Photo: Off the Table

Award winning mushrooms grown in 1891 Railway Tunnel in Tasmania Grown in a 1891 Railway Tunnel in Tasmania.

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms Hidden under the surface at Mt Rumney on Hobart’s Eastern Shore in Tasmania is an old 1891 railway tunnel. It was opened in 1892, and closed in 1926. Since the closure of the railway in 1926 the tunnel has be used by the Defence Department during WWII to store records from Anglesea Barracks, as well as the University of Tasmania to house recording devices for cosmic ray testing, In the late seventies a Hungarian gentleman by the name of Pasztor purchased the southern end of the tunnel with the desire to run a restaurant there, yet it never reached fruition.

Photo: abc.net.au

Repurposed in 2000, the railway tunnel is now a unique growing operation .“Tunnel Hill Mushrooms” produces premium food, as Producers Dean and Anita Smith cultivate three types of oyster mushrooms, grey, white and tan oyster mushrooms picked fresh to order. The railway tunnel has optimal growing conditions for cold loving winter strains of oyster mushrooms.

Owner Dean Smith

Visit the unique Tunnel tours to learn how oyster mushrooms are grown and stored as you walk through the mysterious re-purposed train tunnel on a railway line that ran from Bellerive to Sorell between 1892-1926. The tunnel is the perfect environment because of its stable year-round temperature and low light. Tunnel Hill Mushrooms supplies to some of Hobart’s top restaurants, including The Glasshouse and Franklin.

Tunnel Hill Mushrooms

Why not go on a Tasmanian gourmet cheese crawl ?

There’s an immense number of cheese producers in Tasmania, and the fabulous news is that a number of them are open to visitors for tastings, meaning you can base your entire holiday around a spectacular gourmet cheese crawl. With so many small scale producers making artisan cheese with particular attention paid to the tradition of the cheesemaker’s art, this potential unctuous cheese odessy is a must to for foodies, and would be a journey to remember.

The elements of pure air, the cleanest water on Earth, mild temperatures, high rainfall and verdant pastures create an ideal setting for a world-class cheese industry in Tasmania that a foodie’s dream come true. It is no surprise that in 2013 Lonely Planet named Hobart in their list of top 10 foodie cities in the world. Dedicated cheesemakers are present all over the island and continue to thrive and innovate with a variety of cheeses and styles that take this industry to another realm. Looking for some unique flavors such as Wild Wasabi, Lavender, or Bush Pepper? Look to the northern region of Tasmania. Some of the best cheddar in all of Australia can be found in Tasmania. In other areas can be found triple creme Brie, buttery goat cheese, grass-fed cow milk cheese, organic sheep milk cheese….the list goes on and on. If you are really adventurous, try tracking down the whisky cheddar…

We have selected our top three picks to get you started:

BRUNY ISLAND CHEESE COMPANY
One of the most famous artisan cheese-makers on the Apple Isle, the Bruny Island Cheese Company matures its cheese meticulously in a small Island dairy. The company is run by Nick Haddow, who spent 10 years working with specialist cheese makers in many different countries around the world, with this said, the variety of cheeses produced have a distinctly Tasmanian character. a wide range of cow’s milk cheeses on offer, like their mature French-style 1792 (named after the year the French first arrived in Tasmania)Having trouble choosing your cheese?, then order a full cheese platter and have a picnic under the Eucalyptus trees, alternatively they offer quick tastings. They also make their own beers, which they will happily pair with cheese for you advocates for sustainable, ethical dairy farming, which is a big tick, in our eyes.

Bruny Island Cheese Company

Address: 1807 Bruny Island Main Road, Great Bay, TAS

THE WICKED CHEESE COMPANY
Renowned for its soft white cheeses, the Wicked Cheese Company uses of only the purest hormone-free and chemical-free milk from grass-fed cows. The company has many awards under its belt, including the Supreme Cheese Champion Trophy from the 2008 Royal Melbourne Show for its Triple Cream Brie.

Take a trip to the factory in Richmond to see how the cheese is made, partake in a tasting, and indulge in the product ranges at wholesale prices.

Wicked Cheese Company

Address: 1238 Richmond Road, Richmond

BAY OF FIRES CHEESE
Perfected over centuries, the Bay of Fires Cheese maestro is a thirteenth-generation cheese-maker, originally from England, where his family still make fromage today, who has made his home in Tasmania. For cheddar advotees Bay of Fires is the cheese monger for you. Their traditional cloth bound cheddar won or placed in the Best Cheddar Cheese category at the Australian Grand Dairy Competition for three years running. The cheese is aged for at minimum, a year on a pine board during which time it is given a massage by hand every three weeks. Understandably an award winner.

Bay of Fires Cheese

Address: 25824 Tasman Hwy, St Helens TAS 7216

Now who doesn’t love a good Coffee Liqueur? Well Australian Mr. Black Coffee is one of the best. From designer Tom Baker and distiller Philip Moore of Distillery Botanica of which it is brewed (Erina, New South Wales). The liqueur has 25% ABV, and 1100 mg of caffeine per litre it has more caffeine than most (Liqueurs) but won’t probably give you a hit as much as your morning coffee. “By emphasizing the purity of coffee flavour Using a rare blend of three beans from different sources that are each roasted and brewed separately and then blended for a maximum range of flavor and balance.” It took a long process (approx. 9 months) to finally get the right blend and it is more like a coffee than a desert (and no added sugar). The coolest thing about it is that the more you drink the more of the bottles artwork is revealed, an illustration by Australian artist Dale Bigeni. $45.

