Food & Drink

At home with an Easter epicure

Holidays are the time when culinary school-trained mother fills family meal with symbolism and a few surprises

By Kitty Crider
AMERICAN-STATESMAN FOOD EDITOR
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

The breeze on top of River Garden Trail is redolent of garlic. Katie is cooking. And the über-vent over her six-burner Wolf stove is sharing the aromas with the neighbors.

Inside the hacienda, Katie Chafizadeh glows with pleasure as she scampers barefoot, in khaki shorts and a coral tee, around her blue Mexican-tiled kitchen, tucking browned garlic and herbs around a rack of pork, sautéing shallots in butter for bundles of haricots verts, pulling a bubbling gratin of potatoes out of another oven.

On the counter sit dozens of cupcakes iced in a Swiss meringue buttercream. Some are topped with pastel Peeps bunnies, others with candy eggs. Still more await sugared pansies.

Katie's test-driving her Easter menu for us to photograph, and it is clear that she is in her element. She juggles half a dozen recipes, in various stages, talking as she goes. "I'm a procedural person. I'm a cook, a nurse, a gardener."

She is also the wife of a cardiologist and the mother of four kids, ages 5-13. Amid a lot of carpool juggling, she cooks dinner for her family many nights, as well as for occasional parties and on holidays. This year, the extended-family Easter dinner for 17 is at her 2-year-old home in West Lake Hills.

"I look at every holiday as an opportunity to do something fun and different," she says.

This year, instead of the more traditional ham, turkey or lamb, she's opted for a brined 12-rib pork roast, a recipe from one of the country's leading chefs, Thomas Keller, and his "Bouchon" cookbook. She considered cooking a crown roast of pork for its symbolism and presentation but thinks the inner circle of such a cut steams more than roasts. Because air circulation is important when cooking a roast, she chose a more linear cut of meat.

Katie is quick to jump into a discussion of cuts of meats more than most young moms. With reason. Although she has a degree in nursing, she also spent a year studying at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Boston when her husband was doing a cardiology fellowship at Harvard. "I had one child and one in utero. When we could barely pay our rent, I took our life's savings and went to cooking school," she says. "It was one of the happiest things I have ever done."

That's where she learned the importance of correct seasoning — adding it at various times in a dish, tasting before serving, salting lettuce leaves before dressing a salad.

Although she has never cooked professionally — restaurant hours rarely mesh with having four children — she has used her cooking skills to feed her family, entertain and to satisfy her quest for knowledge.

Her Easter menu reflects that culinary zest and its many influences in her life: The potato dish, gratin Dauphinois, shows her fondness for French cuisine, plus it just happens to be one of the family's all-time favorites. The cupcakes are fun, trendy and kid-friendly.

For the photo shoot, Katie's mom, Liz Bajork, who lives in Austin, has come to play sous-chef and provide pansies from her garden for some of the cupcakes. A friend also stops by, delivering superfine sugar to "frost" the pansies. Another brings a bottle of wine.

The Chafizadeh's 18-foot-by-14-foot kitchen— with its wonderful 9-foot-by-4-foot butcher block island — gets heavy use.

"Katie makes everything from scratch," says her mother.

Knowing the value of flavor, Katie cooks with butter and salt and pork fat. "Emeril Lagasse says pork fat rules," she quips. But she acknowledges that husband Ed, the cardiologist, disagrees.

"I have to be careful — everything in moderation here." She adds that they both could polish off a gratin of the beloved creamy, cheesy potatoes, but they know better. Instead, they will share with many Easter celebrants. Here is the recipe, along with with her other menu selections.

Bibb Lettuce Salad

• 4 heads Bibb lettuce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsps. minced shallots
• 2 Tbsps. chives
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup tarragon leaves
• 1/4 cup chervil leaves
• 1/4 cup House Vinaigrette (1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar and 1 1/2 cups canola oil)
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Carefully cut out the core from each head of lettuce and separate the leaves, discarding any tough outer leaves. Place the leaves in a bowl of cold water to refresh them and remove any dirt, then lift out and spin-dry in a salad spinner.

Place the leaves in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, shallots, chives, parsley, tarragon and chervil. Then toss gently with the vinaigrette and lemon juice. Makes 4-6 servings.

Brined Roasted Rack of Pork

• 8-12 rib rack of pork
• Brine* (recipe below)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Canola oil
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 8 garlic cloves, skin left on, smashed
• 1/2 oz. (1 bunch) thyme sprigs

Submerge the pork in a pot of brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the pork from the brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Score the fat slightly, making shallow cuts about 1 inch apart in a crosshatch pattern.

Generously season the entire surface of the pork with salt and pepper. Let the meat sit at room temperature for about an hour before searing.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a roasting pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1/8- inch of canola oil to the pan, and when the oil is hot, add 1 Tbsp. of the butter. Add the pork and sear for about 5 minutes, turning the rack to brown on all sides. Turn off the heat and carefully (the oil might spit) add the garlic and thyme, tossing them in the oil to crackle and brown for a couple of minutes. If the pan seems dry, add a little more oil.

