From So-Cal To Spo-Cook

Karla Graves was a successful executive, pulling down a hefty salary as vice president of a multi-branch temporary worker service in Southern California.

“I spent a lot of time on the freeways,” she said.

Like many fast-trackers, she hungered for something more. Unlike most fellow members of the rat race, Graves decided to chuck the security of a steady income to pursue her passion for food.

Now, nearly four years later, she’s tickled that it has worked out so well.

“It’s something I had always wanted to get into, but everyone kept telling me that at my age, nobody would hire me,” said Graves, 45. “So, I bought my own restaurant.”

Graves and her husband, Larry, purchased Moreland’s in downtown Spokane and transformed it into the elegant Upstairs Downtown.

A self-taught cook, Graves is reluctant to categorize her cuisine. Some meals have a French country flavor, while others lean toward Mediterranean cooking. All dishes have her own touch, though.

“I have hundreds of cookbooks and read a lot of magazines, so if I see something that’s a good idea, I’ll take it a step further, try and make the flavors more complex,” said Graves, who cited Barbara Kafka and Alice Waters among her favorite authors.

One of Graves’ latest efforts is an ahi tuna dish in which she treats the distinctively flavored fish as if it were a New York steak. First, it’s brushed with olive oil and seasoned with cracked black pepper. Then the sashimi-grade tuna is seared in a red-hot pan and served rare with a sauce of caramelized balsamic vinegar, tomatoes and fresh basil.

“I’m so pleased because people who are normally conservative are trying it and liking it,” she said.

Of course, it helps that the entree comes with a comforting pile of mashed potatoes.

“People like something that’s familiar. When I serve potatoes with salmon, it always sells out,” she said.

As a neophyte to the restaurant business, Graves was at first baffled by the challenge of getting all the elements of a meal to come out at the same time, a frequent problem for home cooks. She has since learned the importance of advance preparation.

“Make lists, write everything down,” she suggested. “Especially when you’re entertaining, think the whole evening through. People don’t take into account the time it will take to set the table or grind the coffee. You want to spend time visiting with your company, not in the kitchen.”

Because Graves believes in using the freshest ingredients available, her menus change frequently - sometimes, to the dismay of her customers.

“That was the hardest part of the business, because people would get upset when you made a change,” she said. “But you’ve got to keep evolving.”

Lately, she’s been experimenting with reduction sauces, which are a mixture of herbs, stock and wine that are boiled (or reduced) to concentrate their flavors.

“There’s no butter or cream, but it has a wonderful flavor,” she said.

One of the biggest compliments her guests pay is a subtle tribute to her skill at properly seasoning food.

“We rarely refill the salt and pepper shakers,” Graves said.

Spicy Mussels with Rice

If mussels aren’t available, clams can be substituted in this full-flavored dish.

2-1/2 pounds fresh mussels in the shell

2 cups basamati rice (see note)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

2 cups vermouth

2 cups chicken stock

1 orange, juiced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup basil, torn into small pieces

1 teaspoon sugar

1 small canned chipotle chili, seeded and chopped

Cook rice as directed on the package and keep warm. While the rice is cooking, mince and chop the herbs and spices and set aside, keeping everything separate. Scrub the mussels, removing the beard, and rinse well.

In a large, deep nonreactive skillet, heat the olive oil. Add half the garlic and saute briefly, about 1 minute. Add the mussels, ginger, vermouth and chicken stock. Toss lightly and cover. Cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Divide rice into 4 individual bowls. Spoon the mussels from the broth onto the rice, discarding any that didn’t open. Return the broth to the heat and add remaining ingredients. Stir quickly and immediately ladle broth over mussels.

Yield: 4 servings.

Note: Fragrant basamati rice is available at health food stores and in many supermarkets.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: Chef du Jour is a monthly feature of IN Food that profiles area chefs and provides one of their recipes for readers to try at home.