pounds boneless pork butt or pork shoulder

Adobo
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 bunch fresh rosemary
10 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mop
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Mojo
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Spiked Caramelized Pears
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 Anjou pears cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 medium Vidalia (or comparable sweet) onion cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 Scotch Bonnet or habanero chile pepper, finely minced
1 teaspoon sherry wine vinegar
A few drops of fresh lemon juice

La Saltena empanada shells

For the adobo, combine the oregano, rosemary, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Place the pork butt or shoulder in a roasting pan, fat side up. Rub the adobo all over the pork, using some pressure to get it to adhere. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. One hour before you’re ready to roast the pork, remove it from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the mop, combine the vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and oil in a bowl.

Season the pork with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cover with aluminum foil. Place the roasting pan in the middle of the preheated oven and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the center or thickest part of the meat registers 165°, turning the pan and brushing the pork with the mop every 20 minutes, for a total of about 90 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Make the mojo while the pork is cooling. Sauté the minced garlic to soften slightly. Add the cilantro, lemon juice and olive oil. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat using your hands or two forks and pour the pan juices and mojo over the shredded meat.

For the spiked pears, put the sugar in a non-reactive sauté pan and heat gently until it dissolves. Just as the sugar begins to color slightly, add the diced pears and onion, raise heat and toss to coat. Continue cooking another few minutes, until pears and onions are soft and golden brown. Remove from heat and add minced chile, vinegar and lemon juice. Toss to combine and set aside to cool.

To make the filling, add 4 cups pulled pork and mojo to the caramelized pears and stir to combine.

Place 2 heaping tablespoons filling in the middle of the empanada shell near the bottom. Use your finger and a small dish of water to lightly moisten the edges of the shell all the way around. Carefully fold the top over the contents to make a semi circle and use a fork to crimp the edges.

Finish the empanadas by deep-frying them in 350°F vegetable oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve warm with Grilled Pear and Mango Relish.

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Stowell is chef/owner of four Seattle restaurants: Tavolàta, a contemporary Italian eatery located in the hip, urban Belltown neighborhood; How to Cook a Wolf, which features a range of small plates that concentrate and focus on the very essence of Italian cuisine; Anchovies & Olives, which showcases Stowell’s love of Northwest shellfish; and Staple & Fancy Mercantile, where diners can enjoy an “omakase-style” dining experience.

Serves 4

Warm Bacon Dressing
8 ounces slab or thick cut bacon, diced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2 Bartlett pears, ripe but firm
3 heads frisée, trimmed, washed and spun dry
4 rabbit loins, silver skin removed
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing, place diced bacon in a heavy bottomed pan. Cook over medium heat until bacon renders most of its fat and becomes crispy, 10 to12 minutes. Drain fat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk mustard, shallots and red wine vinegar until well incorporated. Gradually add extra virgin olive oil. (The dressing won’t stay emulsified—don’t worry.) Add bacon and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside at room temperature until needed.

To make the salad, preheat a grill according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Cut pears in half, from top to bottom, remove center of core with a melon baller and cut each half into four equal pieces. Brush pear slices with extra virgin olive oil and set-aside until ready to grill.

Season rabbit loins with salt and freshly ground black pepper, brush with extra virgin olive oil and set aside until ready to grill.

Grill pear slices for one minute on each side, or long enough to give pears a grilled appearance and flavor, but not overcook them. Work in batches if necessary. Set grilled pears aside at room temperature when finished.

Grill rabbit loins 2 to 3 minutes per side or until they are almost cooked through. Set-aside until cool enough to handle, then slice on the bias.

To serve, combine frisée, grilled pear slices pears and sliced rabbit loin in a large mixing bowl. Spoon as much warm bacon dressing as desired over salad, season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix thoroughly. Serve with plenty of warm bread.

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Makes 6 servings

Caramelized Pears
3 firm, ripe Bosc pears
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or squeeze of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Hazelnut Butter
3/4 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted and skinned
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Good quality ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Peel and halve the pears, leaving the stem intact on one of the halves. Set aside.

