Sudanese cuisine

Finger food Friday night was more exotic than sloppy joes and potato chips. Our meal, at least the recipes, originated in Africa.

One of Amanda's friends spent Friday preparing dishes and sharing about Sudanese culture. The guys gathered around the dining room table to sample salad (yogurt with shredded cucumber and carrots), the staple bean dish (pronounced fool), lentils, and soup (poured over torn-up bread). The ladies' group was a bit more authentic, since we gathered around a tray set on a stool. But no matter which group, the rule of etiquette was simple--don't use your left hand to tear off a piece of bread and dip it in the common dishes.

In Sudan, the men are always served first and the women and children wait to eat until the men have had enough. Though the ladies were in another room, we received the impression that the menfolk would have preferred sloppy joes for dinner. That was in our favor, because even with adolescent boys there were still plenty of lentils for the ladies after the men were served.