Cauliflower soup

You can jump to the recipe if you don’t want to read the introduction

Introduction 

Dear Reader, 

I hope you are well and feeling 💯 

I wasn’t sure if I’d post anything this weekend. There hasn’t been much food inspiration. 

The weather in Canberra continues to decline in temperature, with the mornings regularly descending below zero degrees Celsius. I regularly eye the weather in places like Adelaide, Brisbane, and Darwin wistfully. I did see that Adelaide suffered badly this week with heavy rain. The local state emergency service responders were kept busy helping residents who experienced damage to their homes and property. Darwin is peak dry season at 32 °C and about 50% relative humidity. 

QUEENSLANDER!!! 

Heehee, guess what? The Queensland Maroons (pronounced “ma-rones”) defeated the NSW Blues on Wednesday night. It was a specular game played at Lang Park in Brisbane. I wish I could have been there. It was good to be home and watching the game after missing the first game in Adelaide because I was in Alexandria, Virginia. 

The series’ third game is in Sydney in a few weeks. While Queensland has won the series this year, it would be magnificent if they could win all three games. 

The following night, the Queensland Maroons Women’s team iced the cake and won the 2023 series in a game they lost to NSW. Aggregated points across two games decide the series winner.  I hope the women will play three games like the men next year. In an ideal world, the men and women would play on the same night. 

“12 Rules for Life” 

Last week, I mentioned the “12 Rules for Life“. I’ve almost finished listening to this book. It’s dense, and I think I’ll try to listen to it again soon. Some “rules” resonate with me, while others do not. I need time to consider the lessons from the “rules” which do not resonate with me. 

  • “Stand up straight with your shoulders back.” 
  • “Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.” 
  • “Make friends with people who want the best for you.” 
  • “Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” 
  • “Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.” 
  • “Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.” 
  • “Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).” 
  • “Tell the truth – or, at least, don’t lie.”
  • “Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.” 
  • “Be precise in your speech.” 
  • “Do not bother children while they are skateboarding.” 
  • “Pet a cat when you encounter one in the street.” 

I’m not sure what I will read next. It may be some science fiction or the sequel to “12 Rules for Life” titled “Beyond Order”, which has twelve more rules to consider.  

Recipe 

Equipment 

  • Saucepan 
  • Stick blender 

Ingredients 

  • Cauliflower 
  • Leek 
  • Brown onion 
  • Garlic 
  • Potato 
  • Black peppercorns 
  • Vegetable stock 
  • Coconut cream (low fat) 
  • Curry powder 

Instructions 

  1. Cut the cauliflower into florets. 
  2. Dice the potato. 
  3. Slice the leek and onion. 
  4. Sweat the leek and onion in the bottom of the saucepan with olive oil. 
  5. Add a tablespoon of curry powder and some whole black peppercorns. 
  6. Add the cauliflower and potato and enough stock without covering the vegetables. 
  7. Put a lid on the saucepan and allow it to simmer until the potato and cauliflower are soft. 
  8. Blend with a stick blender until smooth. 
  9. Bring back to a simmer and slowly add some coconut cream to slightly thicken the soup. 
  10. Serve the soup in a bowl. 
  11. Give thanks to the Lord. 
  12. Eat with a spoon while watching the footy. 
  13. Enjoy the work of your microbiota fermenting carbohydrates and producing hydrocarbon gases. I won’t be lighting any matches tonight. 😆

Thoughts on the meal 

This soup is on par with the pumpkin soup I make with laksa paste. It’s hot and spicy and amazing.

This version is meat-free, and unless there are animal products in the curry powder, it’s vegan because the vegetable stock I used is vegan. 

You could add some bacon or a ham hock if you want a meaty mouthfeel and flavour. 

Final thoughts 

  • Do any of the rules resonate with you? 
  • Do you like cauliflower soup? 
  • What is your favourite soup? 

Photographs 

Here is a gallery of photographs. 

Pork chop and cabbage


If you don’t want to read the introductory words, click here for the recipe.

