I like to cook, photograph and eat food. I'm an occasional podcaster too.
I have a weekly diary blog named My Thoughts and Stuff, this is where I share what's been happening in my life for the preceding week.
When I'm not cooking I'm practising medicine. You can find more information at my about.me page.
I'm based in Canberra, Australia, so the food and recipes I share will tend to be seasonal and regional to Australia, but I hope if you're from somewhere else you'll find these recipes adaptable to suit your needs. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you have any questions.
Greetings. I haven’t posted over the last few weeks. I want to stop self-hosting and transfer the domain to WordPress.com. It was easy when I moved the domain and content to WordPress.org and started hosting the blog on a paid server. It is now expensive and complicated.
Blogging is a hobby, and I want it to be easy.
I’ve started to remove content. Eventually, I’ll have a shell of a blog, and then I’ll begin the transfer process. The domain transfer usually takes between seven and ten days. Then there are the bedding-in problems with DNS settings and the like. I’m not sure when I’ll get to restart the blog. It could be a few months. It may be spring when I restart (emerge from hibernation).
I’m also conscious that I’ve changed my diet, and there is minimal variation. Finding new ways to write about how I cook steak is not easy. Sharing what I watch, listen to, and read on a food blog also seems out of place. For simple recipes and food, I have Random Yummy. I also cleaned that blog too. It now has fewer posts.
See you when I’m out of hibernation.
Emerging from hibernation | Content credentials | Generated with AI | 20240602T1957
My week was busy. Thursday was Anzac Day. Kathleen and I went for a drive. We took a look at Windy Point Lookout.
Windy Point LookoutWindy Point Lookout
What have I been watching?
Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space 9
I’ve now finished watching Star Trek: Voyager (VOY). It’s been an enjoyable rewatch. I will finish Star Trek: Deep Space 9 (DS9) soon. I will start watching Enterprise (ENT).
I’ve also started watching Bosch and there are Star Trek connections. Jeri Ryan from VOY and Linda Park from ENT.
I’ll share more on Bosch in another post.
National Rugby League
This has been a ripper season for footy. The Dolphins and Brisbane Broncos are in the top 8, and I’m happy. I enjoy having a decent TV with free-to-air access to watch live NRL footy.
I am looking forward to the State of Origin series to begin this year. The Queensland Maroons have a depleted side this season with many players injured. The “away” game this year is in Melbourne.
Four corners
Uncovering the Ozempic and Mounjaro black market
If you have the time, I recommend watching this. The drugs were designed to help patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The drugs have gained favour with people who are clinically obese. The mechanism of action slows the stomach (the organ and not the vague description some people use to describe their abdomen).
The drugs have serious adverse reactions, such as gastroparesis. It is not surprising that medical practitioners who advocate for low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat eating prefer a lifestyle change to bring T2DM into remission and to remedy clinical obesity.
Banana Boogie Bakery Vanilla Slice
Vanilla slice from Banana Boogie Bakery Belair
Did I eat a Banana Boogie Bakery vanilla slice?
Yes, I did.
Aren’t I low carbohydrate, healthy fat eating?
Yes, I am.
Is the vanilla slice low in carbohydrates and healthy fat?
No, it isn’t.
Why did you eat the vanilla slice?
It was Anzac Day, and Kathleen and I went for a drive. I wanted to do something special with Kathleen. When I cook, it’s usually biased toward my way of eating. I wanted to do something together with Kathleen.
What was the vanilla slice like?
It was good. It reminded me of the vanilla slice from the Gumnut Patisserie in Bowral. The custard pastry interface had notes of caramel, and the vanilla flavour was well balanced with the sweetness. The mouthfeel of the custard and pastry combined well. The icing was not excessively sweet.
Would you eat another one?
Maybe. If I want to do something special with Kathleen again, I might go for one of the other vanilla slice options.
Were there any after-effects worth noting?
A couple of hours after eating the vanilla slice, we drove into the city, and I started getting an anterior compartment cramp in my right leg. Not long after, my left leg had a similar cramp. The pain was moderate, and the cramping persisted for about an hour. It made walking uncomfortable. When I weighed myself the following morning, I was 2.0 kg heavier. I assumed it was retained water.
Vanilla slice from Banana Boogie Bakery Belair
What have I been eating?
An animal-based diet means great leftover meals. Because my local supermarket doesn’t have a great meat selection, I’ve been buying beef short ribs from Baa Moo Oink.
