Author Archives: Gary

About Gary

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.

Slow cooker lamb shoulder

Posted by Gary

You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe. 

Dear Reader, 

Welcome to Yummy Lummy. A food blog about cooking meals for one.

Introduction 

How has your week been? I enjoyed some warmer days early in the week with daily maximum temperatures around 28 °C (about 82 °F). It was nice to be able to walk around in shorts and also to get outside and expose my scar to some sunlight. Yes, I have ichthyosis. My skin is always dry and scaly.

Patella ORIF scar getting some “bennies“.

I’m looking forward to warmer weather, although all residents of Canberra know that we can expect frost any morning until at least the second Tuesday of November. 

What I’ve been watching this week 

The bearded butchers 

“The Bearded Butchers” is a YouTube channel featuring a butcher business from the USA. They specialise in sharing information on cattle, pig, and sheep butchery and meat processing for our tables. 

I have this desire to learn how to butcher cuts of meat properly. I want to break down and fabricate an entire pig and lamb. 

I also dream of having a decent workbench and freezer to cut and freeze my cuts. 

House 

Originally titled “House M.D.”, this is one of my all-time favourite shows on TV. Gregory House is an antisocial medical practitioner with specialist training in infectious diseases and nephrology. 

A muscle infarction in his right thigh left him with chronic severe pain, influencing his personality. The chronic pain has resulted in opioid dependence and the need to use a cane. 

He’s abrasive and contrary, but more often than not he’s correct. I don’t mind people who are obnoxious if they’re right; I do not like opinionated, obnoxious people who try to foist their views on me with poor-quality evidence. 

A big surprise 

I haven’t measured my mass since the morning of my injury. Because I cannot remove the brace, I didn’t see much point standing on the scales. I also don’t know the mass of the leg brace. 

During the week, curiosity got the better of me, and I stood naked on the scales after breakfast, coffee, and about a litre of water. With the brace on my mass, it was a huge surprise. I was more than a kilogram lighter than I’d been since high school. 

New Apple operating systems 

This week, Apple released iOS17 and iPadOS17. Updating the operating system on these devices feels more effortless these days. With Apple providing beta versions months in advance, release problems are fewer. 

Both devices feel faster to use, and I like some app enhancements. 

Given how expensive new Apple devices are, these major operating system updates are like getting a new smartphone and tablet without paying for them. 

Recipe 

I cooked this during the week and thought it was worth sharing on the blog. 

Equipment 

  • Slow cooker 
  • Oven 

Ingredients 

  • Lamb shoulder roast — boneless, rolled, and trussed with butcher’s twine 
  • Speck — I think of speck as fancy bacon. There will be readers who think cured meat is bad for our health. But there is no proof of causation of cured meat and malignancy. At best, there are association studies. The odds ratios, however, are fairly poor and close to 1. Unlike the epidemiological studies associating cigarette smoking and lung carcinoma which was later proven with mechanistic research.
  • Salt — I use iodised salt 
  • Black and white peppercorns 

Instructions 

  1. Place the lamb and pork into the slow cooker with a cup of water, a couple of teaspoons of salt, and a couple of teaspoons of whole peppercorns. 
  2. Cook on low heat for 10 hours. 
  3. Carefully remove the meat and strain the liquid to remove solid matter. 
  4. Place the meat into a baking tray and cook uncovered in an oven set at 180 °C (356 °F) for 30 minutes. The oven stage will dry the surface and create a thin crust over the lamb. 
  5. While the meat is in the oven, slowly boil the strained cooking liquor to evaporate the water and thicken the liquor. The reduced liquor will make a lovely lamb and pork broth. 
  6. Remove the meat from the oven and break it down with tongs. The lamb and pork will fall apart with little effort. 
  7. Transfer the pulled meat to a container for refrigeration. 
Lamb shoulder roast
Speck
Slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck
Slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck
Slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck pulled and ready for refrigeration.

Meal ideas 

Here are some photographs of how I used the lamb and pork in a few meals. I still have most of the lamb and pork in the refrigerator, and it will keep me going for a few more meals. 

Slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck served with cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli.
Leftover slow cooker lamb and speck mixed with full “cream” coconut cream, olives, capers, and cherry tomatoes plus tasty and mozzarella cheeses. This was cooked in an oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for 30 minutes. It was served with an avocado cheek.
Leftover slow cooker lamb shoulder and speck, with coconut cream, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower. I heated the lamb and pork in lamb fat before I added the coconut cream.

