LAMB TAGINE FROM CAFé SORIAH Ibrahim Hamide from Café Soriah. 10 oz. pearl onions 2 tbsp. vegetable oil 3 lbs. boneless lamb shoulder or stew meat, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes 5 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1/8 tsp. crushed saffron threads 1 1/2 cups water 8 oz. pitted dates 2 tbsp. honey 2 tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted Cook onions in medium pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and peel. Heat vegetable oil in heavy, large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, season lamb with salt and pepper, add to Dutch oven and brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lamb to bowl after each batch is browned. Return all lamb and any juices to Dutch oven. Mix in parsley, cilantro, cinnamon, ginger and saffron. Add 1 cup water and 1/2 cup pearl onions. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 hour. Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb and pearl onions to bowl. Reserve 3 dates for garnish; add remaining dates and honey to sauce in Dutch oven. Simmer sauce 5 minutes, mashing dates to coarse puree with back of fork. Add remaining pearl onions and simmer until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup water if necessary to thin sauce. Return lamb mixture to Dutch oven, simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season tagine to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to platter. Top with slivered almonds and reserved dates.     BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH JUNIPER BERRY-PINOT REDUCTION, POLENTA AND WILD MUSHROOMS • FROM ADAM'S PLACE 6 lamb foreshanks (They are meatier than the hind shanks!) Seasoned flour: Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. ground black pepper 3 tbsp. plus 1/2 cup olive oil 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped 2 carrots, roughly chopped 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped Herb sachet: Wrap in cheesecloth 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 5 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp. black peppercorns 1 liter robust, full-bodied pinot noir 4 juniper berries 5 cups beef or chicken stock 1 package polenta mix 1 oz. heavy cream 2 oz. grated Parmigiano-Reggiana or similar cheese 1 lb. wild or portabello mushrooms, sliced 2 medium shallots, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 oz. olive oil or canola oil 2 oz. butter Preheat oven to 350°F. With a sharp knife, cut about 1 inch from the bottom (narrow end) of the shank bones down to the bone and all the way around; this helps expose the bone while cooking. Score exterior of meat lightly with a sharp knife, which helps the shanks keep their shape while cooking. Dredge shanks through seasoned flour and set aside Heat 3 tbsp. oil in cast iron or heavy large pan on medium-high and cook the vegetables until nicely browned. Place vegetables in roasting pan. Add lamb 2-3 pieces at a time to same medium-hot pan with 1/2 cup oil and brown all sides of the shanks in the oil. Place lamb in roasting pan. Remove excess oil, add stock to deglaze the pan then add deglazing liquid to the lamb in the roasting pan along with the herb sachet. Bring to boil on the stovetop and place covered into oven. Cook 1 1/2 hours covered then remove top and cook until meat is fork tender and almost falling off of the bone, 2 1/2 to 3 hours total. Turn lamb every 30-40 minutes to ensure it is evenly caramelized. Let lamb shanks rest in cooking liquid at least 20 minutes, then strain liquid and remove any excess fat from cooking liquid. While lamb is cooking, reduce pinot noir by 1/2. Add strained cooking liquid to wine with 4 juniper berries and reduce liquid until it begins to thicken to the consistency of thin maple syrup. Remove juniper berries; this is your finished sauce. FOR THE POLENTA Prepare one package of polenta as directed then fold in 1 oz. heavy cream and 2 oz. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other similar cheese. FOR THE MUSHROOMS Preheat heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When preheated add oil and then butter. When butter froths add mushrooms and do not move the pan until the mushrooms begin to brown. This allows the mushrooms' juices to caramelize onto the mushrooms and intensify their flavor. Then add the garlic and shallots and sauté until translucent. Add a 1/2 cup of the shank sauce to mushrooms to finish. TO FINISH THE DISH Place polenta and vegetables of choice on plate, place some mushrooms across polenta, place the lamb on the polenta and garnish with a fresh herb sprig, perhaps rosemary. WINE SUGGESTION Adam's Place Executive Chef Adam Bernstein paired this dish with Gypsy Dancer, a Broadley Vineyards Pinot Noir.     