Leftover rib meat is on par with leftover cold lamb shoulder. The protein and fat content of the rib meat is perfect.
The method I use for heating the rib meat is simple. I cut the cold meat into one cubic centimetre pieces and put them into a frypan. I then add about 100 mL of water and turn on the heat. As the water simmers, the meat softens, and the muscle fibres separate. The fat is released as the meat breaks down, and the water evaporates. I’m left with a soft, tender, and moist bowl of meat. I often finish with butter and pure cream to improve the mouthfeel.
The leftover cooking liquor is an added benefit of cooking with a pressure cooker or slow cooker. I keep it in the refrigerator, and when it’s cold, I lift the solid fat off and put it into a container for later use. I then use a tablespoon or two of the jellied meat broth and make a hot drink with boiling water.
Leftover beef short rib meat and coffeeChucke steak and speckBone in ribeye steak from Baa Moo Oink. Cooked in a water bath for 3 hours at 57 °C and seared on a Weber Q+.Bone in ribeye steak from Baa Moo Oink. Cooked in a water bath for 3 hours at 57 °C and seared on a Weber Q+.Scotch fillet steak. Pan-fried in butter.Scotch fillet steak. Pan-fried in butter.Bone in ribeye steak from Baa Moo Oink. Cooked in a water bath for 3 hours at 57 °C and seared on a Weber Q+.Leftover beef short rib meat.Chucke steak and speckBone in ribeye steak from Baa Moo Oink. Cooked in a water bath for 3 hours at 57 °C and seared on a Weber Q+.Scotch fillet steak. Pan-fried in butter.Leftover beef short rib meat and coffeeBone in ribeye steak from Baa Moo Oink. Cooked in a water bath for 3 hours at 57 °C and seared on a Weber Q+.Leftover beef short rib meat and hot beef broth
Recipe
I had some beef chuck and speck cooked in the pressure cooker tonight.
Equipment
Pressure cooker.
Carbon steel frypan.
Ingredients
Chuck steak.
Speck
Meat broth.
Chuck steak and speck
Instructions
Dice the beef and pork and put the meat into the pressure cooker.
Add the meat broth.
Cook under pressure for 1 hour.
Open the lid and remove the mixed meat with a slotted spoon when the pressure equilibrates with atmospheric pressure.
Sieve the cooking liquor and refrigerate the broth.
Transfer the meat to a frypan and turn on the heat.
Gently cook with a little butter and cream.
Transfer the meat to a dinner plate.
If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the meat will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger.
If you’re eating a low-carbohydrate diet, meat and plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this meat won’t be suitable.
Eat with whatever implements you prefer. I used a spoon.
Chucke steak and speckChucke steak and speckChucke steak and speck
Thoughts on the meal
The more I eat meat, the more I like it and the more I’m enjoying this way of eating. The speck was a good addition to the chuck. It gave the dish a nice smoky flavour.
There are sufficient leftovers for a few meals this week.
Final thoughts
Do you occasionally deviate from routines like a diet?
Have you watched the TV show “Bosch”? What did you think?
Disclaimer and comments
This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.
For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.
You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe if you don’t care for my rambling palaver.
If you’re not seeing new posts each week, I suggest refreshing your browser and clearing your browser’s browser cache regularly.
If you continue having problems, message me via the blog’s contact page.
Flowers from Kathleen
Dear Reader,
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week.
It’s taking me some effort to get used to Australian central time. With daylight saving, Adelaide is 30 minutes ahead of Brisbane and 30 minutes behind with standard time. It feels weird when I speak or send messages with family in Brisbane.
When I lived in Darwin, I could ignore the change in daylight saving because it was not adopted by Queensland (the greatest state in the federation) nor the Northern Territory (the greatest territory in the federation).
Carbon Steel
I haven’t been cooking much of interest lately. When I’ve been home, I’ve been cooking beef steaks (various cuts), lamb chops, beef mince, and beef short ribs. Breakfasts have been eggs. Mostly scrambled and sometimes fried.
For anything pan-fried, I’ve been using my carbon steel frypan. It’s a Matfer 30 cm diameter frypan.
Before moving to Adelaide, I had seasoned it in preparation for the move and accidentally left it on a hot electric ring for about 45 minutes. I’d been outside and hadn’t noticed the smoke. When the frypan cooled, I noted the surface had a peculiar feel. It wasn’t sticky, nor was it smooth. It felt like I was dragging my finger across emery paper. I wondered what the surface composition was. I speculated what may have happened to the steel surface under prolonged heat. I knew the feel of the surface was unlikely to be problematic because the oven methods for seasoning have the frypan smoking for more than an hour. The difference, however, is that the metal would never exceed 250 °C. On an electric ring, the surface temperature would be higher. I wondered if the heat may have caused a reaction to the pan’s surface. I packed it and hoped the pan would not rust while I was in packing and moving mode.
