Wild About Mushies!!!!

April is the time of year in Western Australia when the first rains fall after a very hot Summer and then up pop the mushrooms!  

Mushrooms are so delicious, I have always eaten them. Today, you can buy so many types of mushrooms.

Growing up, we often went to my aunt and uncles dairy farm and picked mushrooms. My mother cooked them in a creamy buttery sauce, very delicious on toast!

Another type of fungi which has become popular over the years is the truffle!

A great place to go is Manjimup, 300 kilometers south of Perth, Western Australia. Manjimup is known for growing the black truffle. It's climate is similar to that of Perigord, France where they have harvested truffles over the years.

Italy is renowned for growing the white truffle. In fact, the largest known white truffle came from Pisa, Italy, weighing 1.5 kilograms.

Truffles grow under the ground near the roots of oak, hazelnut and other varieties of trees. Pigs were used to locate truffles. Unfortunately, pigs ate more than they gave, so dogs were taught to dig them up and bring them to the owner.

Truffles are very expensive. White truffles cost from about $1000 to over $2000 for half a kilo. Black truffles cost from $300 to over $600 for half a kilo. 

When people cook with truffles they normally shave them so they go further!

They are very strong in taste. To me, they are like heaven!

Fresh Wild Mushroom Linguine With Truffles 

Ingredients:

1 packet of uncooked linguine
500grams of fresh wild mushroom (chanterelles, shiitake, oyster, etc)
4 tablespoons of butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons of shallots, chopped
Half a cup dry white wine
Half a cup chicken stock
1 cup cream

Nutmeg, freshly grated to taste
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves
White truffle oil
Black truffle, shaved fresh at the time of serving

Method

Cook linguine pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan to keep warm. 

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut into thick slices. In a large frying pan, saute mushrooms in butter for 2 minutes. Then add minced garlic, sliced onion and shallots. Cook a further couple of minutes. 

Put in the white wine and simmer until wine is reduced by half. 

Add chicken stock, cream and nutmeg. Simmer until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat, add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

Lastly, add drained pasta to sauce and mix gently to coat the pasta.
If required, add more chicken broth if sauce seems too thick.

Place pasta on individual plates.
Spoon any mushrooms left in the pan over the top and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
Drizzle white truffle oil over the top.
Using a truffle shaver, shave a few slivers of fresh truffle over each plate before serving.
 

Serves approximately 6 people.

I like to serve with crusty fresh white bread and a glass of white wine!

Enjoy!

HMAS Sydney and a Fishy Treat

Western Australia is the largest state in Australia. One place I visited recently was Geraldton, 424 kilometres north of Perth. It is now a city and has grown in size and population. (Approx 26,000 people).

Over the years, I went there on a few camping trips. On the foreshore, there was a yellow submarine, unfortunately it has gone. It is my mission to find out what happened to it!

Western Australia has an amazing coastline and many ships have succumbed to the reefs over the years.

One story you may have heard was the finding of the HMAS Sydney and the Kormoran.  In 2008, David Mearns an American born, long time English resident, oceanic scientist and deep water search and recovery expert, led a team to find the Australian warship HMAS Sydney and the German Commerce Raider, Kormoran.

David Mearns first heard the story of the Sydney in 1996, and it left an indelible impression in his mind. One of the world′s foremost shipwreck hunters, David had successfully located dozens of wrecks in much deeper water. Hunting the Sydney, a challenge he accepted in 2002, proved his toughest quest yet. It tested his skills as detective, engineer, marine scientist and navigator. David′s quest, over six years, took him around the world. From war archives in Germany, to the homes of Kormoran survivors, then Fremantle, Western Australia and out into the Indian Ocean. He encountered conspiracy theories, clues, cyclones and a myriad of mechanical problems. On March 17th, 2008, he finally said with excitement, "HMAS Sydney found!"

The initial search for the ships began on 24th November, 1941 after Sydney failed to respond to radio messages. Royal Australian Air Force aircraft patrolled off the West Australian coast and all high powered radio stations in Australia were instructed to continuously broadcast to Sydney. After the British tanker, Trocas rescued survivors from the Kormoran at approximately 120 miles (192 km) west-north-west of  Carnarvon on 24th November, six nearby merchant ships were instructed to search for survivors. Four auxiliary Royal Australian Navy vessels were dispatched from Fremantle. 315 survivors from the Kormoran were rescued by 30th November. The only confirmed trace of Sydney found by searchers was a single empty lifeboat recovered by HMAS Heroes.

Finally, the relatives of the servicemen that served on the HMAS Sydney and the Kormoran have closure. For many years, the location of the vessels was unknown.

