How manja, the Italian word for "eat", became the name of our family's favorite Armenian dish, I'll never know. What I do know is, as a young girl, I watched my Dad when he'd prepare this spicy, nutritious meal in a pan. As it baked, it's wonderful aroma would fill the house & even the close outdoors. To our family, manja means lamb stew. Last week I put out an invitation to my family to come to my house to prepare manja as a family, showing the younger generation our secrets to making it the way we remember. Two of my brother's kids, Ray & Amy are interested in learning how to cook the Armenian way so they came with their children Blake & Kyla. While Kyla enjoyed playing (she's 15 months old), Blake pitched in to help & learn. My brother Grant & sister-in-law Janet came as did my sis Clara. It was wonderful having them all around my dining table peeling & chopping potatoes, onions, eggplant, tomatoes & peppers. We all had our own pans to fill with the great vegetables that Ray & Blake brought from their wonderful garden. Clara, Grant & I all had different interpretations of the recipe (of course there isn't really a recipe, it was my Pop's own concoction) & we all remembered it differently. Guess 40 years adds & subtracts certain details.
