The food served at the 26th University of Mary International Dinner March 18 will recreate the feel of a typical Sunday evening meal in the Italian countryside, said Valerie Kling, chairwoman of the dinner and program director of U-Mary's modern language department.

"The Villages of Italy"will celebrate the simple and unpretentious cuisine of the picturesque villages of Italy, with proceeds from the meal going to help U-Mary students studying abroad, Kling said.

Tables will be decorated to match the Italian theme, and students will serve the meal. Former U-Mary student Warren Sturlaugson will entertain with several selections of Italian music.

The event begins at 5 p.m. with the antipasto in the Blue Room - crostini spread with toppings such as shrimp and white beans, served with asti spumante.

The dinner starts at 6 p.m. in University Hall with slices of Genovese zucchini pie, followed by a mixed salad tossed with a classic vinaigrette dressing.

The main course is cocoa-crusted beef braised in red wine, served with a potato and tomato gratin and fresh green beans with olive oil and lemon, focaccia - Italian flat bread - and a glass of Chianti. Dessert is a Tuscan cake made with fennel, accompanied by espresso.

The Mediterranean cuisine is one of Kling's favorites, along with its focus not just on the meal itself, but on the fellowship and conversation that go with it, she said.

In this meal, the food is slow-cooked and ingredients are all fresh: "It will feel like you're in Italy," Kling said.

Kling has organized the annual dinner for about 13 years, she said. She researches cookbooks and cuisines throughout the year to prepare for the dinner and has created Mediterranean themes for previous dinners from France to Spain to Morocco, as well as dishes from various South American countries and others, she said.

"We stereotype countries'(cuisines)," she said. When people think "Italy" they think "pasta,"she said; so this meal offers some fresh and new ingredients and dishes.

The cost of the dinner is $30 per person. For reservations, call U-Mary at 355-8146 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.