Angolan Fish Stew

Afghani Chicken
Albanian Baked Lamb
Algerian Malt O Meal



So it's July 31st and I have only made it to Angola. Yep, I definitely had higher expectations for myself. Perhaps one country per letter would have made more sense. But anyway, I trudge on. And last week I made me some Angolan Fish Stew (login: iwms password:wolverines). It was an odd recipe, and included some weird additions like palm oil, gherkins, okra, and pumpkin leaves (skipped those). And the end result was okay. I thought it was a little fishy, but the wife gave it a 6 out of 10. Worth making, but if I did it again I might skip the fish part and do shrimp or chicken instead.

I also did learn some stuff about Angola (capital Luanda). The majority of the history section was about the 30+ years of fighting (to get independence from Portugal, then a Civil War in which we, again, made it worse by supporting the less Communist side). What I found more interesting was info on a tiny non-contiguous section of the country called Cabinda. Look at a map, a little piece of Angola pops up over one of the Congos. What gives? And is it just a coincidence that the tiny enclave produces 60% of Angola's oil? I think not, as does the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), who claims the Angolan army is an occupying force that tortures and rapes civilians in the area. So, do you feel sorry for Angola because their war was exponentially inflamed by Cold War politics? Or do you get on their case for oppressing the poor Cabindans for some oil?