Final thoughts

  • How has your week been?
  • Do you update operating systems as soon as they’re released?
  • Have you watched “House”? Did you like it?

YouTube video

Low carbohydrate healthy fat minced meat

Posted by Gary

If you want to skip the introduction, you can jump to the recipe. 

Dear Reader, 

Introduction 

How has your week been? I’m getting back into the swing of working from home. It’s like COVID-19 “lockdown”, only I feel more locked in. I’m halfway through the first six-week period of having a straight leg brace. 

After the first six weeks, I hope to have 30° of motion in my knee for the next six weeks. 

My routines are working as intended. The main problem I’m experiencing is the relatively sedentary existence. I’m walking down the road daily and back for a coffee. The walk, with the aid of crutches, is about 20 minutes. Before the injury, I used to do a 40-minute brisk walk after dinner every day. At my current rate, that walk would take me nearly three hours, I reckon. 🤣

While I do not subscribe to the “calories in, calories out” paradigm, I know caloric restriction is essential to maintaining my health for someone confined to quarters and with limited mobility. 

What have I been watching this week? 

Kim’s Convenience 

Kim’s Convenience is a situation comedy produced in Canada. It is about a husband and wife from the Republic of Korea who have emigrated and own and manage a convenience store. 

The show also features the couple’s son and daughter and the son’s workplace, a car rental business. 

The humour revolves around archetypal Asian stereotypes. I reckon it’s hilarious. 

Recipe 

This minced meat, cheese, and vegetable mixture will help me plan meals this week.  

A lot of recipes I’ve seen include fillers like breadcrumbs. I’ll use processed pork rinds, cauliflower, and broccoli to minimise the carbohydrate content to keep this a protein-rich dish. I’ll use beaten eggs to bind everything together. 

Equipment 

  • Food processor 
  • Box grater

Ingredients 

  • Beef that has been minced (in Australia, we use the word “minced” rather than “ground,” which is the word used in North America. I’d mince my meat in a perfect world, but I’m too lazy. Buying minced meat has risks, so if you’re concerned, you can pasteurise it at 60 °C for 2 hours. 
  • Iodised salt 
  • Black pepper 
  • Garlic powder 
  • Roughly diced broccoli and cauliflower stems and florets. 
  • Coarsely crumbed pork rinds 
  • Beaten eggs 
  • Grated Cheer™ tasty cheese 
  • Grated Cheer™ mozzarella cheese 
  • Diced black olives 

Instructions 

  1. Put the beef, condiments, vegetables, cheese, and olives into a bowl and gently mix everything with your fingers. 
  2. Add the beaten eggs and combine everything gently to avoid too much compression. 
  3. Fill a baking dish and add more grated cheese on top. Do not pack the mixture in; keep it loose so the cooked product will be tender and juicy.
  4. Bake in an oven for 60 minutes at 160 °C. 
  5. Aim for an internal temperature of at least 60 °C. The terminal temperature was 75 °C.
  6. Allow the meat to rest for 30 minutes before carving and eating with half an avocado. 
  7. Give thanks to the Lord. 
  8. Eat with a knife and fork. 

Thoughts on the meal 

This meat, cheese, and vegetable mix will feed me for a few more meals. Different flavourings like Worcestershire sauce, commercial barbecue sauce, and panko breadcrumbs would be acceptable for people who don’t avoid carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods. 

The meal was tasty and filling. I feel sated.

Photographs

Minced grass fed beef with crumbed pork rinds, broccoli, cauliflower, and grated CHEER™ Tasty and CHEER™ Mozzarella cheeses with avocado
Broccoli and cauliflower
Pork rinds
CHEER™ Tasty and CHEER™ Mozzarella cheeses
Grass fed minced beef
Minced grass fed beef with crumbed pork rinds, broccoli, cauliflower, and grated CHEER™ Tasty and CHEER™ Mozzarella cheeses
Minced grass fed beef with crumbed pork rinds, broccoli, cauliflower, and grated CHEER™ Tasty and CHEER™ Mozzarella cheeses
Minced grass fed beef with crumbed pork rinds, broccoli, cauliflower, and grated CHEER™ Tasty and CHEER™ Mozzarella cheeses
Minced grass fed beef with crumbed pork rinds, broccoli, cauliflower, and grated CHEER™ Tasty and CHEER™ Mozzarella cheeses
Minced grass fed beef with crumbed pork rinds, broccoli, cauliflower, and grated CHEER™ Tasty and CHEER™ Mozzarella cheeses with avocado

Butter Bounty from France and New Zealand

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader, 

Introduction 

Greetings. I hope you are well and have enjoyed a bountiful week. 

