M is for ....

Melbourne, Victoria:

Melbourne, capital of Victoria, is Australia's second-largest city with a population of over four million, and may soon outrank Sydney in population. It is a gracious city, founded in 1835 on the banks of the Yarra river and Port Phillip Bay.

Now packed with five-star hotels, a casino, shopping centres and huge office blocks, in the early days it was a remote and fragile settlement. The discovery of abundant gold to the north-west of the city at Ballarat and Bendigo in 1851 was to bring hundreds of people to the state in the gold-rush, and add much-needed wealth to the growing colony.

The metropolis sprawls for 8800 square kilometres, but two areas worth visiting in the area are the Yarra Valley to the east, and the Mornington Peninsula, south of the city. Both are major wine-producing regions and make an ideal escape for a couple of days to taste wine, dine and tuck up in a cosy bed and breakfast.

A walk in the park - watch this video to get a feel of Melbourne at its best.

Merrijig Inn, Port Fairy, Victoria:

The Merrijig Inn, one of Victoria's oldest inns, was established in the mid-1800s overlooking the wharf, with upstairs rooms serving as accommodation for the local constables. The delightfully named town of Port Fairy (named for a boat, it seems) is located at the western end of the scenic Great Ocean Drive.

The eight rooms offer a range of options, but all have comfort and welcome at the heart of their appeal.

The climate may be cold, but the warmth of the hospitality is everywhere.

Talented chef and co-owner Tanya Connellan has an impressive list of experience in top restaurants in Australia and overseas and it is this and her passion for using the best local produce that sets her daily-written menus apart. Key to much of her dishes is produce grown by Ken, a local market gardener who can 'grow anything' in the area's rich volcanic soil. When teamed with local beef, lamb and pork and aged buffalo mozzarella from Shaw River just a few kilometres away, diners are assured of a meal as good as it gets. The wine-list handpicks local Victorian and fine overseas wines.

Mudgee, NSW: Pyrmont Festival of Food and Art

The country town of Mudgee, about 3.5 hours' drive north-west of Sydney has made a name for itself in the past forty years for its fine vineyards producing premium wines. It is now the state’s third largest wine region, with over 40 cellar doors in the area, and road-corner signs bristling with names from the best wine lists.

But if the drive seems too long, the good news is that Mudgee comes to the city several times a year with events that bring the wines and local produce to Sydney. From May 18-27, 2012, the Pyrmont Festival of Wine, Food and Art will celebrate the best of Mudgee and Pyrmont with wine tastings, art activities and exhibitions, and public events.

About 20 Mudgee region wineries will take part in the festival. On Sunday, May 20, the country comes to the city at Pirrama Park, Pyrmont, with a free public event. More details...

Mushrooms:

The symbol for the Chinese god of longevity, Shoulau, is a walking stick topped by a mushroom ornament. Unfortunately this did not help the Roman emperor Claudius who died after eating poisonous ones. No doubt because of their often disastrous effects, mushrooms have gathered quite a following of folklore and superstition. In Egypt only Pharaohs were allowed to eat them as they were thought to have had magical powers. In France, more sensibly, where many mushroom varieties grow wild, amateur pickers are advised to take their finds for identification to the local chemist who is qualified to assess their safety. Mushrooms are good sources of fibre, potassium, protein and iron and are excellent for vegetarians as they contain vitamin B12. In Australia we have several main varieties of mushroom available in vegetable markets:

- cultivated mushrooms available as button, with closed caps, ideal for slicing into sauces and salads; cups, slightly fuller and opening a little, great for casseroles; and flat, quite open and suitable for stuffing, barbecues and sauteeing

- oyster, flat greyish and delicate to be added to stirfries and warm salads. There is also now a pinkish variety, very pretty to add to shellfish.

- Swiss brown and chestnut, a firm meaty mushroom, excellent for vegetarian or any dish requiring a rich flavour

- shiitake, the basic Chinese mushroom, called by the Chinese 'the elixir of life', sold dried mostly in Asian stores, but sometimes available fresh. The dried ones should be soaked for up to 30 minutes in hot water and the tough inedible stem discarded before the cap is sliced and added to Chinese dishes. The soaking water can be used to add flavour as well

- enoki, those elegant long-stemmed white Japanese mushrooms with a tiny cap, very rare but fantastic to add to special dishes

Related as fungi, but imported, are ceps, chanterelles, truffles and morels. These incredibly expensive morsels add a touch of gold to a dish. Straw mushrooms used in Chinese cookery are usually available tinned and cloud ear fungus is generally dried and sold in packets, needing only a short soaking to reconstitute it. Fresh mushrooms should always be stored refrigerated in brown paper bags and do not need washing or peeling before use. Simply wipe them with a teatowel or paper towel.

Mangoes:

Mangoes are mentioned in Indian legends from 2000BC, and no wonder - there are 500 known varieties. It is also no wonder that eating them is such a relaxing experience - they have been found to contain a substance similar to chemicals used to treat depression.

The northern Australian climate is ideal for growing mangoes, so now these tropical delights are available for several months through summer. Late season Queensland mangoes have a meatier, less sweet flavour that teams well with seafood, although all mangoes can be used in a variety of ways: pureed in icecreams and sorbets or drinks, sliced in salads and fruit compotes, cooked lightly in fish and chicken dishes or Asian stirfries.

The colour is a give-away. This fruit is loaded with vitamin A, (one can supply a day's requirements as well as vitamin C) yet the best bonus is that such a decadently sweet fruit is low in kilojoules - just 425kJ in a medium mango.

To eat cut off the cheeks (sides) and score into squares with a sharp knife. Push the skin up with your thumbs to turn inside out and nibble off the cubes, or peel completely and put corn-holders into the ends to eat cleanly.