So on Wednesday January 3 2018, Elder Morgenegg and I were invited to “taste” Mensaf/Mensif (it is spelled both ways) with our friend and adopted Jordanian son, Mohammad soon to graduate from medical school.
When we arrived he was busy in the kitchen of our branch cooking cooking cooking. He had already cooked the meat at home and transported it to the branch. In this very small kitchen he cooked a feast. With my new camera I took lots of pictures and there is a brief explanation with each one. In Jordan this feast is prepared for weddings, funerals, graduations, in fact any celebration, and for Friday nights and any time company comes for a visit. If it has cashews you are a favored guest (yes, ours had cashews). It is made with sheep meat (bones and all) and the meat is so tender as it is cooked a long time, rice, a delicious sauce, parsley, nuts, all laid on a bed of large sheets of flat bread. Then as you eat more sauce is added and more sauce and more sauce. It is insulting if you don’t finish what is in front of you and especially if you don’t finish all your sauce. You are to eat it with your hands but Elder Morgenegg and I did not do that – although in retrospect I think we should have at least tried it – if there is another time maybe we will.
Mohammad is always smiling and here he is so happy to have his guests arriving as he cooks.
Mohammad stirring the sauce.
Sister Kane is taking the meat out of the water it cooked in and putting it on one of the large platters Mohammad brought to serve the meal on.
Elder Morgenegg is now helping Sister Kane and Sister Vucenovic get the meat out.
Getting instructions from the head cook. Sister Vucenovic has just put the flat bread on the trays for serving.
Here is the finished sauce.
President Gornak (our branch president) has arrived and is supervising the process.
Sister Vucenovic is checking out the flat bread with the rice already laid out.
More rice on the platters. President Gornak is enjoying watching all that is happening.
Now Mohammad adds a layer of sauce on the rice.
Then the meat goes on top of the rice and sauce and flatbread.
Now more sauce on the top.
President Gornak loved this and wanted his picture taken. He loves to party and have fun.
Now Mohammad is adding the fresh parsley on top of the flat bread, rice, meat and sauce.
Two large finished platters ready for eating. But first more pictures.
Next come the roasted nuts, cashews and almonds and something else, perhaps pine nuts.
Elder Morgenegg, Sister Kane, President Gornak, Mohammad, Sister Vucenovic
Sister Kane took this one with the food in the forground and me on the left.
Mohammad had to instruct us on proper Mensaf etiquette.
Here is the first bite. You made a ball of the rice and other stuff and the flick it into your mouth. Quite tricky.
President Gornak is rolling up his sleeves getting ready while Sister Kane tastes with a spoon.
Sister Kane’s first fist full of Mensaf.
It is fun for all – eating and watching.
Mohammad, President Gornak and Sister Kane are all now eating with their hands and having a good time.
Elder Peterson and Elder Thornton joined us with their investigator Artoom.
The elders are making their balls of Mensaf.
And in it goes.
President Bilenko of the District presidency joined us but only with a spoon – no hands for him.
One of the trays after we finished. Mohammad wanted us to eat more but we were all full. There was so much to eat and he kept adding to it.
So that was our Mensaf adventure. Would I do it again? YES. It was delicious but also so much fun.
I don’t know if I would ever make it myself but who knows what the future holds. I never thought I would be here in Ukraine either. So Happy Eating to All and to All a Good Night!