De Neefe first went to Bali in 1974 when she was a 15 year old teen, with her family from Australia. Then she visited the island again after ten years, and met her future Balinese husband Ketut, on the second day there. They were married five years later, and now have four children - Dewi, Krishna, Laksmi and Arjuna - and run the successful Honeymoon Guesthouse and the Casa Luna and Indus restaurants.
The author has truly immersed herself in the culture and life of her adopted island. Here she gives us 'insights into the ancient myths and rituals (including tooth-filing) still alive in Bali today'. She also runs a cooking school and in her book has provided many delicious recipes handed down through generations of her husband's family. There are recipes for Ayam Gerang Asem (Sour chicken stew), Bakso Ikan (Glass noodle and fish ball soup), Bregedel Tempe (Tempe fritters), Betutu Bebek (Smoked duck), Satay Lilit (Seafood satay), Kangkung Pelecing (Spinach {sic} with sambal), and many more.
Note: Janet De Neefe is the organiser of the Ubud Readers & Writers Festival held every year in October since 2004. She initiated it after the Bali bombing of 2002, when the tourist numbers to the island paradise dwindled drastically.
"Except a living man there is nothing more wonderful than a book! a message to us from ... human souls we never saw ... And yet these arouse us, terrify us, teach us, comfort us, open their hearts to us as brothers" - Kingsley
Ex Libris CNB 1765
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| My copy of Fragrant Rice (CNB 2011) |
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| Pictures in De Neefe's book showing the ground-touching and tooth-filing ceremonies she and her children underwent |
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