chilly turn of events

The upside to having our refrigerator go on the fritz was that a new and improved one took its place. The previous was a stainless counter depth model. The outside was sleek and streamlined, inside it was beyond shallow, the freezer almost nonexistent. You could barely squeeze a plastic container of greens into one of the two miniscule drawers. A chilled bottle of wine bumped out any food prep, and don’t even think about cooling down some beer.

With most renovations during these unprecedented times, getting an appliance is certainly a crapshoot. I asked our esteemed building engineer for his advice. Armed with a measuring tape and Google he found an available one. But swapping out a refrigerator is a complicated matter, especially with built-in counters on either side and a cupboard above. The next-deepest and most logical model was out of stock indefinitely. So, it was either going back to an anorexic slide-in or up the real estate. I agonized over going bigger, would it really be better? What if it stuck out too far, would it ruin the look of our classic kitchen? 

I piled boxes and books in front of our current refrigerator. I texted videos and face-timed friends near and far (a huge thanks to all I tortured!) I tallied opinions. Still on the fence I called ABT, the Chicagoland appliance megastore. Luckily, I spoke to an incredible salesperson, Rick, who gave me the wisest of counsel. He told me to pull out the current refrigerator to the depth of the proposed new one and live with it for a few days. Brilliant! It was absolutely fine. Our wonderful building management (thank you Cyndi!) placed the order and in a few short weeks our new refrigerator arrived. And just in time, as I was hosting a party for my sweet daughter and her new husband’s Chicago friends who couldn’t be at their wedding. 

When I entertain, I like to prep and prepare as much ahead as possible. I love making a myriad of freezable canapes. My old freezer could never accommodate, but my new and improved one had vast frozen tundra. I set out to make all of my daughter’s favorites for this very special event.

Hot sausage appetizers never disappoint.

And who doesn’t love pigs in a blanket, especially when made with puff pastry and wagyu frankfurters from Paulina Market.

And of course, cheddar cheese tartlets. When the girls were little, I used to make these “labor of love” for them to nibble on while reading their beloved Angelina the Mouse books. These tartlets aren’t the easiest to make, but they’re certainly worth the effort.

First make the pastry by blending the flour, salt and cayenne in processor. Add cheese and butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Blend in enough ice water by teaspoonfuls until small moist clumps form.

Flatten into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

While the pastry chills blend cottage cheese and whipping cream in a food processor until smooth.

Add one cup shredded cheddar, eggs, salt, and cayenne blend well.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in chopped green onion. Set aside.

Here's a no-fuss way to roll out pastry dough. 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 into 2 ½ inch rounds.

Place a round in each mini muffin cup, pressing down lightly. Spoon one heaping tablespoon of filling into each pastry.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees until puffed and just golden. Sprinkle the warm tartlets with some more cheddar cheese. Cool slightly in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack. Place completely cooled tartlets in Ziploc bags in a single layer and freeze for up to three weeks. To reheat re-warm uncovered in a preheated 350-degree oven until heated through, approximately 12 minutes.

Thanks to my new and improved refrigerator/freezer I feel confident that I can once again entertain with ease, even for a group. 

Stay tuned for more of “Molly and Drew Say I Do” Chicago redo…