An Evening in Marrakech at Boheme

The dinner will begin with a dip sampler, including muhammara (a red pepper and walnut dip), then progress to a creamy Moroccan carrot soup with charmola, followed by chicken with preserved lemon and olives and a tagine of chickpeas, butternut squash and greens. The meal will end on a sweet note with rose water-scented mascarpone cheese-stuffed dates.

Eating Our Words spoke with Chef Heather Vaughan to get the inside scoop on this unique dinner party. "The owner of Boheme, Morgan, had the great idea to have some special public dinner, to showcase a variety of exotic and hard-to-find food ideas that, if popular, might make it onto the permanent menu," says Vaughan. "It's great to be invited to contribute, and a good way to expand a café's repertoire."

Vaughan likes Moroccan food because it's blend of sweet and savory flavors. She hopes the dinner will demonstrate how the cuisine of North Africa is "not the same, but still every bit as good, as Middle Eastern cooking."

For more information or reservations, contact Chef Heather Vaughan at vaughanhr@live.com or 832-423-0004.