The number of times I remember my mother being in the kitchen slicing, dicing, chopping, water running, clashing of pots and pans with burners of the stove all alight.
The smells of spices, sizzling of the wok and boiling broths would always make me salivate for what was to be consumed.
My mother would always chase me out of the kitchen (forever standing in the way I would be) and with a quick push and shout, I would be tossed out to sit at the dining table to watch her skillful hands, strong arms and deft fingers working their magic to create another memorable meal.
I have always been hesitant to cook anything remotely Chinese / Malaysian hawker style. The complex blend of flavours, spices and timing in the past has discouraged me from attempting so.
However as my mother gets older, I feel the urgency to learn and absorb her methods of cooking before she forgets and I do too.
Although this is not my mother's recipe, its a start of my food foraging into learning how to cook from my heritage and culture and to learn and love my food roots.
Chinese Five Spice Pork Belly.
With the blend of star anise, garlic, shallots, palm sugar and five spice it is one of my all time favourite dishes. My mother always put boiled eggs in it too. Something about the combination of the slow simmered fat of pork and the solid yolk of the egg in a sweet sticky black sauce that makes my mouth water every time.
I served with blanched bok choy and Chinese cabbage to cut through some of the fat and sugar from the pork. Add steamed rice and fellow food foragers and you have one more amazing memorable meal.
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