Photo by Deb Gau Sarah Pistello used a fork to carefully crimp the edges of an empanada, a meat-filled pastry from Latin America. The empanadas were one of the entrees available at a special buffet-style meal at Bon Appetit, SMSU’s student-run restaurant.

MARSHALL — They had an afternoon to prepare a buffet-style meal that would serve two different sets of diners. But with just three people in the kitchen, they’d have to work efficiently, and work as a team.

While Heidi First prepared salad ingredients, Sarah Pistello mixed peppers, garlic, honey and other ingredients together in a blender. Pistello called Jesse Puckett, the chef for the evening, over to taste-test the sauce. It was definitely spicy.

“That smacks you in the face,” Puckett said before giving instructions on what ingredients to add to balance out the heat of the mixture.

Puckett, Pistello and First, all Southwest Minnesota State University students, were working to bring a taste of Brazil to Bon Appetit, the university’s student-run restaurant. Thursday was the first of six buffet-style meals that will be prepared and served by students.

“This year, we’re trying out the buffet service for the first time,” said Joyce Hwang, associate professor of hospitality management at SMSU.

Bon Appetit gives students in the hospitality management program a chance to practice the skills they’ve learned in the classroom. In the past, Bon Appetit had more of a traditional sit-down restaurant setup, with menus and meals served to guests at their tables. But this year, a buffet-style event was planned to work better with a smaller class of students, said graduate assistant Emilie Tyndall.

“This is our first week doing all the recipes,” Pistello said. Pistello, First and Puckett each planned a different menu featuring a soup, a salad, three entrees, two sides and a dessert. Thursday was the first night that Puckett’s menu, featuring Brazilian cuisine, would be served.

“For the past two weeks, we’ve been testing and re-testing” recipes, he said. The three students spent long hours in the kitchen, trying to get everything right for serving. While they had their hands full planning and preparing Thursday’s meal, other hospitality management students stepped in to help prepare the dining room.

Bon Appetit will be open for six Thursdays, running through April 9. The menu will feature Brazilian cuisine on March 26; Italian cuisine on March 5 and April 2; and Greek cuisine on March 19 and April 9.

The cost to attend Bon Appetit is $15, and no tips are expected. Diners will be asked to fill out a questionnaire. Diners can reserve seats and learn more about the menus at Bon Appetit online, at www.smsu.edu/academics/programs/hospitality/bon-appetit-student-restaurant.html.