February 11, 2008

Student Center to host International Buffet

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Going around the world in 80 days was quite a feat for Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg in the novel set in 1872. Now, one can circumvent the globe, at least via the culinary route, in one evening at the International Buffet, set for Friday, Feb. 15, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The International Buffet is set for 5-7 p.m. in the Renaissance Room of the SIUC Student Center. Hosted by Student Center Dining Services, the evening features myriad international flavors for the most discriminating palates.

Tickets are $10.25 in advance for students, senior citizens and children ages five and older, or $11.50 at the door. General public tickets are $11.25 in advance and $12.50 at the door. To purchase buffet tickets in advance, visit the central ticket office on the second floor of the Student Center between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or call 618/453-3478.

Featured appetizers at the buffet include fasole batuta with warm bread from Romania, feta and paprika from Bulgaria, roasted red peppers, black bean and corn salsa with tortilla chips from Brazil and apple, green onion and Jalapeno salsa. The next course includes Russian tomato salad, la caprese from Italy and Indonesia's acar. Soup choices consist of gazpacho from Spain and Finnish summer vegetable soup.

The entrees are stifado from Greece, yassa au poulet from West Africa and Cuba's chutetas de puerco criollas. Accompanying side dishes are ratatouille creole from the Caribbean, spiced coconut sweet potatoes from the Philippines and Germany's rotkohl. There's peasant bread from Italy and Ethiopian yemarina yewotet dabo too. Rounding out the menu are desserts including honeydew with carmelia sauce from Andorra, gajjar halwa from India, Austrian apple twists and England's Black Forest trifle.

For more information about the International Buffet, held during the SIUC International Festival, call 618/453-1130 or look online at www.siucstudentcenter.org.