When I arrived in Adelaide and unpacked the frypan, I was happy to see it had not rusted. I put it away and used a small stainless-steel frypan for the first few weeks while getting used to my kitchen and gas cooker.
Last week, I scrubbed the carbon steel frypan with steel wool and seasoned it again.
When I bought the frypan a couple of years ago, I followed the instructions when I initially seasoned it with vegetable oil, potato peels, and coarse salt. Before adopting a low-carbohydrate healthy fat diet, I continued to use vegetable oil to maintain the frypan’s surface. I needed to try something else because I now avoid vegetable and seed oils.
When viewing YouTube videos on the subject, most people warned that using animal fats was a problem because the fat would spoil. The thought of rancid fat puts a lot of people off. Seed oils like canola and rice bran oil are popular. The problem is that physical and chemical alteration is necessary to extend seed oils’ expiration times and preserve the fat from spoiling. This processing can involve solvents and other chemical treatments.
Because I’m using this pan daily, I used beef fat to season the pan. When cooking eggs in butter, I’ll wipe out the frypan with a cloth, and the butter residue will remain.
So far, I’ve not had any problems with the frypan. I don’t sense that the non-stick layer from seasoning with animal-based fats spoils. I only use butter or fat from beef, lamb, pork, or chicken.
When I’ve finished cooking, I use a cloth or kitchen paper to wipe off all the excess fat, and I wait for the frypan to cool before heating to a smoking temperature.
The frypan is looking nicely seasoned.
Seasoned Matfer carbon steel frypan
A jingle for Yummy Lummy
I was listening to a technology podcast during the week, and the host used artificial intelligence (a large language model) to create a jingle for his podcast.
I used Microsoft Copilot to create this jingle.
(Verse 1)
Come on over to Yummy Lummy, where the flavours bloom,
Home-cooked meals and tasty treats, served in every room.
From the heart of our kitchen, to your dining delight,
Yummy Lummy’s got the recipes, to make your day so bright!
(Chorus)
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy Lummy, a feast for your tummy,
Savour the flavour, feel the love; oh, isn’t it so yummy?
From breakfast to dinner, and every snack in between,
Yummy Lummy’s the food blog, that’s the best you’ve ever seen!
(Verse 2)
Discover new dishes, or classic ones renewed,
With Yummy Lummy’s guidance, you’ll become a master food dude!
So come join the journey, let’s explore the culinary scene,
With Yummy Lummy’s food blog, you’ll see what we mean!
(Chorus)
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy Lummy, a feast for your tummy,
Savour the flavour, feel the love; oh, isn’t it so yummy?
From breakfast to dinner, and every snack in between,
Yummy Lummy’s the food blog, that’s the best you’ve ever seen!
(Outro)
So here’s to good eating, and here’s to good cheer,
With Yummy Lummy’s food blog, the best food is right here!
Meat broth from previous meals (it contains beef, lamb, pork, chicken juices and beef, lamb, pork, chicken fat).
Salt
Instructions
Remove the meat from the packaging.
Place the meat and broth into a slow cooker.
Cook the meat for eight hours.
Remove the meat and sear it in a carbon steel frypan.
Pour the remaining meat broth into the pressure cooker.
Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes to effectively kill any microorganisms.
Keep the disinfected cooking liquor in the refrigerator.
Serve the steak on a plate.
If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the steak will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the steak and bite into it. This minimises washing.
If you’re eating a low-carbohydrate diet, steak and plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this steak won’t be suitable.
Eat with whatever implements you prefer. I used a fork.
Slowly cooked beef chuck steak (grass-fed Australian beef)
Kathleen’s meal
Kathleen asked me to make her something with laksa flavours.
I cooked a laksa-flavoured pumpkin soup with coconut cream. I added some sprouts, coriander (cilantro for North Americans), and spring onions (scallions for North Americans).
Pumpkin soup with laksa flavours
Thoughts on the meal
The steak was tender and flavoursome. I have no complaints.
Final thoughts
Do you cook with carbon steel cookware?
Do you like the Yummy Lummy jingle?
Would you prefer my steak or Kathleen’s soup?