OPEN-FACED ROASTED EGGPLANT SANDWICH FROM EW CIRCULATION MANAGER DANICA STILES 6 servings 1 loaf ciabatta bread 1 eggplant, peeled and sliced lengthwise 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced into rings 1/2 sweet onion, sliced into rings 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick 4 fresh basil leaves, torn into nickel sized-pieces 12 slices deli smoked Swiss cheese 6 slices deli Mozzerella 6-8 tbsp. pesto 1 bulb garlic, outer layers removed, exposing cloves 2 tbsp. butter salt olive oil Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, parsley) Crushed red pepper 8 x 8-inch sheet of foil Preheat oven to 400¼F. Place butter in center of foil, set bulb of garlic on top of butter. Wrap foil around garlic, gathering at top. Set foil bundle in small baking pan and roast for 20-30 min, until bulbs are fork tender. Heat a few tbsp. olive oil in pan, add Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and salt to taste. Sauté yellow bell pepper, onion and eggplant slices until tender and lightly browned. Set aside. Slice ciabatta bread in 1/2 lengthwise, creating top and bottom loaves. Slice both loaves twice crosswise, creating 6 equal sections. Remove garlic bulb from foil, allow to cool slightly. Pinch out cloves of softened garlic and smash with a fork. Lay ciabatta slices open-faced on baking sheet. Spread roasted garlic and about 1 tbsp. pesto on each slice. Lay 2 slices smoked Swiss on each piece of ciabatta, followed by sautéed vegetables, tomato slices and 1 slice mozzeralla cheese. Top with fresh basil and 1 additional tomato slice. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake on upper rack of a 400° oven for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Do you have a dish you think should be included in the Spring issue of Chow!? Send your recipe to food@eugeneweekly.com by March 31 and we'll pick the best submission(s) to run in the April 27 Chow! Please be sure to include contact information.   HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP FROM CAFé ZENON Makes about 8 one cup servings. 8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced 8 oz. agaricus mushrooms, sliced 1 oz. dried morels, soaked and chopped (An equal volume amount of any type or combination of mushrooms can be substituted for these.) 2 cups diced onions 1/4 cup minced shallot 1 large garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup clarified butter 2 tbsp. paprika 1/2 cup flour 2 cups homemade beef stock 6 cups homemade chicken stock (An equal amount of vegetable stock can be substituted to make the soup vegetarian, but the flavor will not be as complex.) 2 tbsp. dried dill 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. soy sauce Soak the morels in tepid water for 20 minutes until softened. Place the chicken stock in a sauce pan over medium heat and reduce by about 1/2. When the morels are softened squeeze them out, reserving the soaking water, and rinse them in several changes of cold water until they are free of sand. Chop the morels and set them aside with the other mushrooms. Strain the reserved water through a coffee filter into the reducing chicken stock. While the stock reduces, in a soup pot sauté the onion in the butter until the onion is golden brown. Add the shallot, garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring, 10 minutes over medium heat until the mushrooms are softened. Dust the mushrooms with the paprika, dill, salt and pepper and flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Whisk in the beef and chicken stock and simmer the soup for 20 minutes. Stir in the cream, sour cream and soy sauce. Taste for salt and pepper, reheat the soup until very hot but do not boil after adding the sour cream.     FARFALLE CON DUE SALMONE (BOWTIE PASTA WITH FRESH AND SMOKED SALMON) FROM MAZZI'S Serves 2. Co-Chefs Cesar Morales and Ryan Smiths. 1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic 1/8 cup melted butter 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper 6 oz. fresh salmon cut into 1" cubes 2 oz. whiskey or vodka 4 oz. smoked salmon, crumbled (watch for bones) 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 lb. farfalle (bowtie) pasta 2 tsp. Italian parsley, for garnish Cook pasta as directed. In a pan over medium heat, sauté garlic in butter until golden brown. Add fresh salmon and salt. Add whiskey or vodka (be careful: these alcohols are highly flammable!). Add heavy cream, and increase heat to medium-high. Reduce sauce until it thickens. Add smoked salmon, bowtie pasta and Parmesan cheese, tossing to coat. Serve and garnish with Italian parsley and fresh ground pepper