A memorial is now on top of Mount Scott in Geraldton. It is made of four major elements. Steel based on the ship's prow, a granite wall listing the ships company, a bronze statue of a woman looking out to sea waiting in vain for the HMAS Sydney to return, and a dome made of 645 stainless steel seagulls . 

This mystery of the sea brings my next recipe to you. Try this tasty dish.


Salmon, Spinach, Asparagus and Avocado Salad 

Ingredients

1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
200g of roasted salmon fillet, flaked 
150g baby spinach leaves 
1 avocado, peeled, deseeded and flesh sliced 
1 tablespoon of olive oil 
2 tablespoons of lime juice 
2 teaspoons of brown sugar 
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame seeds, to garnish

Method 

Blanch the asparagus in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, then drain once again. Pat dry.

For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and sugar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the asparagus, salmon, spinach and avocado in a large bowl.

Toss the dressing through the salad and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serve with fresh crusty white bread!

 

   

From University to a Date!

The University of Western Australia is 100 years old this year. It opened its doors  in 1913 and 184 students attended. It was then located in Irwin Street, Perth.

It had many buildings, one was transported from Coolgardie, 580 kilometers North-East of Perth. When the First World War started many students and staff volunteered for Military Service and the University's funding started to deplete. After World War One ended, the University quickly developed 
once more.

A bequest was left from Sir Winthrop Hackett's estate (Sir Winthrop Hackett was the owner and the Editor of a Western Australian major newspaper). Building began in 1929 on a 51-hectare site in Crawley, about five kilometres west of Perth. A Mediterranean style Winthrop Hall, clock tower, Hacket Hall and administration buildings were completed in 1932. Also with the funding, a Gothic style St Georges College was the University's first student residence. 

The original buildings were also moved from Irwin Street to the new location at Crawley. One is still operational, the University's archives centre and cricket club pavilion.

During the Great Depression and World War 2 the University froze its development. One exception was the breakaway of Agriculture from Science to form a new faculty in 1936. Through ties with the then newly formed Institute of Agriculture, the Faculty of Agriculture was to become home to research laboratories for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research for many years.
 
The faculty has developed today into the best of its kind in Australia and among the top 50 in the world.

After World War 2 the University's  student numbers grew to 1000. Then to 2000 by 1956 and almost doubled to 3,800 by the end of 1962, including 166 enrolments for master's degrees and 99 for doctorates. With larger student numbers came a dramatic increase in academic staff, leaping from 91 in 1953 to 247 in 1966.
 
Currently there are over 24,000 students enrolled.

The University is not only a place for study, I have attended some wonderful events there. In Summertime  they have outdoor movies, plays and a great theatre called the "Octagon Theatre" where I have seen many performances.

The gardens around the University are beautiful, with permission you can be married there!

 
DATE MELTAWAY

Ingredients for Pastry

2 tablespoons of butter
1 and a half cups of self raising flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of milk

Ingredients for Date Mixture
                                          
1 cup of stones dates
Half a cup of sugar
1 cup of water

Method
 
Meltaway Pastry - Melt the butter and sugar, add the milk and well-beaten egg, mix well and add the flour. Roll out, and line a baking dish with pastry, keeping back half for a covering.

Date Mixture- In a saucepan place 1 cup of stoned dates, half a cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Cook on low heat until mixture well combined and thick. Allow to cool, then spread over the meltaway pastry in the baking dish, and cover with another layer of the pastry. 

Brush over with a little milk, and bake until golden brown.

A Pearl and Its Perils!

History is what made us and why we are here today. One place that stands out in history  and really makes you think is Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.

The harbour is still abuzz with military. What lays beneath the harbour is there for us to remember.

Today you can take a boat tour which gives the insight of what happened on the morning of December 7th 1941. The Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbour. After just two hours of bombing, more than 2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships had either been sunk or damaged, and more than 188 U.S. aircraft destroyed. This led to the involvement of United States in WW2.

One battleship, USS Arizona has oil leaking from the wreckage and is still seen rising to the surface of the water. This oil is sometimes referred to as "The tears of the  Arizona" or "black tears" Over 1000 lives on this Battleship alone were lost. Names on a marble wall in the memorial list those who were killed, there is a smaller plaque nearby with the names of survivors. The survivors that passed after this event gave their permission and had families permission to have their ashes to be placed  in a canister and a interred in the wreck of the USS Arizona. The canister was placed there by US Naval divers.