Disclaimer and comments
This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.
For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.
You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe if you don’t care for my rambling palaver.
If you’re not seeing new posts each week, I suggest refreshing your browser and clearing your browser’s browser cache regularly.
If you continue having problems, message me via the blog’s contact page.
Henley Beach at sunset. Walking on the sand with my injured foot went well.
Dear Reader,
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week.
I started work again this week. I worked from home most days. My employer’s office is in the central business district. I went into the office during the week and was impressed by the accommodations.
Kathleen likes the Adelaide CBD, so working in the city will give me the occasional opportunity to explore a little when there is time.
What have I been watching?
Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space 9
I’m now in the seventh and final season of both shows. It is about an order of magnitude better watching these shows in high definition on a larger and newer TV monitor.
National Rugby League
Having a new TV monitor with an antenna that works also means I can watch the games featuring the Dolphins and Brisbane Broncos while sitting back in a comfortable lounge.
On Friday evening, I watched the Brisbane Broncos defeat the North Queensland Cowboys in a thrilling game. On Saturday evening, I watched the Dolphins defeat the Gold Coast Titans. It has been a good weekend for footy. My four favourite teams are the Dolphins, Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys, and the Gold Coast Titans (in that order).
The game on Friday evening was broadcast on free-to-air TV. I like that in Adelaide, in peak viewing time for children, gambling advertising is restricted. I didn’t mind my screen being static with a notification, and the program was being censored while the offending material was being broadcast. On Saturday night, the game was broadcast via Kayo, which had no restrictions.
On Friday night, the NRL telecast a fitting tribute to Carl Webb, who died last year after a recent diagnosis of motor neurone disease. Webb played for both the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys. He was also a Former Origin Great (FOG) for the Mighty XXXX Maroons. He was also selected for the Australian Kangaroos team in 2008 but did not play in the Indigenous All Stars. From 2024 on, the Carl Webb Medal will be awarded to the best player in the first game of every season that the Broncos and Cowboys play. The Broncos’ Pat Carrigan won this year’s medal.
The Weber Q+
I cooked chicken maryland pieces on Sunday night in the Weber Q+. The chicken turned out well. The skin was crispy, and the flesh was moist and tender. Usually about $AUD8/kg.
Chicken maryland pieces cooked in the Weber Q+Chicken maryland with avocado and olivesKathleen added tabouli. Thanks Kathleen for sharing your photograph.
Recipe
I’ve seen a resurgence in people eating chuck steak in my Facebook groups. Many people cook the steak for between 48 and 72 hours in a water bath, while others cook the meat in a slow cooker for between 6 and 8 hours.
Chuck beef at about $AUD17/kg is cheaper than scotch fillet steak, which ranges from $AUD40 to $AUD60/kg. For comparison, regular minced beef is usually sold for about $AUD11/kg. When stocked in my local supermarket, beef short rib sells for about $AUD24/kg.
I think an animal-based diet would be too expensive for anyone without an income.
I thought I’d try my trusty pressure cooker tonight. I may experiment over the next few weeks and try a slowly cooked chuck and a long water bath version.
Equipment
Pressure cooker.
Gas torch.
Ingredients
Chuck steaks.
Meat broth (leftover from earlier meals).
Salt
Chuck steak
Instructions
Season the meat with salt and put it into the pressure cooker.
Add about a cup of meat stock.
Seal the pressure cooker and cook the meat for 45 minutes.
Remove the meat and pat the surface dry.
Sear the surface with a gas torch.
If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the steak will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the steak and just bite into it. This minimises washing.
If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, the steak and plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this steak won’t be suitable.
Eat with whatever implements you prefer. I used a fork.
Chuck steak
Thoughts on the meal
As a relatively cheap cut of meat, this was fine. The meat is reduced in size because most of the fat is rendered into the broth. The small portion was sufficient to satisfy me.
I enjoyed my steak with a small piece of King Island blue cheese and butter. Kathleen also had some tabouli with her steak.
Final thoughts
How do you feel about gambling advertising during televised sports?
Are you eating cheaper cuts of meat as the cost of living increases?
Disclaimer and comments
This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.
For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.
You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe if you don’t care for my rambling palaver.
If you’re not seeing new posts each week, I suggest refreshing your browser and clearing your browser’s browser cache regularly.
If you continue having problems, message me via the blog’s contact page.
Green prawns
Dear Reader,
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week.