I returned to work after a fortnight of personal leave. It was good to be logged in officially and working albeit from my bed. 

I needed the short break for the acute recovery of the injury. I made sure I was horizontal and resting regularly. I can now manage a few stairs and a walk down the road with crutches.

This week, I attended the scheduled fracture clinic appointment and had the dressing removed. The surgical wound looked good. The orthopaedic registrar (a specialist in training) was satisfied with my progress and assured me I could bear weight on the leg. I also sought a physiotherapist’s review of the brace. Since the post-operative swelling continued to settle, the leg brace had become loose, and I needed help adjusting it. 

I left the clinic feeling pretty good. I’m feeling well enough for short walks on crutches to buy a proper coffee in the morning.

A mug of cappuccino from Stella’s by the Lake

Later in the week, I attended a scheduled radiology appointment for a radiograph (x-ray) of the knee. That same day, I started getting muscle pain in the distal medial thigh. There was some bruising, which I attributed to the leg brace, but on further palpation, I could feel a knotty vein. I was guessing I might have a superficial venous thrombosis. 

The patella repair looks good.

I attended outpatients again and saw the same registrar. He understood my concern, and we agreed to monitor the bruising and the pain. 

Uber 

Until a few months ago, I had resisted using Uber and used local taxicab services. My need for a taxicab is usually for rides to and from the Canberra airport. The car park charges at Canberra airport are extraordinary for a weekend away. It is cheaper to use a taxicab service. 

I was at a meeting with work colleagues, and we agreed to get to the meeting venue by Uber. I mentioned that I’d never used Uber, and my work colleagues looked at me with incredulity. They explained that the smartphone application was straightforward and more flexible than those available for taxicab services. They also explained that the application works anywhere Uber is available because I do some interstate and international travel. 

I tried it the last few times I travelled to Brisbane and back, and my colleagues were correct. Uber is also significantly cheaper than taxicab services, and the drivers rarely want to discuss controversial government policies. 

With my current situation, I have to visit the hospital and other healthcare providers more regularly. An Uber Comfort ride has been comfortable and cheaper than taxicabs. 

I know this because I thought I’d get a better-suited ride if I could call a taxicab company and make a special request. It turned out to be more expensive and less comfortable. That is the one deficiency of Uber: it’s not apparent how to communicate directly with the company and specify what I need. I’m grateful for the Uber Comfort option.

Butter bounty 

I’m still low carbohydrate, healthy fat eating while confined to quarters. I’m getting deliveries from Woolworths and Coles. 

I’ve been trying different brands of butter. 

PRÉSIDENT® butter
PRÉSIDENT® butter nutrition information

Kathleen has mentioned PRÉSIDENT® butter, which is a French product. The other night, while we were on FaceTime, I saw her placing cubes of PRÉSIDENT® butter in her mouth and letting it melt on her tongue. Yes, butter does melt in her mouth. 😉

Between Woolworths and Coles, only Woolworths stocks and sells the PRÉSIDENT® butter. 

I finally got some the other night. It is as luxurious as Kathleen described. It is smooth, creamy, and rich. It felt decadent as I let some melt on my tongue. 

MAINLAND™ butter
MAINLAND™ butter nutrition information

The other butter I tried recently is MAINLAND™ Pure, made from cream sourced in New Zealand. 

MAINLAND™ Pure is smooth and creamy, yet it tastes less luxurious. I’m struggling to describe the difference. Both are great tasting. I suggest you try them yourselves if you can source them. I think I’d try them on pork rinds.

While I have no allegiance with New Zealand, given that the All Blacks almost always defeat the Wallabies, the Rainbow Warrior episode remains a strong memory. With the Rugby World Cup tournament currently being held in France, it was surprising that France defeated New Zealand this morning. 

The other more expensive butter I buy regularly is Lurpak®. 