Dear Reader,

Introduction

I hope you’ve had a good week. My week was rewarding and satisfying. Next week will be even better. 

Inspiration 

I got the inspiration for tonight’s meal from a bible study friend. She mentioned that she and her husband enjoy pork chops. I haven’t eaten a pork chop for I can’t remember how long. 

I went to the supermarket on Friday evening to dry brine the pork overnight for tonight’s meal.

Pork chop with red cabbage, potato wedges, and spicy tomato sauce

What have I been reading? 

I’m in the last part of “The Myth of Normal” by Gabor Maté.

I’m not sure what I’ll read next. It may be some science fiction. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I enjoyed the “Monroe Doctrine” series that advanced into science fiction with artificial intelligence-enhanced warfighting. The addition of biological and nuclear weapons heightened my interest. 

Recipe

  • Equipment 
  • Frypan 
  • Saucepan 
  • Oven 
  • Mortar and pestle 
  • Meat thermometer

Ingredients 

  • Pork loin chops with the bone in 
  • Flaky iodised salt 
  • Black peppercorns 
  • Garlic powder 
  • Rice bran oil 
  • Red (purple) cabbage 
  • Marmalade 
  • Potato 
  • Tomatoes
  • Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Grind some peppercorns in a mortar with a pestle.
  2. Dry brine the pork by seasoning it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and refrigerating it uncovered overnight.
  3. Slice some cabbage and sauté in a frypan until it’s softened. 
  4. Add in some marmalade and stir it through. 
  5. Transfer the cabbage to a warm bowl for later. 
  6. Wash the dirt off the potato, quarter it longitudinally, rub in a little oil, and season the pieces with salt. 
  7. Place the potato into a hot oven (220 °C) and cook for about 25 minutes. 
  8. Cook the pork in a frypan for a few minutes on each side and measure the internal temperature. 
  9. The aim is to get the internal temperature to 68 °C. 
  10. Allow the pork to rest for the equivalent amount of time it took to cook on the frypan. 
  11. Quarter six small tomatoes and blend with some marmalade and Worcestershire sauce. Bring it to a slow simmer in a small saucepan. Then add ground peppercorns, salt, and garlic powder. I added too much pepper, so the sauce is bordering on uncomfortably spicy. It was surprisingly good with the finished meal.
  12. Dissect the bone from the meat with a knife and then slice the pork. 
  13. Plate up and give thanks to the Lord. 
  14. Eat with a fork while watching TV. 

What’s happening next week? 

I’m travelling and off to meet people I’ve only met online. It should be good. 

I’m shy and introverted, and meeting people in person can be awkward. We’ll see; I’m looking at it all positively. 

The rugby league State of Origin competition kicks off in Adelaide this week. I hope for a great game between the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues.

Because I’ll be away, I may not post next weekend. 

Self-hosting to WordPress.com 

I’ve considered moving from a self-hosted site to WordPress.com for this blog. The server charges are high, and my commitment to blogging isn’t as strong as it once was. 

My original idea when starting a self-hosted site was to be free to change things I desired without being constrained. Because of my current employment, income wasn’t a consideration. Drawing a second income would not be permitted. 

I’ve seen how WordPress.com has developed since then, and there are fewer constraints and more freedom. 

I’ve just paid my server fees for three years, so this is not something I’ll embark on soon, but it will be something to plan and execute at the right time. 

Final thoughts 

The pork was perfectly cooked. It was tender and juicy.

  • Do you like pork chops? How do you like them cooked, and what do you serve with them? 
  • Do you enjoy meeting people in person who you’ve only known online? 
  • What are you reading at present? 

Have a good week, and happy eating and living. 

Photographs

Speck congee

You can jump to the recipe if you do not have time for the obtuse and dreary introduction.

A photograph of Lake Ginninderra and clouds. The sky is blue and the water is calm. You can see the Belconnen Arts Centre in the shot too.
It was lovely this afternoon in the sun, looking at the clouds and the water.

