Had big plans for a Mother's Day extravaganza. 3 entrees and a main course. Day started making Chinese 5 spice for the pork belly. Star anise. Peppercorns. Cinnamon. Fennel Seeds. Clove.
Learned a trick for keeping pork belly flat in sous vide process. Use two skewers across the diagonals - trim the ends so they do not puncture the vacuum bags.
Prepped for Thai fish cakes and san choi bao (chicken mince with lettuce leaves). Fish cakes ready to mash up.
Did find time for a walk in the bush in the middle - time to clear the head and savour nature. Was excited to see the first flower spike on this greenhood.
A few different mushrooms - this black one was quite different.
Love the golden top.
Real excitement was finding this geeen version of an acianthus orchid - the labellum is the size of a match head. The spider is size of a pinhead and so small that naked eye cannot see.
Did find a sharp greenhood facing the track - all the others face the setting sun.
Back to making dinner. Roast duck a la Jamie Oliver.
Dinner was fab and great to see my son and Lorraine's son come to visit.