Caroline: For my birthday Kris took me away on a mystery trip. While the food was made by him, I thought I would share my side of the weekend.
It started as a meandering drive through the country with an esky packed in the trunk full of things unknown to me. It’s still so weird to me having opposite seasons than I’m used to. Back in the US my birthday is in spring (April) and it was so surreal driving around and seeing all the fall colors in Tasmania. But Fall being my favorite season, I’ll take it.
After driving for a while we stopped in Mt Fields National park. It’s one of our favorites and not too far from town (~45 min). They have picnic tables and these great wood burning BBQs and they even supply a stack of wood!
We sipped on tassie bubbles from fancy champagne glasses while the fire heated up.
and the view was terrible. imagine having to eat lunch looking out onto this? poor me, right?
Kris brought some amazing steak scotch fillets from Cape Grim Tasmania. And there’s just something about cooking in this way, outside, over a fire and everything from so near by, it just makes everything taste better. I guess it might all be in my head.
Kris caramelized some onions in this Abbey Ale and we drank the rest. He just threw a splash of beer over the chopped onions and let them grill for a couple of minutes. He also grilled some hen-in-the-woods and some shitake mushrooms from the huon valley. 2 of my favorites, they’re so earthy and funky.
the assemblage begins
no mushroom left behind
even without steak, I would gladly dig into this. 
Next step: add cheese to melt. mmmmm cheese
We (and by we I of course mean Kris, but I like to feel involved) finished it off with some of our (Kris’) tomato chutney. Remember the chutney? You can find the recipe HERE.
man oh man. The steak sandwiches did not last long. We ate them sitting by the water and getting misted by a fall rain.
we put out the fire and went for a hike through Mt Fields. Well, when I say hike, it was really just a leisurely stroll, but since we were outside I’m going with hike. I’m tempted to put up pictures of weird mushrooms and moss and tall trees we saw. But, as they have nothing to do with beer or food I will spare you. Maybe next year…
Thankyou Kris for the best birthday full of all of my favorite things:
you, food, beer, and outside-ness (all in order of preference)
