I’ve been told 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, but I’m going with “2012 – Year of the Sub-Zero.” This year I find myself blissfully gazing into the frosty depths of a new refrigerator (in the test kitchen above the Kowalski’s Woodbury Market). Well, at least it’s new to me. 2011 was tough as far as refrigerators go – I lost quite a number when I left the world of private cheffing to join Kowalski’s. Each was a unique loss, full not only of unsalted butter and endless varieties of mustards, but memories of the wonderful clients who owned them. I miss them all. (Yes, the refrigerators, but mostly the people.)

Today I have a new refrigerator. I feel a little bit like I’ve replaced a lost pet with a new puppy. It’s hard not to be excited, but I’m wistful to be sure. I fed a lot of people from those refrigerators over the last five years – hundreds, actually. There were parties and private classes and weeknight suppers – lots and lots of suppers. There were cookies for kids when they came home from school. There was soup and salad and salmon, paella, enchiladas, crab cakes and cassoulet, plus steak and lasagnas (oh, how many lasagnas!). I served up some mighty meals, prepped for some pretty posh parties, and generally had a fair bit of fun with those refrigerators. Yeah, I’ll definitely miss them.

But back to 2012 – there’s loads of fun to be had, and I’m looking forward to it! I may not get a chance to meet all of the people that in one way or another will “feed” from this particular refrigerator, but I like to think they are all uniquely fabulous and will appreciate my work just as much as my wonderful former clients. As I write recipes and foodie features for Kowalski’s shoppers, create new signature dishes for the markets or plan meal ideas, magazine layouts and media appearances, I’m thinking of them. Of you! I’m practically giddy to show you a new recipe for Tiramisu Cups (watch for me on KARE-11 on Friday at 4 pm for that!) and I can’t wait for you to try the Steak Sandwich and the Balsamic and Pepper-Macerated Berries that will appear in the May issue of At Home with Kowalski’s. I also look forward to seeing many of you in the classes I’ll host in this kitchen (The Next Level Teaching Kitchen, where my new refrigerator lives…).  We’ll be exploring chocolate and cheese (and chocolate cheese, actually) and soups and sauces and salads and all kinds of delicious things in the coming months. (You’ll find the schedule here and soon at www.kowalskis.com.) It’s a good thing this is a “professional” refrigerator – I think it’s going to be professionally BUSY!

But before I get busy with my “new” refrigerator there are two things I have to get out of the way. 1) A new year means a clean start – and by that I mean the refrigerator needs a bath (you know my stance on this – a clean refrigerator is a happy refrigerator). And 2) it needs stocking. Some serious shopping is in order – buttermilk powder, tamari, yuzu marmalade, prosciutto (you know, the basics). Sure, unsalted butter and mustard are on the list, too - the fridge may be new, but there are some things that never change.

You can follow all of my foodie adventures in 2012 more ways than ever! I’m still twittering as @chefRachael, but you can also find me in a new place on Facebook – as Rachael Perron At Kowalski’s. You can submit a question (“Ask the Culinary Expert” (me)), read the Kowalski’s newsletter or magazine and get meal suggestions, recipes and more at www.kowalskis.com (click Recipes/Resources).

I want not. Or is it naught? In any case, I need for nothing because I never waste anything. I know this can be a challenge for most people. For me, it works mostly because it’s a game. Recipes that call for egg yolks or egg whites undeniably present the trickiest challenge. Last week, as I prepared luscious zabaglione custard using 5 egg yolks, I lamented to a class full of eager dessert-makers that I had no immediate use for their whites, as we were preparing our tiramisu filling the typical American way, using whipped cream. I was pleased to inform everyone, though, that when I learned to make tiramisu in Tuscany, I also learned that that most Italians use an uncooked egg white meringue in place of whipped cream. After my own heart!

