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This is our personal journey about our love of life and good food. We started out by cooking big in a small 20 sq. ft. kitchen in San Francisco. We had one small stove, one counter, and one cupboard, where we put pantry items and dishes. We are all grown up now. We moved into a bigger space. More room to make a mess, big stove, lots of cupboards, and even a pantry. We don’t want to change our old habits; we want to share with YOU how we live small but still eat big.
My name is Denise. I confess, I love food. I love everything about food, in fact, the first thing on my mind when I crawl out of bed, besides that first cup of coffee, is what we will be sharing at the table later this day. My partner is Laudalino. He is an eater, rather he devours. Neither of us are in the food business. We are both in the video communications field.
We met 9 years ago, when he was a starving climber, and bachelor who longed for his mother’s good Portuguese cooking. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach; I like to think I got to his heart through many means, cooking just happened to be one of them. He loves my cooking so much that he thinks we only need to eat at Chez Us.
If you can’t find us in the kitchen just look out the door, and you may find us anywhere in the great outdoors, either camping (gourmet food will be included), road and mountain biking or climbing some of the high peaks. When we are not cooking and eating we try to enjoy life to the fullest by keeping active. Our passions are traveling to far away lands, submerging ourselves in the culture and of course eating! We also love to spend time behind a video and/or camera.
Our motto is: You are what you eat! Come along and join us on our culinary capers.
20 comments
Your blog is so beautiful. Your photos are just amazing!! Are you a professional photographer?
Hello, my name is Mehdi from Villa Jerada a small boutique terroir purveyor of hand crafted culinary treasures by family members and friends of ours in Morocco.
we would love to share with you an award winning olive oil that is quite unique, in taste and has an amazing story.
We are located in Seattle and my partner is in Los Angeles so we can either send you a sample to San Francisco.
Thank you and hope to meet you soon
Hi Denise,
I just came across your blog and I love it! Thought you might be interested in our website, http://www.classmonkeys.com, a free online guide that connects Bay Area class providers and potential students of all ages, including plenty of cooking classes of all shapes and sizes! Keep up the great food blog: the recipes look delicious and the photography is amazing!
Elizabeth
[...] put it to good use. after I found the recipe I started to do a little research about its creator, Denise of Chez Us. I was so excited to hear Denise and her husband are living in San Francisco cooking in a 20 sq. [...]
Denise,
I recently started a blog where I share recipes, projects and inspiration in all facets of life. I would love to feature your Basque Parsley Potatoes recipe and was wondering if that was ok.
Hope you enjoy living in San Francisco. I am originally from there and just got married and moved to Houston. I miss home.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
The incredible and Sometimes Edible EGG
Dear Denise,
First my apologies about my typo below … and lastly…
Just wanted to check in one more time to see if you are interested in joining us before time runs out for this particular project. Please remember this organization runs year long so feel free to check back with us soon.
Warm regards,
Kathy
Hello Darla,
My name is Kathy Martinez, and I’m one of the volunteers working on the Admin Team for the 2011 Paint it Purple Cupcake Gallery. I’m just following up with you to make sure you have received the invitation to participate on this fun opportunity along with your food/baking blog to benefit our cause this month all while helping to paint the internet purple.
Feel free to check us out on either Facebook or Twitter but please, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Kathy
Wow! I was searching for a salted caramel chocolate chip cookie recipe and stumbled onto your blog. You are living (and cooking) my dream life! Your words are so simple but flow so beautifully and I felt an instant connection to your foodie ways. I’m so glad I found you and can’t wait to read more and indulge in other recipes!
Nice
[...] pares food down to modern, tasty and elegant recipes. This recipe is adapted from one chosen by Chez Us for Hay, hay it’s Donna day. I tinkered a bit to turn it into a vegetarian autumnal feast [...]
[...] “My Butcher” is my farmer, a family of skilled and caring paysans/bouchers, the Famille Chapolard who literally transform ‘semence to saucisson‘ every week, from 150 acres of rich Gascon soil they grow the grain that they feed to their pigs. Every week they slaughter, butcher and make sausages, hams, bacon, coppa, boudin, pate and terrines. Every week they sell this good food at the farmer’s markets just 10 miles away. Come vote for my butcher and the fabulous video created by Lenny and Denise of Chez Us. [...]
[...] Denise and Lenny are a foodie couple who share their culinary capers at their blog, Chez Us. [...]
I love your blog and was even more excited to know your husband is portuguese descendent. I was born and raised in Portugal and also love to cook, to eat, to read about it, and to feed others (my neighbors love having me around!).
My husband loves eating and is also my food critic.
Keep up the good work! You are an inspiration.
~luis
The question is… will Lenny still admit to having eaten the half-price burgers at the Pour House?
I’ve loved this “about us” section! We’re also a couple: I cook, he takes pictures and is also my food critic…
I’m happy to get your comment and to found another portuguese in this world!
Regards,
Leonor
Followed the crumbs back from Chez Pim and the Iron Chef.
I’m on the bleeding edge of technology, of the ‘if it works it is out of date’ school of electronics. I also supply things for my wife to cook and sometimes cook myself.
We sit down for dinner at a given time, no TV, linens, decent china and some time. Have been for years.
Long live Foodie’s! … Hey Denise and Laudalino, the site looks great.
When you say you have a new website, has this existed and I didn’t know about it? How could have that happened????? I guess it did!!!! Love, love, love…..
Okay…. I read ABOUT US!!! I love it…. and just who designs the webpages for you and Lenny???? Ho Ho Ho!!!! I have a lot to do today so I can’t get into all of what you have written, but I love it…. love it. Is this going to be a free website? I would love to share it with lots of friends. I guess if it is free you can get company’s to advertise on your pages just as I have seen you have.
I grew up being served lovely meals. My father generally was dressed for dinner in a coat and tie or at least a tie and a shirt. We had linens and sterling flatware always. My grandmother from Miss. was a wonderful cook. She had lots of help, but she got into the kitchen and directed and tasted. When Evelyn and Robert were growing up, we most often ate in the dining room … always with linens and sterling flatware. Of course our food mainly came from a Southern Tradition, but people generally loved the things that I prepared. Today so many more foods are available.
Again… you are one amazing young woman with so many talents. How you manage to do all you do is a miracle. Much love, Carol
May I be president of your Fan Club??????
Lovely blog.
I love your ‘about us’ section highlighting what a meal should be. It is all about ‘the loving’. I am in high tech also. By the end of the day, I am usually so tired to even think about food. Thankfully, my wife thinks otherwise and she does whip up a good meal. All I have to come up with is a decent wine to pair with the food.
Thanks for your notes and I should put some more appreciation into food (or meal)