Back to our festivities!

We left off with Blogger being uncooperative, so I'll try again today to upload some of the photos of the tables overburdened with food! The salads were ever so yummy, but a few of the other items were, well, perhaps tasty to a few.

It has come to attention that the egregious faux pas of NOT putting bread on the table is probably a federal crime here. Bread holds an almost holy significance here. It is baked or fried in honor of the ancestor spirits, it is never thrown away; if one accidently drops a piece, it is placed in a high place (window sill or ledge)- and never left on the ground!

Bread, in copious amounts must be put on every table- party or not.

The next "dish" was an interesting one... Frankly speaking, I'm pretty sure no one touched this one... Hmmmm, I wonder why? Remember that Weird Al Yankovich song?
Most of the rest of the salads and first courses were very tasty. For real. This one below was lightly sauteed cucumbers with bits of beef, onions, carrots and seasoned with MSG. The two that you can see behind are: carrots with oil, vinegar, and I don't know what else. I've tried to duplicate, but am foiled every time. The white one is rice noodles with cucumber, bits of beef, and some other stuff- MSG for sure. I wish I could be more specific, but just can't. Let's say that we adore them, but cannot make them to save our lives.

Also, decorating our tables were plates of sweets, tiered dishes of nuts, dried fruits, cookies, candies, and heaps of various cold cuts. My hands down favorite is the horse meat sausage!!! I could eat it all day. It's pretty salty, but mmm mmm, so good! The people here say that the combo of horsemeat and fermented horse milk or camel's milk can heal just about any ailment or disease. Take that for what you will...

So, that does it for the tables that greeted us as we entered. Next up I'll give you a glimpse of the party-goers and the general atmosphere. Also, still to come is the incredible entertainment we were treated to, the traditional unveiling of the bride, the dancing and the toasting. It was a long, incredibly interesting evening, we'll not soon forget!

Until Then,

Your SteppeSister