The zabaglione demonstration prompted a curious and delicious discovery days later when I was making a 12 egg white Angel Food cake with my daughter. “What are you going to do with all of these yolks?” she inquired of me as she expertly separated the full dozen. Yes, what, I thought! A few yolks is one thing, but 12? Naturally my first thought was custard or curd, and then of course lemon. “Lemon curd?” I tempted. “Lime?” she countered. A few hours later, while considering which we might prefer, I recalled zabaglione. You see, made with egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine, you might as well call it Marsala curd. And couldn’t I replace the wine with another alcohol, say tequila? Lemon, lime, tequila? Our recipe for margarita curd, 12 yolks worth, was born (and follows) . I’ve also included the inspiration, which is typically mixed with a pound of beaten Mascarpone cheese and folded with a pint of whipped sweetened cream as a filling for a tiramisu. It’s also delicious on its own. Enjoy either with angel food or pound cake, scones, toast, berries, or as a filling for pavlovas or tarts.

¼ c. tequila

2 T. Grand Marnier

6 T. freshly squeezed lime juice

¼ c. freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ tsp. Kosher salt

1 ½ c. sugar

12 egg yolks, beaten

½ c. unsalted butter, cold, cut into approximately 32 cubes

1.      Combine tequila, Grand Marnier, juice, salt and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook just until sugar dissolves, adjusting the heat down if necessary to ensure the mixture does not boil.

       2.      Put the eggs in a heat-safe glass bowl; stream in a little of the hot syrup, a few tablespoons at a time at first, very, very slowly, whisking constantly to temper the eggs (bear in mind it is almost impossible to add the liquid too slowly, but adding it too quickly will cause the eggs to curdle and destroy the recipe – you goal is to slowly raise the temperature of the eggs until both the syrup and eggs are fully incorporated and equally warm).

      3.      Pour the curd back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula (especially in the corners) over medium-low heat 11-15 minutes until the mixture reaches 170 degrees and a spatula dragged across the bottom leaves a faint, disappearing trail (the mixture should be thick, but you should still be able to pour it through a fine mesh strainer, if you desire.)

      4.      Remove the cooked curd from the heat and stir in the cold butter until melted.

      5.      If desired, you can strain the curd, though I don’t usually (if you are concerned about the quality of your tempering technique or would be offended by a bit of lemon pulp in the mixture, you can do so).

      6.      Move to a storage container and press a bit of plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd; while the curd is delicious warm, it will thicken as it cools completely in the refrigerator and may be stored up to 3 days.

5 egg yolks

¼ c. sugar

½ c. Marsala wine

      1.      Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan and reduce to simmer.

      2.      Whisk the eggs and sugar together in large heat-safe glass bowl until pale yellow.

      3.      Place the bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure the water does not touch the bowl.

      4.      Slowly add the wine, beating continuously.

      5.      Cook 6-10 minutes until soft mounds can be formed, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.

      6.      [If using in tiramisu filling or to hasten the cooling process] Transfer bowl to a much larger bowl full of ice and water; stir custard constantly until cool, about 5 minutes.

      7.      Serve or use immediately (or store in refrigerator in the same manner as the curd) until ready to serve.

I get around. At least the local grocery store scene, anyway. On a recent trip I was stopped by someone who recognized me from a friend’s copy of my cookbook. This, and the release of a couple of  community publications containing my photo (mailed to every house in the city) have me a little more concerned with what I’m seen purchasing at the market these days (occasionally it also makes me wish I’d thrown on a little mascara before leaving the house). As a chef and cooking instructor, I imagine judgments raining down upon me as I stand in the checkout with “prepared” (gasp) foods and ingredients. But let’s be real, it happens. I don’t make everything from scratch every single meal of every day, okay. There I said it. I still make a scary amount of things from scratch that most people don’t even dream of – like pasta, and breakfast cereal, pickles, candy, sausage, pastries (really any manner of baked goods). Still, there is one particular category of product I buy prepared more than any other – condiments. Recently I blogged about how empty the fridge had become and it occurred to me that most of what remained after the cleanout were in fact, condiments. My gosh do I have a collection going there! Most of them I have yet to, (and possibly never will) try to make from scratch. I love to make salad dressings, barbeque sauces, dessert sauces, chutneys and jams, but I’ve yet to attempt anything like homemade mustard, nor do I even know if it would be realistically possible I could make my own soy sauce. Or fish sauce, or oyster sauce, or Worcestershire sauce, etc., etc. (are you wondering about my ketchup? I don’t keep it in the fridge – but that’s a blog for another day entirely…) Could I make these things – probably. Will I make them – maybe. At least some of them, someday. In the meantime I’m happy to appreciate that I don’t have to try and that I have all that wide open space in which to keep my store-bought goodies. Anyway, next time you see me in the checkout lane please don’t judge my purchases too harshly. (And if you do see me about and think I could use a little mascara or blush, maybe pretend you don’t see me. Thanks!)

