Oyster Picnic and Shaker Lemon Pie

We used the Shaker lemon pie recipe from the Tartine Bakery cookbook and it was fantastic. Here is a lovely looking one from Smitten Kitchen if you don't have access to the cookbook.

Nanook Approves!

Here is Nanook tuning in to Obama's inauguration. 

Lazy Sunday

This Saturday I went to Omnivore Books to check out Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren of one of my favorite restaurants in the city, A16, for a Q&A/book signing. I picked up the cookbook A16 Food & Wine and decided to make the Ricotta Gnocchi in Brodo with Peas and Spicy Pork Meatballs for Cheryl and my infamous Lazy Sunday.

Because the butcher only had frozen ground pork, I decided to follow the recipe exact and grind the pork myself (I snuck in some bacon too, he he).

The only thing missing from these babies are calibrian chiles which Cheryl and I searched high and low in Noe Valley for. Chef Nate said that with the exception of Calibrian chiles, wine, cheese, olive oil and San Marzano tomatoes, Italy has nothing on California meat and produce. I had to substitute red chile flakes :(

Ricotta gnocchi rules. Tender little clouds of goodness....and super easy.

A word of advice, save your parmesan rinds!! This brodo, or cheese broth, is the best thing ever.



For desert we had yummy Piave cheese with honeycrisp apples & bosc pears, washed down with Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Brut. After the meal we clocked in 6 hours of couch time with our furry ones watching gems such as: 1) Princess Diaries, 2) Mean Girls, 3) AFV, 4) Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and 5) Wuthering Heights. Yay for lazy Sundays!

---Stephanie

Winter Warmer

we've done quite a bit of entertaining over at chez valley this past holiday season! sometimes coming up with a meal that's yummy, quick and crowd pleasing can be hard. some people can't eat this and other people can't eat that. one recipe that we used on a couple of occasions with great success was Sunset magazine's lightened up version of ribollita. we served it alongside a big fresh salad and everyone "ohhh-ed" and "yumm-ed"!


here is the recipe:

About 3 tbsp. of olive oil, divided
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, chopped into 1/2 in. pieces
2 celery stalks, chopped into 1 in. pieces
1 1/2 quart chicken stock*
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 whole canned tomatoes, quartered plus some juice
2 cups chopped Swiss Chard
4 cups ciabatta, ripped into 1 1/2 in. pieces
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
2 tbsp. each chopped fresh basil and cilantro
Wedge of parmesan for grating

1. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in broth and beans, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and chard and simmer another 15 minutes, covered.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay bread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toast until slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Set croutons aside.
3. Just before serving, add basil and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Divide soup among serving bowls and top each with a few warm croutons. Grate parmesan directly over soup.
Serves 6 or 7.
*We made it with vegetable stock one night for our vegetarian friends and with chicken stock another. Both taste amazing so go with whichever you prefer!

have a nice day

took this pic today on my walk home. this has nothing to do with anything but holy fucking shit how good is the new animal collective album??? amazingly good. haven't wanted to listen to anything this much since 'kid a'.... or something like that. i will give you a song to listen to off of 'merriweather post pavillion'. do yourself a favor and listen :)
"taste" and "daily routine"

cheers to the holidays!

we had a few friends over to celebrate the holidays at chez valley. sarah was a rebel rouser and now the ginormous patron bottle is almost gone.

for savories we served crudites with a mint and green onion dip, gougeres with bacon and arugula, foie gras with brioche and peach preserves, point reyes blue cheese ball with sweet potato and beet chips, caviar with creme fraiche and bellinis, an assortment of cheeses, stuffed mushrooms, salumi with caperberries and cornichons, crostinis with goat cheese, beets and frisee. oh, mickey and jaime brought doritos per sarah's request. for sweeties we had red velvet whoopie pies, earl grey and lavender cookies, rice krispie treats and oatmeal orange chocolate chip cookies.
the house was cozy and toasty with a holiday log on the fire.
connell is super happy to open his white elephant gift. little did he know that the evil oldham clan would swoop in and steal it. thanks brother. book lovers trivial pursuit rules.
clearly, mitch is not so thrilled about his white elephant selection.
here is michelle happily taking it to christmas-partytown.
mickey and jaime recycled their wrapping paper into fashionable headware. it really was a green holiday!

friendsgiving

we inherited this fine turkey a few days before actual turkey day & decided to have a house-friendsgiving! we all pitched in, but stephanie was the primary chef.



romy checking out the centerpiece: sunflowers & stems of seeded eucalyptus

the tablescape: sandra lee would be nonplussed by our simple tastes.

the end result: yorkshire pudding, sweet-potato gratin, brussel sprouts w/bacon & shallots, and turkey w/gravy! oh, and lots of tiny bubbles!