Introduction

Dear Reader, 

How has your week been? Mine has been fantastic. Monday was a gazetted public holiday in the Australian Capital Territory (also known as Canberra). We have one more public holiday before Christmas. I reckon Canberra has more public holidays than any other jurisdiction in Australia. 

During the week, there was a church vestry committee meeting. I enjoy these evening meetings. We discuss what is going well and what is not in the fellowship and plan for improving things.

In the middle of the week, I did a webinar with pathology (microbiology) trainees nationwide as part of their professional development. I loved sharing with them how being a pathologist and working as a public servant in government is a rich and rewarding career path. While not the same as working in a laboratory every day and working with other clinicians, I exposed them to some of the inner workings of how things get done in government.

I attended a workshop on Thursday that brought together different Australian Government agencies. Understanding the perspective and point of view of others always makes for better outcomes (in my opinion). A shared understanding helps develop and maintain cooperation. 

All in all, it was a busy and rewarding week. It has been a week of mercy and grace.

Ramen Daddy and Jasper + Myrtle 

Jasper + Myrtle chocolate with emphasis on Queensland nuts

On Sunday, I was invited to lunch by my friends who own and operate Jasper + Myrtle. It was good to catch up with them. I have not seen either of them since before COVID-19. 

Lunch was at Ramen Daddy in their Canteen in the 1 Dairy Road precinct in Fyshwick

I had the “Classic Daddy“, which was fantastic. I didn’t shoot a photograph because I wasn’t in the mood. It was good catching up with friends and enjoying eating the meal. 

After lunch, I got a tour of the Jasper + Myrtle chocolate factory. I remember they started in their garage with a relatively small setup. They’ve been to Italy a few times to purchase equipment for their manufacturing process. They import all the beans from PNG, so they are genuinely bean-to-bar in their manufacturing process. 

There was a lot of gleaming stainless steel and chocolate to see. 

What have I been reading? 

Phillipa Sage’s “Off-road with Clarkson, Hammond, and May” and “The Wonderful World of Jeremy Clarkson.” 

Phillipa recently wrote two books about her work and personal relationships with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May

I know these three entertainers are polarising in society; however, Phillipa provides some insight that isn’t evident from their TV work. 

Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life 

In the same way, I read Gabor Maté’s “The Myth of Normal” based on a recommendation from blogger Jessica Cyphers; I started listening to this book by Jordan Peterson

While Maté’s book is about feelings, emotions, attachment, and embracing customs from first nations people groups, Peterson uses observation and empirical data to emphasise evolutionary biology. I’m part-way through the rules for life. “12 Rules for Life” is an audiobook that requires concentration. Peterson is fond of using words and terms which are technical and accurate, which can make comprehension a challenge when the words are not in everyday use. I’m learning new words.

While Maté takes a post-modern view of identity, Peterson relies on the power and force of evolution. 

The contrasts are fascinating. 

Peterson also takes this empirical view in his description of Christianity. His characterisation is academic, and while his exposition is scholarly, it sounds shallow compared with the depth and winsome conviction of Martyn Lloyd-Jones and Timothy Keller. He understands the bible (he also includes the Apocrypha) as a literary work and a guide for life, but not as the Word of God.

Recipe 

Equipment 

  • Pressure cooker 

Ingredients 

  • Speck 
  • Brown rice – 1 cup
  • Celery – a few stalks – sliced roughly.
  • French onion soup packet mix 
  • 8 cups of boiling water  
  • Red onion – chopped.
  • Whole black peppercorns for some extra “bite.”
  • Iodised salt is unnecessary because of the salt in the speck and the packet mix.
  • Spring onion 

Instructions 

  1. Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
  2. Combine the soup mix and the boiling water.
  3. Put the rice and French onion soup mix (stock) into the pressure cooker.
  4. Place the speck on top and add the celery.
  5. Add in the onion and peppercorns.
  6. Cook for one hour.
  7. Allow the pressure to equilibrium naturally.
  8. Open the lid and remove the piece of speck. Dice the meat while it is hot and return it to the pressure cooker to stir it through the developed rice gruel.
  9. Transfer the congee to containers for storage, leaving aside enough for dinner.
  10. Put the remaining congee into a bowl and garnish with spring onion.
  11. Give thanks to the Lord.
  12. Eat with a spoon.

