International Dinner offers diners a trip around the world
February 9, 2010
Sampling authentic food from nine different countries could cost a lot of time and money, but a ticket and a hearty appetite are all that's required of diners at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's annual International Dinner.
The dinner will take place at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, in the Hamilton Center in the James R. Connor University Center. Last year's event was a sellout and, with a few tweaks to the program, International Student Association President Sachie Tennakoon thinks this year's event will be another success.
Dishes from nine countries will be served, and all the recipes come directly from UW-Whitewater students. The menu includes:
- Som Tom (Thai Salad) – Thailand
- Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad) – Italy
- Baked Fish with Plantain – Fiji
- Moussaka – Middle East/Eastern Europe
- Peanut Chicken – Burkina Faso, West Africa
- Lomo Saltado (Beef Stir Fry) – Peru
- Vegetable Curry – Sri Lanka
- Persian Chicken – Iran
- Jasmine Rice – Thailand
- Dates – Saudi Arabia
"Chartwells always does an outstanding job and now they're giving us the opportunity to work even more closely with them," Tennakoon said. "The students whose recipes were chosen are working one-on-one with the chefs to provide the most authentic taste possible."
Videos were added this year to give attendees an even closer look at what home is like for international students in different regions.
"Over the summer, students took videos of their homes and each region will present a three-to-five-minute clip," said Jessica Harmatys, an international student adviser in the Center for Global Education. "The regional focus will provide more structure and it will be fun to kind of travel around the world."
The globetrotting will be extensive, with 41 countries represented by 124 international students.
Attendees can also look forward to native song, dance, live music and a fashion show put on by international students. During dinner, guests will be treated to the sounds of the internationally acclaimed choral and percussion ensemble Voices of Africa.
Tennakoon said the event is important for international students as many look forward to not only showcasing their culture but also meeting international alumni. She also stressed the opportunity for American students to experience new cultures.
"Our No. 1 goal is to have fun; we always have fun," she said. "We also want to engage American students interested in seeing our culture and open a gateway for them to the rest of the world."
Harmatys wants to also open that gateway for members of the community.
"We would love for as many community members to be involved as possible," she said. "This is a chance for a broadened perspective of the world; so many of us who haven't done much traveling have stereotypes of other cultures. We want to break those down and allow people to learn new things about world cultures."
The event is open to the public and tickets can be purchased:
- At the Greenhill Center of the Arts Ticket Center
- Online at tickets.uww.edu
- At the International Student Association booth in the University Center between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday
- By calling UW-Whitewater Ticket Services at 262-472-2222
Tickets are $19 for the general public and $13 for students and children. Tickets are available until Friday, February 19, and will not be sold at the door.