Today's appetizers include fried zucchini from Italy, Peruvian ceviche de pescado and arepa (corn cakes) from Venezuela.

The directions for these dishes are three, among hundreds printed in The International Cookbook, a compilation of recipes submitted by international students. Together, they create a cultural and culinary melting pot. The book, also known as Tastebuds Delight, was organized by The International Student Council (ISC) and is divided by course and also by country. In fall 2003, several student-run ISC committees oversaw all elements of production including funding, publication and layout concerns. In the end, ISC published a cookbook aiming to allow access into many kinds of cuisine cooked by Penn State students here, and around the world. Rupam Patheja (senior-marketing) was one of three members of the compilation committee, a group that compiled recipes for the book, and is currently the vice president of ISC. Patheja said the group sent out mass e-mails to every international student group and, after getting out the word, the committee received close to 500 responses.

"We wanted to represent as many countries as we could," Patheja said. "We went with the most popular dishes, which we determined by asking representatives from each country."

Patheja estimated anywhere from 100 to 150 copies of the $15 book have sold from such locations including the HUB-Robeson center as well as many local restaurants.

This is a break in the article to serve up the main course.

Today's entrees include Cambodian stir-fry with ginger and mushrooms, Korean oxtail soup and youvetsi (braised beef with orzo) from Greece.

After receiving an e-mail message, Stutee Khandelwal (senior-philosophy and life sciences) submitted her recipe for rajma, a dish indigenous to northwestern India. She provided extensive details to allow access to amateurs in Indian cooking.

"I figured someone who was from another country would need a good explanation,"

Khandelwal said.

She said she was pleased with the outcome and the student effort, but she said it's good to have another source before making some of the recipes with less information, which she based on her experience making tiramisu.

"There was a bit of discrepancy between those who wrote the recipes," she said. "It really depends on the student who contributed."

Here's a dessert break from the article.

The menu lists African banana fritters, South American dulce de leche and Thai coconut milk ice cream.

"The [Mexican] flan is marvelous," said Amy Toth, who was the adviser for the ISC at the time of the project and currently is a staff assistant at the Eberly College of Science.

Toth said she bought two copies of the book as gifts and had experimented with a few recipes from her own copy.

"I must admit I've made some of the easier recipes," she said. "But, if you are into cooking, and have a chef-like ability, that's in there, too."

Toth said the book satisfied the goals of raising money for ISC and getting International students involved with the domestic students. Toth said she helped the student committees, but the project was really spearheaded by students.

After the release of the book, there were a few events where free samples of some of the recipes were featured. ISC President Raya Guruswamy (junior-geography) said the response at last year's spring festival was very positive.

"We got some caterers and supervised them and they made some of the dishes," Guruswamy said. "We made a lot and within one hour it was gone. People just really fell in love with it."

Guruswamy estimated the entire cost of the book was in the range of $4,000 to $5,000. Patheja reflected on the experience.

"I think this cookbook has a lot of recipes from international students who are here right now and they can share their culture with other students here," Patheja said. "This is a personal touch that they would not otherwise be able to share."