Turn the rack meat side up and arrange the garlic and thyme over it. Place the roasting pan in the oven and turn down the heat to 325 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, add the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter, and baste the meat. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Baste the meat again and check the temperature with and instant-read thermometer; it should register about 135 degrees for medium to medium-rare. (This might be pinker than some guests like. The National Pork Council and the USDA suggest cooking to 150 degrees and letting roast stand in a warm place 10-15 minutes before serving. The temperature should rise another 10 degrees, to 160 degrees. It will be slightly pink inside.) To serve: Slice between the ribs and serve on the bone with reduction sauce (recipe follows).

Reduction sauce: Remove rack of pork from roasting pan and allow to rest 10-15 minutes before carving. In the roasting pan, pour in 1 cup of either madeira wine or dry marsala on high heat, and scrape bottom of pan for about 2 minutes so that the alcohol has time to evaporate. Then add 3 sprigs of thyme and 1cup of either veal or chicken stock, or canned chicken broth, and allow to reduce to about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup. Still on high heat, whisk in 1-2 Tbsp. butter. Turn off heat. Taste, and season with salt and one grinding of pepper. Strain and serve over roast.- Adapted from Thomas Keller in 'Bouchon'

*It is a good idea to make this brine a day ahead and refrigerate it. Don't add meat to warm brine and don't leave it in brine longer that the specified time or it might become too salty.

Brine

• 1 gallon water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. honey
• 12 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup garlic cloves, skin left on, smashed
• 2 Tbsp. black peppercorns
• About 1/2 oz. (3 large) rosemary sprigs
• About 1/2 oz. (I large bunch) thyme sprigs
• About 2 oz. (I large bunch) Italian parsley sprigs

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using. This is enough brine for a rack of pork. Brine the pork, refrigerated, for 24 hours; rinse and dry pork before cooking.

Gratin Dauphinois

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, halved
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz. grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes (about 8), peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 cup whole milk, optional
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rub the inside of a 9-by-13 ovenproof baking dish with garlic. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan with salt and pepper. Stir to dissolve salt. Layer half the potatoes in the dish, then half the cheese. Repeat with remaining potatoes and cheese. Pour cream over potatoes. Push potatoes down to submerge. (Add up to 1 cup more of whole milk if needed to have enough liquid to cover potatoes.) Sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg. Cover dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until done. Serves 6-8.- Adapted from 'Bon Appetit'

Haricot Verts Bundles

• 3/4 pound fresh haricots verts (thin green beans), stem ends removed

• 1/2 stick butter

• 1/3 cup chopped shallots

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Bunch of chives for tying

Bring a large pot of very salty water to boil. Add beans and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and shock in ice water to stop cooking. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet until brown. Add shallots and drained beans and sauté until coated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat. Using a single chive, tie beans into bundles of six or more, depending on length of chive. Arrange bundles on platter. Serves 6.

Bunny Cupcakes

• 1 recipe buttermilk cupcakes
• 1 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream, tinted leaf cream
• 24 bunny-shaped Peeps

Using an offset spatula, frost each cupcake with the buttercream, reserving 2/3 cup for piping the leaves.

Place a Peeps bunny in the center of each cupcake. Fit a pastry bag with a No. 366 or No. 67 leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved buttercream. Pipe small leaves around the base of each bunny. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Buttermilk cupcakes

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 24 paper liners in cupcake tins. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Fill each baking cup two-thirds full. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Note: To make lemon, orange, or lime buttermilk cupcakes, follow instructions for Buttermilk Cupcakes and beat in the grated zest of the lemon, one orange, or two limes with the butter and sugar.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 4 large eggs whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, salt and cream of tartar. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes too hot to touch comfortably, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites hold a stiff peak, about 8 minutes. Add the butter, one or two pieces at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Use at room temperature. Makes 3 cups, enough to frost 24 cupcakes.- 'Cupcakes Year-Round: 50 Recipes for Every Season and Celebration' by Sara Neumeier

Dinner Rolls

• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
• 1 envelope dry yeast
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk, warm
• 6 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water.

Cream shortening, sugar and salt. Add eggs. Add milk and yeast to creamed mixture, adding flour to make a soft dough.

Knead and turn into lightly greased bowl. Let rise until double in size. Form into rolls by shaping two small balls and placing in a buttered muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush warm tops with soft butter. Makes 3-4 dozen rolls.- Adapted from Sakowitz department store

House Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil

Combine the mustard and vinegar in a blender and blend at medium speed for about 15 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of the oil. Don't be tempted to add all the oil to the blender or the vinaigrette will become too thick. It should be very creamy.

Transfer the vinaigrette to a small bowl and, whisking constantly, slowly stream in the remaining 1 cup oil. (The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Should the vinaigrette separate, use a blender or immersion blender to re-emulsify it.)- Adapted from Thomas Keller's 'Bouchon'

kcrider@statesman.com; 445-3656