Note: The Idiots are back in Arizona, wading through their photos. This episode took place January 29, 2017.
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To get an insight into a culture, one of the best ways is to take a cooking class. The Idiot family scheduled a morning with Ketut’s Bali Cooking Class. It combined a trip to the local market, several hours cooking multiple dishes, and joyfully consuming the food.
The market is a maze… partly above ground, partly below in a poorly lit basement warren of shops. The cooking school guide took the group through an exploration of fruits, vegetables, and spices.
A knife-maker sells his wares. Fresh fish fill baskets each morning. People bustle about carrying heavy loads on their heads.
At the market the Idiots observed the construction and sales of “canang sari” – the offerings placed all over Bali to ask the favor of good spirits and to repel bad ones. The small palm leaf baskets are assembled and then rolled into wheels. Some people construct their own, but for many it is more practical to purchase them and then place them as personal offerings.
Heading on to the cooking school, participants were met with enthusiasm – and a delicious herbal tea made from lemon grass, ginger, cinnamon, lemon juice, and tea.
Ketut Budiasa is one of those bigger-than-life personalities. He teaches and tells jokes and encourages as the participants cooperate to cook multiple dishes. Balinese cooking is all about spices – complex blends of spices. Rather than premixed blends of spices, the individual spices an herbs and vegetables are blended and ground to flavor each dish. Small mixes are done in a table-top volcanic stone mortar-and-pestles called “Coet and Mutu.” Bigger mixtures require bigger tools!
The Idiot family cooked up a storm. Idiot Daughter prepared a fish mixture for steaming in banana leaves. Chicken satay grilled over charcoal. They made seafood soup, fried noodles, chicken in coconut, 3 Balinese spices…
And then they ate!
For a taste of Ketut’s personality and an introduction to his charming accent, readers can check out a couple of brief videos on the Idiots Youtube channel…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0rauxM ... e=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j82JaxC ... e=youtu.be