queen of sheba

i promise this isn't turning into a baking blog, but lately we have had a lot of fun, foodie occasions that have offered the opportunity to try some new recipes and of course play around with the new camera.

this weekend we celebrated our friend sonja's birth. she and her husband are also fellow blog/food/photography lovers and hosted a "julia child" dinner party for the occasion.

each guest was to bring a french course to share, and the food, wine and company was fantastic! to be honest, it was just what i have been needing lately - some quality time with quality people (and fancy pants food never hurts the cause!) it really made me covet what the europeans have going on over there...days and nights full of a slower paced life, enjoying the company of loved ones and food cooked with care. and i think things like this need to happen more often. perhaps we can host once we get some more dining room chairs (ahem, this is where's the husband's coworkers should remind him of this!)

appetizers began at 7pm and i'm pretty sure we wrapped up with eclairs at almost 11. i feel like we really had time to savor the great conversation with new friends. make sure to check back to sonja and alex's blog link above for their post (hint, hint to them!) for a more complete documentation of the evening! 

behold below, the "reine de saba avec glaçage au chocolat", or translated to the "queen of sheba cake with chocolate glaze"...not sure why the french didn't mention the almonds used in the recipe, but that too.