My lesson plan includes food preparation, a group presentation on how food defines: culture, religious practices, politics, geography, ethnic diversity, etiquette and the celebration of tradition. We examine how the cultural aspects of food address issues of gender, class, labor and identity. In the classroom, I divide the students among five kitchens. Each group selects one or more of the recipes from library books purchased and the Internet. They will spend time writing about the food, its preparation and significance. Each group may select a specific Himalayan ethnic group as their "family": Tibetan, Nepalese, Kashmiri, Bhutanese, Pakistani or Afghani. They decide whether they practice Buddhism, Hinduism, Shamanism, Christianity or an indigenous religion. This research influences the planning, preparing, serving, and hosting of their Himalayan luncheon. They will try to be as authentic as possible. Their guests will be their social studies teachers and other faculty members. Their conversations at the table or on the floor will assess what they have learned as being a part of the "family" they represent. Guests will have a list of questions to which the students will respond.