Back in 2007 when I started The Kitchen Playground, I was at home with a four year old and an eighteen month old. I was only working a few hours a week outside the home and wondering what I wanted to be when I grew up. Well I’m not sure that I’ve entirely grown up – or that I want to. I can say that in my wildest dreams, I didn’t imagine a day, ten years into the future when I would be collaborating on producing a cooking video with my 14 year old son as he towers above me. But we did that today. And thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in the process.

We’ve decided on not using sound this time around. I would love to know your thoughts. Would you prefer music? Speech?

Excuse the darker segment in the middle – it’s our first go.

Braised Wombok* and Pork Belly.
Super easy. 10 minutes prep. 20 minutes cooking.
Serves 4 with steamed rice.
Ingredients
2/3 wombok*, shredded
1 carrot, thinly sliced
100g fresh shitake, quartered
6 dried black fungus, soaked and chopped
700g skinless pork belly, thinly sliced
10g belacan, roughly chopped and soaked in 1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 spring onion, sliced

Method
Heat pan and add wombok, carrot, shitake, fungus, pork, wombok, belacan and 1/4 cup water.
Place lid on and leave for 10 minutes
Add ginger, pepper, soy sauce and cornflour. Stor, replace lid and leave for five minutes.
Add sesame oil and spring onions.
Stir and serve.

*Wombok is known as napa cabbage in the USA. It is also known as Chinese cabbage.