Stay cool.

I got a new down parka this winter and I’ve been cranking the heat, but I’m not referring to the temperature outside when I say I’m not freezing. What I mean is, I’m not using my freezer. About a month ago I got the notion to make an effort to empty out my freezer. How or why this idea occurred to me, I’m not entirely sure, but suffice it to say it quickly turned into a game I was playing with myself as to how expertly I could actually do it. You see, unlike most people, to me cleaning out the freezer doesn’t mean throwing anything away – I’ve been gradually and deliciously using it up bit by frozen bit.

Early on in this game I started to think about my clients. Makes sense. I put meals in their freezers every day, and on most visits, fill them up – taking up every last available nook and cranny. Interestingly, for most clients, getting initial service set up throws them into a panic – not over fees, or menus - they’re terrified they won’t have enough space in their freezer (sometimes, in their SECOND freezer) for 4-5 meals to fit in. I guess I wanted to prove to myself that it is entirely possible to keep a clean freezer. It’s been kind of fun to open mine up and peek in the last few days. As of this morning, aside from ice packs for lunchboxes and “owies” and the ice cream freezer bowl, there is just some vanilla ice cream, frozen corn kernels and three Skinny Cow ice cream bars remaining. I love that I know this. And it’s been nice to have it as cleaned out as the fridge always is. (You know my rule - you have to be able to see everything in it without moving anything.)

Speaking of the fridge, this challenge has indeed leaked over there, as I’ve been trying also to use up everything in it as well. With two kids and a busy schedule that includes basketball, piano and homework, we rarely eat out – usually only once a week. Yet, I’ve been impressed that in the midst of my challenge I’ve been able to turn out some pretty great meals without needing to pick up much more than some fresh proteins or produce – Turkey-Parmesan Meatballs with Fresh Pesto; pizza topped with those leftovers, some bacon, tomato sauce and cheese; Pork Carnitas; Chilaquiles with those leftovers, some homemade enchilada sauce made with the pork drippings and a bag of tortilla chips; Spinach and Cannellini Bean Soup. I even cranked out some Sour Cream Orange Coffee Cake, Double Fudge Brownies with Ganache and a batch of Vanilla Sea Salt Caramels using up the stash of eggs, butter and cream that invariably always accumulates. The results of this clean-out have been incredible beyond just this menu. There’s barely anything left. Right now there are three cups of frozen raspberries thawing in there that I’ll turn into two pints of jam tomorrow, as well as some leftover steamed rice from last night’s dinner, a serving of leftover chilaquiles from Wednesday and a Diet Coke that will undoubtedly become my lunch. Aside from that there is little else but eggs, orange juice, skim milk, unsalted butter and a slew of condiments. Admittedly there were a few casualties on this side of the playing field – extra bottles of peanut sauce, an aging jar of rose petal jam, and two or three questionable Clementines among them found the curb, but it’s been fun finding uses for things that don’t often get a lot of play. Caramel sauce and a jar of Maraschino cherries (and some chopped smoked almonds for crunch) turned some plain yogurt into a dessert the kids loved. Tomorrow’s breakfast promises crepes with the remainder of a jar of ligonberries and the last of some whipped cream. Tonight we’ll finally find a use for the package of refrigerated pasta my husband picked up on an unchaperoned trip to the market by mixing half with the remaining leftover homemade pesto and half with the last of the leftover homemade marinara sauce. Add the frozen corn and dinner will be served. For dessert? I pulled a half package of puff pastry out of the freezer this morning and plan on whipping up some Chaussons aux Pommes using the last remaining apples in the crisper. Lest you forget that vanilla ice cream I mentioned earlier, these yummy French apple turnovers’ll be served a la mode, of course.

Stay cool.