The highlight of my trip was this basic cooking class at Casa Luna. I had become obsessed with
nasi goreng, a Balinese spin on fried rice, and was determined not to leave the island without learning how to make it.
At Casa Luna, not only did I learn how to make it, but I also added a coconut milk dessert, chicken satay, and hibiscus tea to my repertoire. The school was founded by Janet DeNeefe, an Australian who moved to
Bali after marrying a Balinese man in 1987, but the class was taught by a Balinese chef, who also walked us through the local spices and sauces (and how to approximate them at home) and talked a bit about the local food culture (everyone cooks!).