fresh start

My husband and I returned to Ohio on the eve of January 6th. We left 74-degree highs in the California desert for wind chills plunging past 38 below. It was a literal shock walking out of the airport. Thankfully we had someone picking us up. Can’t image the state of the cars left at the open lots of Dayton’s International Airport. The next day forecasted even more dire weather so as soon as we walked in the house and dropped our bags we made a mad dash to Dorothy Lane Market to replenish and stock up on provisions while we braved this polar vortex.

It wasn’t until I was unloading the grocery bags that I noticed something screwy about the control panel lights inside our refrigerator. They kept blinking. I attempted to turn off the power and then turn it back on but then… nothing. Crap. Our on-again-off-again custom built-in, that for some reason the previous owner had never actually built in, was on the fritz… again.

At 10 PM I called the appliance repair shop and left what I hoped was a pleasant and cordial message requesting a service call for the next day. The day that the “winter wobble” was plummeting North Pole winds and freezing the midsection of our country right in its tracks.

Miracle of miracles at 8:20 AM I got a call saying that a technician would be at our house between 2 and 4 that afternoon. The super nice serviceman arrived and took one look at the wood paneled beast and said it didn’t look promising. He went on to say that once these refrigerators loose their motherboards they often cannot be fixed, and if they can the boards must be sent off to California. I wanted to be in California. After he removed the control panel and made a couple calls he told me that I could hold out hope that it might be fixable but that it would take a minimum of two weeks to get definitive results.

It was time to buy a new refrigerator. I bundled myself up and set off to the appliance store. It was as empty as the market was the night before. I explained my situation and was counseled on replacements. I was feeling very optimistic until once all the data was punched in that the delivery was ten days out. Ten days. In three days the glacial temps were being replaced with spring time weather so even the refrigerator out my door would be no more.

Oh well. Time for a fresh start. New year. New refrigerator. I wasn’t too sad to kiss my ketchup and mustards goodbye but my freezer was a different story. In there I had frozen chocolate crepes, trout caviar and a myriad of delectable canapés. Oh well, out with the old… My relatively cheery attitude was awarded with news that the exact model I requested was found just south in Cincinnati and could be delivered on Thursday. The incredible men from Custom Distributors came and removed the fallen giant and delivered my new freestanding KitchenAid.

There is something a bit exhilarating about all new condiments in an all-new refrigerator. Here are a few of the things that I made this past weekend to stow in the immaculate freezer below.

Cheese Puff Cups with Fig Preserves are simply the easiest.

A duxelle of mushrooms to be mixed with the market’s prepared jarlesburg cheese dip and baked atop of mini toasts for Shitake Cheese Toasts.

And because my new appliance deserved nothing but the best- Cheddar Cheese Tartlets.

And here’s a trick I learned for my daughter’s cute boyfriend who turns out to be an expert pie maker (one more reason he is a definite keeper!) Place your chilled pastry dough in an extra large Ziploc bag then roll it out. No need for extra flour to toughen your crust and no muss and fuss on your counter.

First loosen the rolled crust from sides of the bag, trim off the edges of the bag then cut accordingly.

Tomorrow night we are having our first dinner party with our new frig. Knowing that it is now well stocked I can once again “entertain with ease”.