Thoughts on the meal

As I’ve written many times, congee or jook is my favourite food. The meal was excellent and comforting.

Some readers will object to my use of speck because cured pork is unhealthy[1]. If you don’t like cured pork, you can use chicken sans skin and fat. You could also use tofu and increase your plant œstrogen[2] intake.

I’ve got enough left over from this meal to keep me happy for a week.

Final thoughts

  • Do you like supporting local artisans, like Peter and Li Peng and their endeavour with Jasper + Myrtle?
  • Have you had a rewarding week?
  • Would you make tofu congee?
  • Queensland and NSW play again in game two of this year’s State of Origin series this Wednesday. Queensland won the first game in Adelaide. Game two is at Lang Park, with a sold-out stadium. I’d give a body part to be at that game.

Photographs

References

1.         Bouvard, V., et al., Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. The Lancet Oncology, 2015. 16(16): p. 1599-1600.

2.         Rietjens, I., J. Louisse, and K. Beekmann, The potential health effects of dietary phytoestrogens. Br J Pharmacol, 2017. 174(11): p. 1263-1280.

Pea, ham, and gorgonzola soup

If you’re not interested in reading the blurb before the recipe, feel free to use this link to the recipe.

Pea, ham, and gorgonzola soup

Hello reader,

Tonight’s meal is inspired by Lorraine Elliot and Friday’s post on Not Quite Nigella. It was a best of five post, and number one was pea and ham soup. I highly recommend Lorraine’s blog. Many of my weekend meals are inspired by her posts.

The first week of July is often the coldest in Canberra, so it’s a good month for all things comforting. The comfort of the people I love. Comfort food. Comfortable clothes to fit my growing frame and accommodate my winter coat!!!

Lorraine’s recipe doesn’t include gorgonzola. I got that idea from the cauliflower soup I made a few weeks ago. Cheese in soup is sheer indulgent enjoyment.

How has your week been? On a scale of 1 to 10, mine has been 7. It started poorly last Sunday evening. Queensland and NSW played the second game of this year’s State of Origin series. We were defeated convincingly. At work, my days have been enjoyable. I am always buoyed to be working with intelligent and capable people. In the evening, though, I continue to indulge in refined, processed, sugar-laden products. My chocolate cravings persist.

PHOTOS

Recipe

Equipment

  • Frying pan
  • Pressure cooker
  • Stick blender

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Heat up a frying pan and add some RBO.
  2. Sauté the onions, fennel, celery, and garlic until fragrant and changing colour.
  3. Transfer the onions, fennel, celery, and garlic to the pressure cooker.
  4. Add the MSG, anchovy fillets, split peas, ham hock, bay leaves and vegetable stock to the pressure cooker and cook for 50 minutes.
  5. Open the pressure cooker when the internal pressure equilibrates with the outside pressure.
  6. Remove the cooked ham hock (and bones if the bones have slipped out) from the soup.
  7. Add the frozen peas, so the residual heat cooks them.
  8. Puree the soup with a stick blender to make it smoother.
  9. Add chunks of gorgonzola to the soup.
  10. Remove the meat from the bone and pull it into small pieces.
  11. Ladle soup into a bowl and add the ham.
  12. Season the soup with pepper.
  13. Give thanks to the Lord.
  14. Eat with a spoon.

PHOTOS

Serving options

This soup would have been great with a piece of well-buttered crusty sourdough bread. You could also add some garnish, like finely sliced chives or finely chopped parsley.

I have enough soup leftover to freeze in vacuum-sealed bags. I’ll reheat them in a water bath set to about 80 °C for 30 minutes and enjoy a warm bowl of soup after work.