To make the caramel, place the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds in a nonreactive, shallow, wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid. Add the cream of tartar or lemon juice and stir together until the sugar is completely moistened. Heat the mixture over medium heat, covered, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup begins to bubble. Remove the lid, increase the heat slightly and allow the syrup to boil undisturbed until it turns golden. Add the butter and swirl until combined and color is uniform.

Carefully place the pear halves in the caramel, cut side down. Cook over medium heat, occasionally basting the pears with caramel, until the sauce begins to attach itself to the pears and give them color, about 15 minutes. Carefully transfer the pear halves to a small sheet tray lined with foil or parchment paper and drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce. Cool at room temperature.

While the pears are cooling, make the hazelnut butter. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spread the hazelnuts on a small pan. Toast the nuts until they are lightly golden and aromatic, about 8 minutes. Cool completely, set aside 1/4 cup and transfer the remaining 1/2 cup hazelnuts to a blender or food processor. Add the olive oil, sugar and salt and blend briefly on low speed. Gradually increase the speed until a smooth paste forms, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve the right consistency, slightly looser than peanut butter. (The hazelnut butter should coat the back of a spoon.)

To serve, lightly crush the reserved hazelnuts with the back of a sauté pan, being certain to leave them coarse. Drain excess caramel from pear halves, coat them with hazelnut butter and roll in the crushed nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream.

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Lightner’s creative cooking techniques are already turning heads nationally, with his recent selection by Food & Wine Magazine as one of the 2010 Best New Chefs in America. Recently, Castagna received the Oregonian’s 2010 Restaurant of the Year award. Lightner was also nominated for a 2010 Rising Star chef award by the James Beard Foundation and chosen as one of “10 to Watch in 2010” by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine.

Always curious about new food and cooking techniques, Lightner traveled to Spain in 2007 as part of the culinary team at Mugaritz mastering new modern Spanish methods. Prior to cooking in Spain and spending a month at Noma in Copenhagen, Lightner was the chef de cuisine at L’Auberge in Del Mar, California where he worked alongside James Beard award-winning chef Paul McCabe. He learned French techniques from French Master Chefs Philippe Boulot and Francis Perrot and Mediterranean cuisine in his role as chef at Philoxenia in Portland, Oregon. Lightner graduated from the Western Culinary Institute with high honors in 2001 and holds levels 1 and 2 of the International Sommelier Guild.

Serves 4

32 fresh Whangamata or sea scallops, cleaned

Pear and Vanilla Puree
2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored and diced into pieces of equal size
100 ml (3.5 ounces) dry white wine
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 bay leaf
Pinch salt
 
Chorizo oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
50 g (1 3/4 ounces) chorizo sausage
150 ml (5 ounces) canola or vegetable oil
150 ml (5 ounces) olive oil
Fresh snow pea tendrils

To make the pear puree, place the ingredients in a non reactive saucepan and simmer over medium low heat until the pears are soft. Remove the vanilla bean pod and bay leaf, strain off the liquid and set aside. Puree the pears in a blender using the cooking liquid to make a smooth puree and achieve the proper consistency, slightly thinner than ketchup.

To make the chorizo oil, place the ingredients in a small pan and heat gently. Remove pan from the heat before the oil reaches a simmer. Set aside and allow to infuse. Strain when cool.
 
To assemble the dish, lightly season the scallops and sear in a hot pan, about 1 minute per side. Place a cluster of pea tendrils in the center of a plate and a spoonful of pear puree on either side of it. Use the back of a spoon to smear it in an irregular line from rim to rim. Arrange 4 scallops on top of each smear of puree. Drizzle all over with chorizo oil.

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Ingredients
40 grams beef fillet
50 grams red leaf and romaine lettuce
1 Anjou or Red Anjou USA Pear, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice
25 grams grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Balsamic vinaigrette
Salt

Directions
Thinly slice the beef fillet, placing each piece between two sheets of polypaper; flatten each piece. Place the slices on a plate, forming a base. Season each slice with lime juice. Just before serving, place the lettuce and the pears over the beef slices. Season with the vinaigrette and Parmesan cheese.

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