Food Glorious Food

Nasi Campur (vegetarian)

or everything is so aesthetic!


This is one of the most delicious things you can eat.  It is spicy, cooling, crunchy,sweet and altogether is a Complete
expression of how many different flavors can go together.
Nasi (rice) is the centerpiece of all Bali cuisine. Luckily,
there are some nutty varieties, such as this red variety{pyramid shape to mimic the sacred mountains/volcanoes of Bali where they make pilgrimagges} (as well as black), brown and a short grain of white (like arborio). The rice is served with fried shallots and coconut YUM  Luckily, rice is always served with at least one sambal, a spicy or sweet raw or cooked
"relish" salad.  This one from Casa Luna (www.CasaLunaBali.com cooking school,restaurant etc) is the best.  These are both uncooked in the small white dish.
The fiery one on the left is filled with red peppers, shallots and gives a real depth to the rice. On the right, is a carrot,coconut,shallot "pickled" sweet sambal.   I always start with the lawar, the green chopped salad made with
long snake beans,coconuts,peppers and shallots and lots of garlic.  Then I eat some tempeh (fermented bean curd) with the yellow sweet potatoes, (turmeric-curry-like), then for more sambal and rice and then the most unusual nut (probably what they call candlenut, like a macademia) and small kidney beans, custardy like a quenelle steamed in banana leaves.Then I eat a very crunchy and decadent corn fritter.  Those are water spinach leaves on top...... luckily they make a whole mess of greens here..... even in my morning eggs or nasi goreng (fried rice).
The vegetables are plentiful and they regularly serve tofu and tempeh.  I am still eating mostly vegan, an egg, or some
fish irregularly.  Everything has a base of coconut oil or milk and that is so refreshing is the HEAT!!!!  Young fresh coconut water with  SOFT flesh  (as opposed to hard coconut we usually eat) is refreshing and good for "bali belly".  As I walk through the rice fields, a partially toothless farmer will walk up to me and offer to cut me down a coconut with his kris (machete).  A few thwacks! and he's cut through the green husk and the young shell and I have a slurpy good time.  The farmer and i usually share the
soft fruit inside, scooping it out with part of husk.......we smile..... i am refreshed...... I hand him 250-300 rupiah ( about 35 cents) and bid him "terima kasih" (thank you).
There are plenty of herbal, fruit  + vegetable juices... my favorite is a mixture of turmeric,honey and lime juice.  The turmeric juice is squeezed out (it's like a knob of ginger). 

open that banana leaf & Surprise!

So...... as you can imagine, along with the cultural
highlights of Ubud...... food is at an amazing caliber.
There are a number of organic, raw and vegetarian places to schmooze and drink and eat delicious salads with seeds and nuts sprinkled on them ,along with
gado-gado........ but I'll save that for another

salt and pepper  in banana leaf "dishes"

mouthwatering time.