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Thoughts on the soup

This was a heart-warming soup that was flavourful and unctuous. I’m grateful I have some leftovers. I put it into vacuum bags and have two portions in the freezer ready for later in the week.

Some people experience a lot of flatus after pea and ham soup. Tomorrow is going to be explosive. 😆💨

Final thoughts

  • What comforts you in winter?
  • What soup have you made recently?
  • Would you add gorgonzola to a pea and ham soup?

Bibliography and glossary

Winter coat

A winter coat is also known as abdominal adipose tissue!

Pal, Y. P., & Pratap, A. P. (2017). Rice Bran Oil: A Versatile Source for Edible and Industrial Applications. J Oleo Sci, 66(6), 551-556. https://doi.org/10.5650/jos.ess17061

Raman, V., Bussmann, R. W., & Khan, I. A. (2017). Which Bay Leaf is in Your Spice Rack? – A Quality Control Study. Planta Med, 83(12-13), 1058-1067. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-103963

Rose, D. J., Poudel, R., Van Haute, M. J., Yang, Q., Wang, L., Singh, M., & Liu, S. (2021). Pulse processing affects gas production by gut bacteria during in vitro fecal fermentation. Food Res Int, 147, 110453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110453

Torri, L., Aprea, E., Piochi, M., Cabrino, G., Endrizzi, I., Colaianni, A., & Gasperi, F. (2021). Relationship between Sensory Attributes, (Dis) Liking and Volatile Organic Composition of Gorgonzola PDO Cheese. Foods, 10(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112791

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Photo gallery

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Slowly cooked pork shoulder

Dear Reader, 

Welcome to Yummy Lummy. The blog is for people who live alone and are keen to cook meals for one. 

You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe

Introduction 

I hope you’ve had a good week. Mine was great. My next week is going to be very busy with work. Doing it all from home will be challenging.

National Rugby League Grand Final 

Last Sunday evening, the Brisbane Broncos played against the Penrith Panthers in the 2023 NRL grand final. 

It was one of the most exciting games of rugby league I’ve watched. The lead changed a few times in dramatic ways. In the end — in a nail-biting finish — the Panthers scored a game-clinching try and are the premiers for 2023. 

I’m now excited for the games involving the Australian Kangaroos, who will be playing some Pacific Island Country national teams. If you’re interested in the draw, the fixture dates and times are available at the National Rugby League website

This has been a tremendous season for rugby league. My father won a tipping competition and remains happy in an afterglow of success. The Dolphins NRL team had a fabulous inaugural year in the NRL. Some of their players have made international sides for the Pacific Championships, including the Kangaroos. Of course, the icing was the mighty XXXX Queensland Maroons defeating the NSW Blues in the State of Origin series.

Next year looks good to be another phenomenal year of rugby league, and I hope to catch Dolphins games in person at Lang Park when visiting family in Brisbane.

Orthopædic surgeon review of my knee 

On Thursday afternoon, I visited my consultant surgeon so he could review the patella ORIF he was responsible for six weeks ago. 

Before I saw him, I had an x-ray of my knee. I asked to look at the images. The patella repair looked great to my untrained eye. 

Knee x-ray

The surgeon was impressed with the repair’s quality and my wound’s appearance. He was happy with my muscle tone and explained I should have full muscle strength again in about three to six months. He explained his registrar’s procedure in-depth when repairing and fixing the fracture and the ruptured retinaculum. This helped explain better what I was feeling and seeing.

I’m now also able to use a cane instead of crutches. Besides new shoes that won’t slip on tiles, I’m considering dressing like House when I return to work.

What have I been listening to? 

The Great Plant-based Con 

The Audible app artificial intelligence recommended this book written by Jayne Buxton. Like books I’ve been listening to recently on low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat eating, the author examines plant-based eating. She reviews much of the available literature and reminds readers that observational associative studies and meta-analyses can never prove causation. 

The introduction does an excellent job of pointing out the difference between relative and absolute risk and the problem of confounders in observational studies, which rely on participant memory for what they may have eaten. 

