#19: Because only an Aussie chef like qualia’s Jane-Therese Mulry would dare to pair fruit & meat in a main course—with mouthwatering results.

She might have been one of London superstar Marco Pierre White’s most trusted chefs, but when Jane-Therese Mulry, an Aussie native, told me she liked to use fruit in main courses with meat, I was dubious.  “It definitely causes problems for my pastry chef, because if I use passion fruit, he has to come up with something else,” she laughed. “But he’s used to it by now!”  Could I get used to it?  With that sense of humor, I knew I was in for something special—hopefully in a good way.

Indeed, the BBQ Wagyu beef with Honeydew in a Raspberry Vinaigrette packed a punch—of flavor and delicateness.  One bite and I was a believer that with just the right finesse, Chef Mulry was pulling off a whacky sounding combo that melted in my mouth.  To my taste, the tart vinaigrette edged off the sweetness of the honeydew, while the fresh wild herbs brought it all together.

There’s a lot of dreamy things about qualia, but the thing I keep dreaming about is that dish.

photo by Tourism NT

Like one of my all-time favorite films Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the ultimate destination on my last trip Down Under was Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the country’s “Red Centre.” Granted, I didn’t take a bus or wear a silver lamé dress (damn), but I did sing lots of disco songs and chose a circuitous route. I found the majesty of Uluru spell-binding—one of those places that more than lives up to expectations. No wonder it’s a finalist to be one of the New7Wonders of Nature, an online poll that will announce winners on 11.11.11. Join me in voting for Uluru/Ayers Rock, by visiting www.n7w.com/uluru. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up adding Uluru to my sleeve.

photo by Jamie Beck; tattoo by Friday Jones