REVIEWS

Rice and shine in Bali

FRAGRANT RICE
By Janet De Neefe
(Periplus Publishing Group, 307 pages)

WE all know of someone (maybe it's even us!) who cannot live without rice. Feed them pasta, bread or even steaks and they still complain of that hole in their tummy that only rice can fill.

That's why when I read what Janet De Neefe, author of Fragrant Rice, wrote in her book, "as far as the Balinese are concerned, you have not eaten until you've had rice", I understood immediately.

She goes on to write that "with each mouthful of rice, the sacred power or essence of life can be ingested, thereby providing us with spiritual and physical nourishment." Exactly.

When reading through Fragrant Rice, the realisation that the author is just as interesting as the book itself is hard to ignore. So I e-mailed her.

I asked De Neefe what compelled her to write Fragrant Rice.

"I really wanted to write a cookbook but through raising children and teaching Balinese cooking, Fragrant Rice evolved into a story about my life in Bali as well as a collection of recipes.

"I began researching Balinese cuisine in 1985 and in-between that started a few businesses, was married, had children and so forth.

"So, the book took more than 15 years to write! But it was also something I picked up from time to time when I felt inspired or had a quiet minute."

Janet De Neefe lives in Bali with her Balinese husband and three children, runs Honeymoon Bakery and Guesthouse, Indus restaurant, Casa Luna Homewares shop, Casa Luna cooking school in Ubud and possesses a perceptive grasp of the Balinese way of life and beliefs which is sharp, witty and all-embracing - all of which are echoed throughout the book.

Fragrant Rice is sprinkled with recipes, cooking tips and insights into Balinese life.

Yes, even for something that is (at times) so taken for granted by us Asians, rice is written about with poetic appreciation.

"Boiled, steamed or fried rice has a soft soothing quality that makes it as pleasurable to cook as it is to eat. The gentle aroma of steaming rice calms the soul, and when fragrant leaves are added it has the scent of a perfumed garden."

Of her 20-odd years of living in Bali, immersed into a culture so different from her Australian one, De Neefe explained, "I suppose I will never give up eating Vegemite! I go home to Australia so often these days that I really enjoy the best of both worlds. It's a privilege I enjoy so much!"

Writing about what is important to these people who have adopted her as one of their own, De Neefe cleverly tells of habits of this paradise island's inhabitants that a non-Balinese hardly ever gets to see, much less experience.

For instance: "Silence (between the Balinese) was just another way of communicating feelings, a space for words and thoughts to gather. Western people are not comfortable with this and fumble uneasily at silence. This was perhaps the most difficult skill to master."

De Neefe truly appreciates the Balinese ethos: "A person must never be disturbed when he or she is engaged in a meal as eating time is considered a private time. Phone calls and even crying babies had to wait until I had eaten my food."

Imagine confiscating all those mobile phones before starting a dinner here, what peaceful bliss it would be!

Fragrant Rice is not only autobiographical and a Balinese recipe book rolled into one but also something of a guide book.

Wonderful culinary places, for instance, are vividly described. Detailed written maps - pointing you towards the "two famous warungs that have been serving nasi campur for many years" in Kedewatan near Ubud or travelling two hours through Klungkung to East Bali to eat an array of fragrant fish dishes in an "authentic and charmingly simple Balinese setting" at a place owned by Bapak Sade and his wife in Jalan Kresna, just before Goa Lawah.

It makes you want to get on the first flight to Bali.

There is a certain childlike charm about the way she looks at everyday food, "The essence of a great nasi campur is in the surprise of wonderful flavours that burst forth from each combination. And it is always exciting, as each day presents a different choice."

Isn't that a way of enticing you to the nearest nasi campur (or nasi bungkus as it is called here) stall? "If rice is the heart of Balinese cooking, then spices are its soul," De Neefe wrote.

Therefore, there is a section explaining spices and De Neefe has, inevitably, included age-old traditional remedies.

The recipes are easy to concoct and according to generations of Balinese (as well as some scientific researchers), these spices are worth their weight in gold due to their medicinal values.

"I don't think Balinese cooking has changed so much over the years," said De Neefe. "Most of the Balinese prefer home cooking. Ready-made spice pastes are not that common."

The helpful part is, De Neefe has included substitute ingredients should one be unable to get hold of a particular spice for cooking.

For instance, you can substitute lemongrass with lemon peel or lemon juice or tomatoes for tamarind or vice versa.

A book that records the author's obvious passion, which is cooking, and her "continuing love affair with Bali", Fragrant Rice is definitely the guide book for future and even seasoned Bali visitors.

It is bound to make you fall in love with another side of Bali.

So, what's cooking next on the stoves of Casa Luna for De Neefe?

"I would dearly love to write a cook book and even a novel but there aren't enough hours in the day to contemplate that at the moment!"

But I think she will ... for busy people always get things done!

The beautifully written and touching preface "reflecting on the impact the Bali bombing had on the island and its people" is also worth noting.

Then, take a sneak peak at www.casalunabali.com where there are links to their guesthouse and restaurants.

Or read the book and then plan on attending the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival beginning Sept 28 (www.ubudwritersfestival.com).

What better way is there to get to know a culture than through its cuisine? And Janet De Neefe!

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