I have friends who are passionate about their plant-based diets, and I respect their choices. I know they have considered the risks and benefits and the ethical proposition. There is a lot of conflicting advice; everyone must consider the evidence and decide. I think it’s great that more and more catering companies and restaurants are accommodating diversity in dietary desires.

The book is neither anti-plant nor anti-vegan, and it reviews the facts about human diets and their effect on the environment. I like that Australians like Matthew Evans are featured. I met Matthew in 2015 at a Canberra blogging convention. He is a food critic who has become a farmer and restaurateur. (Evans, 2019)

It’s worth mentioning the book examines some distortions in pro-plant-based food science; however, it does not always apply the same rigour to its own biases. There are repeated references to the work of one animal-food researcher funded in part by the US livestock industry.

One fascinating feature is the exposition of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church’s role, the business relationship with Kellogg, and the fixation on masturbation amongst boys and young men. According to the SDA church founder Ellen G. White and Kellogg, meat causes impure thoughts in men and causes them to want to masturbate. I didn’t realise how much SDAs influence dietetic and nutrition societies and government guidance in countries where such involvement is possible. (Buxton, 2022)

What have I been reading? 

Low carbohydrate diet and Japanese men 

During the week, a reader sent me an e-mail mentioning a study from Nagoya University that reported Japanese men on a “low carbohydrate” diet had poor health outcomes. 

I searched for the study and found Dietary Carbohydrate and Fat Intakes and Risk of Mortality in the Japanese Population: the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study by Tamura, Takashi et al. (Tamura et al., 2023)

The study was observational, associative, and focused on relative risk. It contains no cause-and-effect evidence. This study cannot prove causation and strictly can’t confer anything about risk, given risk implies cause and effect. The study generated some questions for me: 

  • These studies often rely on the memory of participants to record their diet. 
  • These studies do not provide absolute “risk” information and rely on relative “risk”, which creates a perception bias. The relative risk often appears large when the absolute risk is tiny.
  • It’s not clear what is meant by high fat, e.g., what is the relationship between saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat in the diet eaten by the participants, and what is the source of the fats; it’s also not clear if trans fats and hydrogenated oils were part of the diet, there is a difference between high-fat and healthy-fat, how much of the fat came from processed seed oils vs cold pressed fruit oil or animal saturated fat? 
  • What other confounders exist besides the diet, e.g., smoking, exercise, pollutants, and what constitutes low carbohydrate intake? Note that <40% CHO (up to 40%) is not a low carbohydrate diet. Such a diet might contain confounding associated with insulin resistance in the participants. Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome could explain some of the adverse health effects reported. Given that the advocates of low-carbohydrate healthy-fat (LCHF) eating have CHO ratios <10% of their diet, up to 40% is a problem for this study and doesn’t constitute low carbohydrate.

Inferences from a study like this are problematic and don’t answer the clinical questions. 

Body mass index (BMI)

I have been thinking about BMI and how the interpretation differs from country to country. I found an answer to a question I’d had since January. 

The healthy weight range BMI for men in Australia of Asian descent is 18.5 to 22.9 kg/m2. This range is lower than the healthy weight range BMI for men of European descent, which is 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2.

People of Asian descent tend to have a higher body fat percentage and a lower muscle mass percentage than people of European descent at the same BMI. As a result, they are at increased risk of developing obesity-related chronic diseases, such as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and heart disease, at a lower BMI. 

The lesson for me is obvious. Keep low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat eating and lose more weight. I have much to live for in life. I love life at the moment. I eat to live and enjoy what I do and how I do it. 

Cholesterol, blood clotting, and cardiovascular risk

I’ve also spent some of my leisure time reading articles on cholesterol and the role of coagulation in cardiovascular risk. (Diamond et al., 2019, 2022; Diamond & Leaverton, 2023a, 2023b; Diamond & Ravnskov, 2015; Ravnskov, De Lorgeril, Diamond, et al., 2018; Ravnskov, De Lorgeril, Kendrick, et al., 2018; Ravnskov et al., 2016, 2019, 2020a, 2020b, 2022; Targher et al., 2019)

I also discovered a chemical pathologist friend has spoken at low carbohydrate healthy-fat conferences. He’s an expert in metabolic syndrome and the biochemistry of lipids, liver function, and iron balance. He has some very informative YouTube videos.