I’ve spent more than a week in my new home. Almost all of the boxes have been unpacked. It will take me weeks or possibly months to go through all of the cupboards and drawers to arrange things the way I want.
I want to start this new life in Adelaide with a different outlook. I want to be more decisive about what I keep and discard. I have a “what if” and a “just in case” mindset. I must think through everything and carefully ask, “Do I really need that?”
I have finished my leave from work. I’ve had a total of four weeks of leave this calendar year. That is a record for me. I don’t like taking leave. I like to be busy at work. I confess the time off has been good.
On Thursday, I had a National Broadband Network (NBN) technician arrive to install a NBN Network Termination Device. I now have high-speed broadband internet. This will make working from home possible.
On Friday, a plumber installed some pipes to a new laundry tub so that my washing machine hoses can be hidden from view. As a housewarming gift, Kathleen organised refitting the laundry with a new tub and tiles. It’s a magnificent looking laundry.
The plumber also reseated the taps in the bathroom to keep the taps from dripping.
The last job the plumber had was installing a new gas cooker in the kitchen. Last night, Kathleen came over and we enjoyed lamb chops which was the first thing I cooked on the gas cooker.
I’ve been eating well during the week.
Rolled leg of lamb on the Weber Q+Rolled leg of lamb on the Weber Q+Barbecued rolled leg of lambBarbecued rolled leg of lambBarbecued rolled leg of lambBarbecued rolled leg of lambBarbecued rolled leg of lambPacific salmon poached in lamb broth and cooked in a Weber Q+Pacific salmon poached in lamb broth and cooked in a Weber Q+Lamb chops cooked on my new Emilia gas cooker
What have I been watching?
The Bloody Hundredth
After watching Masters of the Air on Apple TV, I watched a documentary The Bloody Hundredth which featured some of the people featured in the Apple Original Miniseries.
Believe it or not, I’ve not had access to FTA TV for at least five years. I now have a new TV and an antenna which works.
I’m grateful that I can watch the rugby league coverage in Adelaide in high definition. It will be great to see the Dolphins NRL team play the next time.
Mad Max
Last night, Kathleen came over for dinner, and after eating our lamb chops, we sat on the new coach, reclined, and watched one of my favourite movies. Kathleen had never seen Mad Max before.
The movie was released while I was in high school, and because of the Restricted rating, I wasn’t allowed to see it. I’ve since watched it many times on VHS, DVD, and streaming platforms. Last night was the first time I’d seen it on a reasonable-sized TV in the comfort of my lounge room whilst reclining on a comfortable couch and sharing a favourite movie with Kathleen.
What have I been listening to?
Change your diet, change your mind.
I’ve completed Georgia Ede’s book. I enjoyed how she explained psychiatry in the context of neurology. (Ede, 2024)
The book emphasises how what we eat affects our mental health and wellbeing. This book connects naturally with other books I’ve been reading about human nutrition and metabolic health.
I found the author’s concept of “quiet” eating fascinating. The idea is to avoid foods known to cause problems while remaining in a particular eating paradigm, such as “paleo,” “keto,” or “carnivore.”
I recommend this book to anyone interested in low carbohydrate eating and how protein and fat can improve mental health.
Recipe
Baa Moo Oink bone-in scotch fillet steak.
Equipment
Precision cooker
Water bath
Barbecue
Ingredients
Bone-in scotch fillet steak
Prawns (raw with shell and alimentary canal intact)
Vacuum seal the steak with some thyme and rosemary. I have a rosemary bush in my front yard.
Cook the steak at 57 °C for 3 hours in a water bath.
Remove the steak from the bag and dry the surface of the meat with absorbent paper.
Sear the steak on a barbecue grill.
Cook the prawns on the barbecue.
Carve the steak and plate up.
If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the steak will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the steak and just bite into it. This minimises washing.
If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, the steak and some plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this steak won’t be suitable.
Eat with whatever implements you prefer. I used a fork.
Bone-in scotch fillet steak out of the water bathBone-in scotch fillet steak after searing on the barbecueSous vide scotch fillet steak and barbecue prawnsSous vide scotch fillet steak and barbecue prawns
Thoughts on the meal
Kathleen came over for dinner, so the meal was fabulous.
Final thoughts
Do you enjoy watching free-to-air TV? What are your favourite programs/shows?
Have you watched Mad Max? Did you enjoy it?
Disclaimer and comments
This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.
For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.
References
Ede, G. (2024). Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind: A Food-First Plan to Optimize Your Mental Health. Hodder & Stoughton.
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