a WEekend of green toenails and a cooking show

Well, I haven’t yet taken a trip around this small island. I ask people where they have been and so far nothing is screaming at me. I may go up to an ecolodge for a couple of days. The woman who runs it takes treks to Sumatra to the orangs and donates $ to SOS. It’s up in the mountains. Most people say to keep away from Kuta, the Australian wasteland. However, I did have time for a pedicure and now have these very cool emerald green toes…really busting out! Photos to follow.
And today I took a cooking class. I am now in a food coma. Where to begin,,,
at 9am our chef took us for a walk to the market…a place that I had not investigated. Oh my, we went downstairs where they sell spices, fruits, vegetables meat, fish and chicken. It’s all these dark narrow hallways, women selling from baskets all crouching on the ground, so many different foods. Not so great to see flies landing on the fish, the meat, the chicken. Encourages me to stay with the tofu and tempe! This part of the market opens at 5am for locals to get their produce. Our chef stopped along the way to explain the names of things and how it is used. From there back to the restaurant where the 4 of us took a seat for the start of a cooking show! And we each were given a chance to cook for the next 4 hours…yes, a 5 hour class. I am so ready to come home and cook! Think I’d like to do a fundraiser for SOS with everything that I had to eat today.
First the Basic Gede, which is used in many dishes and has roots, ginger, garlic, peppers, tumeric, cumin…all the favorites fried together. Sayur Urab, an amazing veggie dish with coconut shavings, carrots, beans, cabbage, sprouts, chili garlic, shrimp paste. The beginning………He made this dish, had each of us help a bit and then we ate while he got ready for the next dish. Tuna Sambal Matah, grilled tuna steaks brushed with the Basic Gede with lemon grass, lime, ginger, shallots, chilies mixed but not cooked as a dressing. Oh my oh my. We ate. Tempe Manis was up next. Tempe cut into small French fry sizes and fried with peanuts, garlic, sugar and chili peppers. Crunchy goodness. We ate. Opor Ayam was cooking on the stove…chicken soup Bali style—potatoes, bay leaf, carrot the basic gede and coconut milk..we waited for that one and went on to Bali Satay Lilit. Ground pork mixed with the Basic, coconut milk, brown sugar and wrapped around lemon grass very carefully and then grilled. You have no idea how good that was. We were all now in a bit of a food coma, sitting back in that Thanksgiving mode, quieter, but still there was the Chicken soup next. Delicious. And after that one specialty Sambal Udang…spicy prawns…pretty much the same seasonings and these were sauted. All of this was served with rice, the big staple in Bali. Oh my gosh….are you as full as I am? We were done, nothing more to learn but dessert was on the way. Black rice …oh, my goodness…so good! With a bit of coconut milk on top. I was amazed. This entire class, tour of the market and meal was over the top. I will go back next month and have the vegetarian course.I’ll probably be hungry in a month. Right now I need to walk it off. it will be a while before I eat again. Phew……….so yummy. Feast is on when I get home!! So get ready!! Bali festival!