Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Casserole and Couscous

The Chefs: Aurelia and Frankie

The Menu: Just about the homiest home-cooked meal we've ever had! Aurelia whipped up one of her signature, savory casseroles, this time including perfectly tender potatoes, bright green broccoli, and a hearty dose of melted mozzarella-style Follow Your Heart cheese. She also created a delicious couscous salad with chopped cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and avocado, and, in addition to everything else, we enjoyed steamed artichokes. That delectable dollop on the side? That would be a homemade, and greatly garlicky, aioli, into which we dipped our artichoke leaves, our fingers, and pretty much anything else that wasn't nailed down.

The Goods: You may notice that it says Aurelia and Frankie in the chef category today. Ms. Frankie decided to treat us to a surprise dessert so gorgeous (see below!) that we had to take a photo—before completely devouring it. With limes fresh from the tree in her backyard, Frankie brought in a stellar vegan lime cheesecake, which she decorated with pineapple sage, also from her yard. Hear hear for edible flowers! Tart, tangy, and perfectly textured, this cake was one for the record books. Finally, what's a pirate's favorite vegetable? (Hint: you can find it in today's lunch!)