I should bake a cake in honor of Julia Child’s 100th birthday. A few decades ago my food-loving father named me after his culinary hero, Julia. I now love cooking and baking with butter, making quiches and beating the eggs until my arm is about to fall off, and of course watching Julie & Julia! This fall I would love to try Beef Bourguignon and have friends and family over to feast.

from simplyrecipes.com

My try at Martha Stewart’s peach raspberry slab pie

Because homemade fruit pies are synonymous with a memorable summer for many, I’d like to share a recipe that I used for a party recently that was a major hit.  It is Martha Stewart’s peach-raspberry slab pie recipe. I substituted frozen peaches and strawberries,  and it turned out great. I also didn’t cut out the circles in the pie dough, but I cut part of the dough into strips (pictured above) and layered it crosswise. One thing to remember is that you should not let the juice ooze onto the pan, as it will burn.

People kept exclaiming “this. is. amazing.” Or one girl grabbed my arm as she munched away with crumbs on her face, “this is better than I imagined.” The filling was sweet and not too tart, and the crust was buttery and flaky. Because I’m health-conscious (but I guess not so in this case!) I did warn some that there were 4 sticks of butter in this, but everyone still had a slice. =)  Also, still delicious the next day.

When I taste something delectable and can’t stop thinking about it, I like to share with the world. I attended a rooftop party a little bit ago that showcased some locally-owned businesses including Tartine, a new French bistro in Clive, Iowa serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. My friends and I sampled a curried lamb slider that was so divine that we devised a plan to get some more (though they were free for everyone). The plan included me getting a picture with Lynn, co-owner of Tartine.  I also have eaten one of their cream puffs, which before I popped in my mouth had low expectations since I tend to have high standards where desserts are concerned. I can tell you that the puff pastry was flaky and buttery and the cream on the inside was the perfect creamy smooth texture and not too sweet. I was having a moment.  See below for a recipe I found for a curried lamb burger, if you are the adventurous cooking type… but for the majority of you who are not, and live in Iowa, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed once you happen into Tartine. (They also cater)

Tartine French bistro

I’ll let them say it themselves:

Tartine is proud to be locally owned and operated. We feel privileged to be able to work with other like minded companies and are striving to create a sense of local pride in not only the Des Moines area, but in the state of Iowa. We revel in being able to support such companies through the usage and sale of Iowa microbrew beers, organic t-shirts and apparel, and utilizing as many local and fresh ingredients as possible in the preparation of our cuisine.

Delicious breakfast, fast lunch and casual dinner Read menu here

Curry-Masala Lamb Burgers With Yogurt Sauce from Food.com