Near the USS Arizona Memorial is another battleship called, USS Missouri. It was moved from the West Coast of United States in 1999. One part this battleship's place in history is very important. It is where the surrender took place on it's decks from the Japanese to Douglas Mac Arthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz, ending WW2.

Strangely today, these battleships are close to each other - A beginning and a ending to ww2 for the Americans.

Today, every United States Navy, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine vessel entering Pearl Harbour participates in the tradition of "manning the rails." This is where personnel serving on these ships stand at attention at the ship's guard rails and salute the USS Arizona Memorial in solemn fashion as their ship slowly glides into port.

So if you are in Hawaii a visit to Pearl Harbour should be on your list of places to see. 

The day I visited Pearl Harbour, I stopped at a little place and remember eating a strange sandwich called "Ruben Sandwich." It was so yummy! Here is my own version, I hope you enjoy it. 


Bernadette's Ruben Sandwich

Ingredients

Per sandwich you will need
2  slices of Rye bread
1 teaspoon of butter
4 thin slices of corned beef
A quarter of a cup of sauerkraut (pickled cabbage)
2 slices of Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon of French mustard 


Method
 
Spread 2 slices of rye bread lightly with butter. This is for the outside of the sandwich for when cooking.
Spread the inside of one slice of rye bread with the mustard.
Top this with corned beef, sauerkraut and lastly, the Swiss cheese.
Place the other piece of bread on top and now toast in a grill or fry pan.
The bread should slightly brown and the middle will warm with the cheese melting.

Serve with potato chips and a pickle cucumber(dill pickle).

 

 

A Tale of Two Mints!!

Perth Mint in Perth, Western Australia opened in 1899. Sir John Forrest (the first Premier of Western Australia) laid the foundation stone in 1896. The building was designed by George Temple Poole and the National Trust made it one of the first buildings to be entered on the State's heritage register.

The reason why it was built was due to the discovery of rich gold deposits in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. It was the third branch of Britain's Royal Mint - the others being the Sydney Mint and the Melbourne Mint.

People came from around Australia and the world in large numbers with their raw deposits of gold which was then melted and turned into gold coins. The Mint stopped making gold sovereigns when Britain abandoned the gold standard in 1931.  Nevertheless, the refinery remained busy as staff turned their skills to making fine gold bullion bars.  


In 1940, with Australia on a war footing, an urgent telegram arrived from the Commonwealth Treasury in Canberra: "Heavy demand for Australian coin and Melbourne Mint working full capacity.  Could you undertake minting copper coin?"
Hundreds of millions of Australian pennies and half pennies were produced by The Perth Mint between 1940 and 1964.  The Mint also fulfilled an order for 1.3 million shillings in 1946.  Its considerable output was boosted further when Australia introduced decimal currency in 1966.  It had produced a staggering 829 million 2 cent coins and 26 million
1 cent coins by 1973.

The Perth Mint remained under Britain's jurisdiction until 1 July 1970, when ownership transferred to the State Government of Western Australia.  

The Perth Mint is open 7 days a week and they do guided tours for a fee. On this tour you can see historic Perth mint coins, the worlds largest gold bar collection, gold being poured and Australia's largest nugget collection.  There is gift shop where you can buy coins, jewellery and souvenirs.  Definitely worth a visit.

The other mint was a recipe of mine which I know you will enjoy!

                                                   
                                                           Chocolate Mint Slice

Ingredients

Base 
One and a half cups self raising flour 
2 tbsp cocoa 
1 cup coconut 
Half a cup brown sugar 
125g unsalted butter, melted
 
Filling 
30g copha, melted
2 cups icing sugar 
2 tbsp milk 
Half teaspoon of peppermint essence
 
Chocolate layer
125g dark chocolate
 30g unsalted butter


Method
 
Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter a 16cm x 26cm x 3cm slice tray and line with baking paper.

Combine flour, cocoa, coconut and brown sugar in a bowl, stir in melted butter and mix until well combined. Press mixture into slice tray and bake for 10-15 minutes until slightly brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

To make filling, place icing sugar in a small bowl, stir in melted copha, milk and peppermint essence. Spread filling over warm base. Place tray in fridge for about 30 minutes until filling is cold.

To make the topping, melt butter and chocolate together, stir until smooth. Spread chocolate over peppermint filling.

Leave at room temperature to set and then slice into squares. I usually slice through the chocolate layer first, then go back and cut right through the base.

A Treat For Royalty

Iolani Palace in Honolulu is one of the most beautiful historical old buildings I have seen. I still have my admission tickets.

King David Kalakaua, the last King of Hawaii, built the new palace in 1882 after demolishing the old palace in 1874.

