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"