Attention mushroom and truffle lovers ...

Saffron Milk Caps & Slippery Jacks before ..

...and after, as prepared by Monica Cooper and Katie Bird of Two Birds and a Shed, Oberon.

Now's the time to head for Oberon, west of the Blue Mountains in NSW to pick prized exotic forest mushrooms by the basket full! Saffron Milk Caps and Slippery Jacks grow in abundance and picking them is something I've heard you could do but never managed to find the time to coincide with the short season when they flourish in Oberon's pine plantations, brought as spores with the European pine seedlings.

Slippery Jacks ( thanks to Luke for lending a hand).

Saffron Milk Cap.

Picking them is one thing - eating quite another. Two Birds and a Shed caterers Monica Cooper and Katie Bird showed us how to prepare them in the kitchen at Monica and Wayne Cooper's RoosterHill Guesthouse, serving the muchrooms up in a creamy sauce with a side of Black Perigord truffle omelette courtesy of neighbouring Lowes Mount Truffiere.

Katie Bird of Two Birds and a Shed.


Monica and Katie cater for all kinds of occasions from dinner parties to grand events and cook up breakfast at the Tablelands Way Farmer's Markets on the first Saturday of the month.  Local produce from this lovely area includes quality beef and lamb, asparagus, hazelnuts, tomatoes, saffron, trout, truffle products (think Lowes Mount Truffles' own truffle in rock salt and mouthwatering hazelnuts in truffled honey).

ww.roosterhill.com.au/birds.htm

www.roosterhill.com.au

www.lowesmounttruffles.com.au

www.visitbluemountains.com.au

Lake Okareka Lodge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSlyNNLLQ1c

www.lebua.com/en/lake-okareka-lodge




Filmed and produced by Ken Martin/True Blue Cockatoo
www.bluecockatoo.com.au

Lords Of The Manor

Lording It At Lords of The Manor

Gorgeously mellow – Lords of The Manor. Pic: Alison Plummer

Apart from our own piece of paradise in the Hunter, the beautiful Lords of The Manor, a member of Small Luxury Hotels, has to be the most relaxing place I have ever stayed. It must be something in the air at Upper Slaughter (from an old English word for mud) in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, but it just makes you want to give in to all the indulgences such as a gourmet afternoon tea (the best in the area) and a la carte dining at the hotel's Michelin Starred restaurant.

Think Cornish red mullet and crab steamed in a courgette flower on a warm aubergine gateau; sirloin of Cotswold Longhorn beef, fricassee of Hereford snails and broad beans, cep purée, red wine auce; roasted Creedy Carver Devonshire duck, Cox's farm pear puree, pan fried foie gras; fillet of Loch Duart salmon,  Cox's Farm asparagus.

The whole Cotswold area has become a gourmet experience with farm shops to visit, farm gates and fabulous local produce. The ancient city of Cirencester has gracious buildings and laneways with intriguing shops and cafes such as Made by Bob, a stylish, modern café opposite Hobbs House Bakery, while nearby are Cirencester Cupcakes, Jesse Smith Butchers with  Jesse Smith Bistro and the New Wave fishmonger


Cirencester Cupcakes:

All just right for a leisurely drive and flying in to Birmingham on Emirates makes the whole journey very simple. Oh - made myself hungry now ...

 www.lordsofthemanor.com www.slh.com/ www.emirates.com/au
www.visitbritain.com




See my story in The Australian:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/cheese-cheer-and-tasty-puds/story -e6f rg8rf-1225955102120 

Lords of The Manor Gourmet Afternoon Tea

Potted Shrimps with Granary Toast

A selection of Homemade Finger Sandwiches including:
- Cox’s Farm Cucumber
- Single Gloucester Cheddar
- Our own Smoked Salmon
- Cotswold Legbar Egg Mayonnaise and
Spring Onion

Freshly Baked Scones with Clotted Cream and Homemade Preserve,
Butter Shortbread and a selection of delicious handcrafted Pastries

Harvesting oysters on the beautiful  Hawkesbury River, NSW

Orchid time

Spring is here and these little Corybas Orchids have popped up. Gorgeous.

Whispering Brook

Creating a destination complete with a vineyard and olive grove producing delicious Whispering Brook Olive Oil, Adam Bell and Susan Frazier welcomed visitors to their delightful property for the Olive Long Table Luncheon which promises to become a fixture on the annual calendar for many. Whispering Brook Wine Club members mixed with suppliers and members of the press to experience a taste of what the Broke Fordwich region has to offer and learned about the terra rossa soil which makes this area so special.

Chef Carolyn Scott, a Slow Food advocate and owner of Redgate Farm, designed the menu to complement whispering Brook wines which included a rosemary lamb shoulder braised for 12 hours and with a sour dough and tarragon stuffing with slow-cooked ratatouille, potatoes and dressed bitter greens.

Visit the website for an overview of Whispering Brook, its accommodation and more.

www.whispering-brook.com/
Image ©Whispering Brook.

Fraser Suites, Sydney

 I was invited by the fantastic team at Klick to celebrate at one of the Penthouses, Fraser Suites, Sydney. I have stayed at Fraser Suites but the Penthouse was occupied so I couldn't look around. The three-bedroom apartment has fantastic city views from floor to ceiling windows and is a flexible option for those who need space or are travelling with a family. Fraser Suites and Apartments are located around the globe, located in the the best business locations and suitable for both long and short term stays for execs and perfect for leisure stays in the world's most exciting cities.
Fraser Suites, Sydney is on Kent Street, a 42-storey glass tower designed by Foster + Partners. There are 201 studios, one and two bedroom suites and two duplex Penthouses. The 20-metre heated lap pool is cantilevered over the  Regent Place shopping precinct. 



I wrote the cover story about Edinburgh for this issue, shown.

sydney.frasershospitality.com/