Influenced by European architectural styles, this royal residence included Hawaii’s first electric light system, flush toilets and intra-house telephones. The rich interior features a beautiful koa wood staircase, portraits of Hawaiian royalty, furniture and royal gifts and ornaments from around the world.  It also has an American Florentine-style throne room, reception and dining room.

You can view the private living quarters of the royal family. On the basement level, view the ancient regalia of Hawaiian royalty, from swords and precious jewelry to the two golden crowns of the King and Queen. On the spacious grounds of the palace, see the Iolani Coronation Pavilion, where in 1883, Kalakaua was crowned king.

Queen Liliuokalani, the kings sister and successor, was deposed and the Hawaiian monarchy overthrown in January 1893. A provisional U.S. government was established. The Hawaiian Islands were eventually annexed as a United States Territory in 1898. Hawaii became the 50^th state in 1959 and during this time Iolani Palace was used as the capitol building until 1968.
 
Government officials carefully inventoried its contents and sold at public auction whatever furniture, or furnishings, were not suitable for government operations.

Government offices vacated the Palace in 1969 and moved to a newly constructed capitol building on land adjacent to the Palace grounds. 

Restoration of the Palace began in earnest.

In preparation for restoration, the Junior League of Honolulu funded and staffed an extensive historical research project. Researchers uncovered clues about construction, furnishings, and palace lifestyle from nineteenth-century newspapers, photographs and manuscripts found in various archives and libraries.
Overseeing the restoration was  The Friends of Iolani Palace, founded by Mrs. Liliuokalani Kawananakoa Morris, grandniece of Queen Kapiolani. This organization continues to manage Iolani Palace as an historic house museum and to share the history of the Hawaiian monarchy.

Many original Palace objects sold and dispersed at public auction have been recovered from different parts of the world – glassware found in Australia, and a table in the Governor’s mansion in Iowa to a chair in a local thrift store. The quest to find original Palace furnishings and artifacts continues. Many original furnishings are still missing. 



Pineapples in Hawaii are very popular. Here is one of my recipes that would make any Royal happy!!!


Pineapple Upside-down Cake

Ingredients
  
440g can pineapple slices in juice
One third of a cup brown sugar 
90g butter, softened 
Half a cup caster sugar 
2 eggs, lightly beaten 
One and a quarter cups self-raising flour, sifted

Method 

  

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a round ring baking tin. Line base with baking paper.

Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Cut pineapple in half. 

Sprinkle brown sugar over lined base of baking tin.  Arrange pineapple on top of brown sugar.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and caster sugar for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Stir in flour and reserved pineapple juice until well combined. Spread mixture over pineapple. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. 

Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Serve with fresh whipped cream. Yummy!

 

The Dingo and A Scone!

Western Australia has different sorts of land marks. One that stands out is in North Fremantle. It is the Dingo Flour Mill, on Stirling Hwy facing the Indian Ocean. The main reason it stands out is the large red dingo painted on the building.

The mill was designed by architect J.F. Allen, of Allen and Nicholas, and the office building was designed by Powell, Cameron & Chisholm Architects.

Known as the Great Southern Roller Flour Mills Limited which dates from 1922.
On the property are silos, an office, laboratory and other buildings. In January 1976, the company was taken over by Allied Mills Limited, an Eastern States Company, which became Goodman Fielder Wattie Ltd after a subsequent merger.

The dingo logo was painted by artist Les Nash in 1940 for £40. It is about four storeys high. Rumor has it during WW2 it was painted over so it wasn't a war target. In 2010 the flour mill was renovated, and the dingo now gets re-painted every month.

The flour, came in cream coloured calico bags with the red dingo logo. Maybe you still have a bag in your cupboard!

To do the mill justice, here is one of my favourite recipes.

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients  
1 tablespoon butter or margarine 
Half a teaspoon of mixed spice 
1 egg 
1 cup cold, mashed, cooked pumpkin
2 cups self-raising flour 
Half a cup of sugar

Method 

Preheat oven to 225°C.

In a bowl, combine butter and sugar with electric beater. When butter mixture light in colour add egg, spice and pumpkin and beat until well combined.

Then, with a spoon,  gently stir through the flour. Once mixture formed place onto a bench. 

Combine with your hands and flatten the dough out until you get to 1 inch thickness - add more flour if needed.

Flour the rim of a cup or round cutter to cut each scone out.

Place on greased tray with 1cm space around each scone and bake for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your scone. 

When cooked, they should be brown on top.

Serve with butter and jam,  jam and cream or just plain.

This recipe makes about 12 large or 24 small scones......Enjoy!