Angola (How many nuts could a nut-shucker shuck if a nut-shucker could shuck nuts?)

Angola joined the UN December 1st, 1976.

We have done enough dinners at this point, it's getting hard to keep track, so I'm going to start a running tally of out dinners.  Did you know that this is our 38th dinner and 50th country!  Happy 50th UN Country Dinner Party!!!  Only 143 more to go!

But, more importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMBER!!!!!!!!!!

The dinner happily landed on the birthday of one of the loveliest of ladies known to womankind, so we had more to celebrate than just Angola.  As a result we had quite a few attendees.  Jenny was the hostess with the mostest and had reserved a bungalow for the celebration.  When I arrived I could barely find any space in the fridge due to the impressive amount of beverages she had already filled it with.

Angolan cuisine was interesting because it was colonized by Portugal.  As a result, it shared a great deal of similarities to Brazilian cuisine (Brazil having also been colonized by Portugal).  Isn't it crazy that the cuisine all over Africa holds so many similarities to European countries all because they were colonized by said countries?  France, Britain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Italy, and even Spain.  It makes me wonder what food was like prior to colonization.  Traditional, 100%, zero outside influence, African food.  Probably a lot of potjies.  Mmmm.

My dishes were done, and Jenny was waiting to start, so as people trickled in we played some card games to keep up entertained.  Once everyone arrived, we played some board games to keep everyone entertained.

Amber's dish called for a salted roasted peanuts as a topper.  I'm not sure what circumstances lead to it, but she found some alright.  Fully shelled.  The result of which could only be a pre-dinner peanut shucking competition!  It wasn't too competitive, but I'll claim a higher quality shuck, while my rival had a greater quantity (but only because he had a decent head start on me).

Dinner was ready in no time and we all sat down for another delicious meal.

During these dinners, when someone says something that I think would be good for the blog I make a little note in my phone.  This time I wrote, "Would you like me to massage some peanut butter into your dish?"  Of course I wait too long and now the context for that comment!

After dinner, more board games of course, continually interrupted by phone calls wishing Amber a happy birthday.

At last our meal had settled enough to think about dessert.  I had planned on making brittle a while ago, but we also absolutely needed a cake for the birthday girl.  Jenny graciously picked up a cheesecake from Costco ahead of time, to be topped with some home made raspberry sauce curtesy of Thanasi.

So Jenny and I go sneaking off to her apartment to get the cake.  It's already getting dark at this time which was perfect, since we needed cover to sneak up on Amber who is sitting in a 360 glass walled bungalow.  We're 20 feet from the door when it opens and Amber steps out, talking to yet another well wisher on he phone.  Both Jenny and I, probably wide eyed and cringing, did as swift and subtle a 180 as possible as to not be noticed by the birthday girl.  She was 100% focused on the call so we managed to make it around a corner without her noticing.

So we're standing there.  Watching Amber talk.  She starts meandering around the bungalow.  Slowly.  Still talking.  While we wait outside.  In the dark.  Holding matches and a cheesecake.  For like, 10 minutes.

Finally she heads back inside and we don't hesitate to take the opportunity to sneak up, light the candle (barely), and get inside with the surprise unspoiled.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMBER!!!

(Celebrated July 27th, 2019)