Images: Mr. Black

Now who said Kit Kats can’t be healthy, well they can with the opening of a new specialty store in Ginza, Tokyo. They come in three different flavours,  tuna, sea urchin and egg. But there’s a catch (no pun intended) they’re only available to customers who spend over  ¥3,000 JPY ($34 Aussie dollars). But they’re not all what they seem they’re a mixture of a bed of sculpted rice puffs, blends of melon with mascarpone cheese, held together by a seaweed wrapping, pumpkin pudding and rice, encased in a ribbon-like seaweed shell. I think even Heston Blumenthal would be proud.

Photo: Supplied

Well it’s only taken 80’s years but Milk, Dark & White chocolate (which was the last one, introduced by Nestle) now have a new friend ‘Ruby’. Discovered by Swiss cocoa company Barry Callebaut the ruby chocolate is naturally pink. The flavour described as “a tension between berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness” the company says, and has been 13 in years development. Made from the Ruby Cocoa bean found in Ecuador, Brazil, and the Ivory Coast, there are no added colours or flavours to create the pink colour, and is reported as not being “bitter, milky, or sweet” as other chocolates. Now we hear all you Instagram foodie fanatics out there going into meltdown, as this would have to be one of the most photogenic foods we’ve seen, looks good from every angle and that pink hue, wow! We wonder if Dorothy from the Wizard Of OZ would tap her Ruby Slippers to transport to current times to snack on some. So start snaking and snapping on this hedonistic delight.

Photo: Barry Callebaut.

So how many cups do you have a day? Well if you’re like us here at TheNews, a lot, so why not do in style with this Australian made Stove Top Espresso Maker, OTTA aka The Little Guy, oohhh so cute. This little beauty is an award-winning premium espresso system for home use and it will give you the caffeine hit your after. The quality of the espresso shots and milk texture are equal or better than any machine in the world, as well as commercial machines. You can brew two cups at a time at up to three bar of pressure, and includes a built-in steam wand. Almost completely made of stainless steel and with no moving parts, The Little Guy will ensure you have near zero servicing and perfect performance for the rest of your life. When you get praise like this from a World Latte Art and Australian Barista Champion Scott Callaghan you cant’s go wrong:

“This is a serious bit of gear. The espresso shots are excellent and there’s loads of steam pressure for texturing milk.

Retail $699.

Image: Supplied.

What better way to celebrate 150 years of Heinz than for them to cater for the elite with Ketchup Caviar, yep that’s right. We’ll its not really caviar its tiny pearls of ketchup, that look just like the fish egg delicacy. But if you want to get your cultured palette on these delicious red balls, you’d better be quick, they’re only limited to 150 jars. So for all you Melbourne FC supporters you’ll now be able to have your pie and eat it too, with this new condiment, not like how the mere morsels do.

No this bizarre object is not a building that’s just toppled over in Italy, it’s actually set to be Europe’s first underwater restaurant. Currently being built in Norway for completion in early 2019 it’s imply called Under. Designed by Norwegian company Snøhetta it “is a tribute to the Norwegian coast and to Lindesnes – to the wild fauna of the sea and to the rocky coastline of Norway’s southern tip”. It seats 80-100 guests, giving them a 360 degree through “muted lighting from the inside of the restaurant and installed on the seabed will help stage the wildlife flourishing on the sandbank outside the 11 x 4-meter panoramic acrylic window.” With three levels, Wardrobe, Champagne Bar and of course the restaurant level (and yes, they don’t only serve fish). The name is interesting as well, you’d think the name Under would just be a gimme but in Norway it has also means “Wonder”, all we can say is that this is Wonder-ful. So after that pathetic pun, we’ll head off, but there’s so much more to read about Under/Wonder here, so be immersed in its beauty an ideology. (Image courtesy: Snohetta)

That’s right, Nigella Lawson, 57, English queen of the kitchen has released her new book, her 11th infact –  ‘At My Table – A Celebration of Home Cooking’. With more than 3 million cookbooks sold worldwide, the domestic goddess has been out of the spotlight for nearly two years since her show Simply Nigella, but she’s back. With over 100 recipes that everyone can relate to and enjoy, such as her take on the classic Aussie favourite the “Toastie” aka the toasted ham and cheese sandwich, which has been described by Good Housekeeping magazine as the ‘fanciest ham and cheese toastie we’ve ever seen’ .

Nigella has focused on healthful recipes infusing everyday with pleasure and flavour. The 288 pg book has new recipes plus ones that have evolved the more she has cooked them over the years.

‘The recipes are warming, comforting, and inspirational, from new riffs on classic dishes – including Chicken Fricassée and Sticky Toffee Pudding – to adventures in a host of new dishes and ingredients, from Aubergine Fatteh to White Miso Hummus’

The voluptuous cook has slimmed down from a size 16 to 12 in the last year which she credits to Yoga and smaller portions. The book is also a TV series (in the UK) and she is also going to star in this years series of MasterChef Australia. Nigella is currently touring the country promoting the book. As Nigella says:

‘You cannot truly say you live well unless you eat well.’

(Image: Nigella.com)

P.S. In regard to the toastie all we can say is that there maybe some Figs involved, but you’ll have to buy the book to find out what else is in this ‘Food for the Gods’ enjoy!