Around the World in 5 Plates: Northeast Iowa Montessori School (NEIM) celebrates United Nations Day!

NEIM will host an elegant evening of international cuisine, spirits, live music and dance at Steyer Opera House, Hotel Winneshiek, Decorah, on Sunday, October 28th, 5-9pm.

The event showcases five chefs from Decorah's diverse downtown restaurants: Tom Skold (Albert's Resturant and Pub in Hotel Winneshiek), Justin Scardina (La Rana), Jackson Felde (Rubaiyat), Mark Rollins (The Angry Pickle Deli), and Mattias Kriemelmeyer (Water Street Café in Oneota Food Coop). Each chef will demonstrate his culinary talents in preparing a course from a different region of the world. As a choice of entree, guests may select either Moroccan-style chicken breast with roasted shallots and dried apricots served with roasted squash-chick pea stew, or vegetarian Indian-style samosas made from local spiced potatoes with a cumin-yogurt sauce and served with coconut rice. Each remaining course will be a surprise, prepared in the tradition of another country/region.

The Luther College Balalaika Ensemble, founded by Dr. Laurie Iudin-Nelson, will provide live music. The fully costumed Balalaika Ensemble performs Russian and East European music on traditional instruments in the balalaika and domra families, along with accordion, percussion, and vocals.

The event also features the Luther College Ballroom/Swing Dance Club, instructed by Ms. April Dahl of Dahl Dance Center in Rochester. Members will perform and teach specific dances to guests.

Tickets are available through October 18th from Montessori families and at Oneota Community Food Coop in Decorah. Ticket prices are $50 per person or $85 per couple, with each ticket qualifying for a $25 donation tax credit.

NEIM chose to celebrate UN Day to honor the vision of Maria Montessori, the Italian physician and educator who founded the Montessori method of education, now practiced in more than 20,000 schools worldwide.

As an early supporter of the League of Nations (precursor to the UN), Dr. Montessori believed that education should encourage children to show compassion to others, resolve conflict with words, and collaborate with others for the good of the community. NEIM emphasizes these ideals in its guiding curriculum principle "educating for peace."

All proceeds go to the school and its Capital Campaign to purchase their Water Street building in downtown Decorah.

NEIM invites the public to join us them for "Around the World in 5 Plates" and help support NEIM's commitment to guiding children in peaceful living.

For more information on Northeast Iowa Montessori school programs, please contact the school at 563-382-6491 or visit www.neim.us.