Recipe 

I feel like my weekly recipes here are getting boring and predictable. If you get bored, you’re always welcome to stop reading. I don’t mind.

While I don’t credit my recovery from my injury to my diet, I know my diet is healthful. I’m eating nutrient-dense complete proteins and avoiding highly- and ultra-processed foods. My consumption of sugar and other carbohydrates is low, and I’m avoiding seed oils and trans fats.

Equipment 

  • Slow cooker 
  • Oven 

Ingredients 

  • Pork 
  • Iodised salt 
  • Beef, chicken, lamb, and pork broth 

Instructions 

  1. Place the pork, salt, and broth into the slow cooker and turn it on. Cook the meat for eight hours on low heat. 
  2. Remove the pork carefully and allow it to drain. 
  3. Dry the surface of the pork and place it in an air fryer for 20 minutes at 190 °C (374 °F). 
  4. Pour the cooking liquor through a sieve and refrigerate the broth. 
  5. Slice the pork and set some aside for dinner while putting the rest of the meat into refrigerator containers.
  6. Serve with vegetables of choice. For those focussed on low carbohydrate, healthy fat eating, you could enjoy some leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, or an avocado cheek. Some potato or pumpkin mash would work well if you eat starchy plants. If you don’t fatten easily, you might want to eat this pork with stewed apple and some pickled and fermented cabbage.
  7. Give thanks to the Lord.
  8. Enjoy.

BLESS

I’m thinking of starting a trend to eat BLESS. I have been watching some YouTube influencers focusing on BBBE, viz., beef, butter, bacon, and eggs.

I don’t eat much bacon because most supermarket-delivered bacon is water-injected and processed with sugar and other carbohydrates.

BLESS represents beef, lamb, eggs, salmon, and sardines. I’m not sure if I’m the first to use this acronym. While eating pork tonight, my go-to foods are beef, lamb, eggs, salmon, and sardines.

Will I make any effort to propagate BLESS? No, this is just a random thought, and I probably won’t do anything with it. 🤣

I thought about this because I recently completed a bible study series on the beatitudes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount.

Thoughts on the meal

The pork was tender. I have enough left over for a couple of meals later this week.

Slowly cooking a pork shoulder roll works well for my style of cooking and eating.

Photographs

Bibliography

Buxton, J. (2022). The great plant-based con: Why eating a plants-only diet won’t improve your health or save the planet. Piatkus.

Diamond, D. M., Bikman, B. T., & Mason, P. (2022). Statin therapy is not warranted for a person with high LDL-cholesterol on a low-carbohydrate diet. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity, 29(5), 497–511. https://doi.org/10.1097/MED.0000000000000764

Diamond, D. M., De Lorgeril, M., Kendrick, M., Ravnskov, U., & Rosch, P. J. (2019). Formal comment on “Systematic review of the predictors of statin adherence for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.” PLOS ONE, 14(1), e0205138. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205138

Diamond, D. M., & Leaverton, P. E. (2023a). Historical Review of the Use of Relative Risk Statistics in the Portrayal of the Purported Hazards of High LDL Cholesterol and the Benefits of Lipid-Lowering Therapy. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.38391

Diamond, D. M., & Leaverton, P. E. (2023b). Historical Review of the Use of Relative Risk Statistics in the Portrayal of the Purported Hazards of High LDL Cholesterol and the Benefits of Lipid-Lowering Therapy. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.c116

Diamond, D. M., & Ravnskov, U. (2015). How statistical deception created the appearance that statins are safe and effective in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 8(2), 201–210. https://doi.org/10.1586/17512433.2015.1012494

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