Recipe 

Tonight, I’m cooking a scotch fillet (also known as ribeye in North America) steak. I would typically cook a steak like this at 54 °C for two hours, but someone in a Facebook group for sous vide cooking suggested 57 °C for better fat rendering. 

Equipment 

  • Precision cooker 
  • Water bath 
  • Vacuum chamber 
  • Carbon steel frypan 

Ingredients 

  • Scotch fillet steak. I purchased this one from Woolworths for $10. 
  • Iodised salt. 
  • Black and white peppercorns. 
  • PRÉSIDENT® butter. 
  • Broccoli 
  • Cauliflower 
  • Coconut oil 
  • Extra virgin olive oil 

Instructions 

  1. Season the steak with salt and pepper and seal it in a food-safe bag with a vacuum chamber. 
  2. Cook the steak in the water bath for 3 hours at 57 °C. 
  3. Towards the end of the 3 hours, parboil the broccoli and cauliflower. 
  4. Remove the steak from the vacuum bag and dry the surface with kitchen paper. 
  5. Heat the carbon steel frypan and add a little coconut oil and a knob of butter. 
  6. When the butter ceases to sizzle, lay in the steak to sear. 
  7. Remove the steak, put the broccoli and cauliflower in the frypan, and quickly get these vegetables smothered in the healthy fats. 
  8. Arrange the steak, cauliflower, and broccoli on a dinner plate. Add a knob of butter to the steak. Drizzle the vegetables with extra virgin olive oil. 
  9. Give thanks to the Lord. 
  10. Eat with a steak knife and fork. 

Final thoughts 

  • Do you use Uber or other services other than traditional taxicabs? I’d welcome your opinion. 
  • Do you have a favourite butter? 
  • Do you ever eat butter on its own? 
  • Are you watching the Rugby World Cup 2023? Which team do you want to win? I don’t think the Wallabies have a chance, so I want the Republic of South Africa to win.

Photographs

Sous vide scotch fillet steak with cauliflower, broccoli, and PRÉSIDENT® butter

Habit eggs

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader, 

Last week, I explained my current physical health circumstances. 

I’m grateful for the comments and direct messages from so many readers. 

I received a call from a mate I worked with in the Northern Territory of Australia. He suggested I share what I’m learning in my new circumstances.

Today’s lunch is Strasburg, olives, and Jarlsberg

What I’ve been watching 

I took sick leave this week, so I’ve had time to watch some streaming shows on my tablet. 

Ted Lasso 

I’ve started a rewatch of the “Ted Lasso” show. What great entertainment. It’s hilarious and heartwarming. You can view “Ted Lasso” on the Apple TV app with an Apple iCloud account. 

Reacher 

I also rewatched season 1 of “Reacher”. I’ve listened to all the books Lee Child has written in the “Reacher” series. The TV adaptation is entertaining and worth watching. 

Season 2 will hopefully be released soon. 

You can view “Reacher” on Amazon Prime. 

Habits 

All my life, I’ve used routines and habits to ensure efficiency. 

In my current circumstances, habits are more important to ensure safety. The last thing I want to do is fall and bend my knee. 

These eggs have become my morning routine. I can make them using crutches; the protein and fat satiate me until lunch. 

Recipe 

Equipment 

  • Bowl 
  • Frypan 
  • Chopsticks 
  • Paper towel 

Ingredients 

  • Eggs ✕ 2 
  • Cheese – grated 
  • Cream – pouring cream rather than thickened cream 
  • Iodised salt – because I know it’s better than the products new age natural therapy advocates recommend 
  • Freshly ground peppercorns – I have this great Peugeot pepper mill and use black and white peppercorns. I like the white peppercorns because they have a little more “zing”. 
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Butter

Instructions 

  1. Rinse a bowl with cold water to wet the inside. 
  2. Add two eggs and beat them with a pair of chopsticks.  
  3. Add a teaspoon of salt and as much cheese as you desire. 
  4. Stir through the salt and cheese with the chopsticks. 
  5. Heat a frypan until the metal surface is hot enough to make floating balls when you sprinkle some water on the surface. 
  6. Add teaspoons of coconut oil rich in medium-chain triglycerides, extra virgin olive oil, and butter. 
  7. When the butter has stopped sizzling, the water has boiled off, and the surface of the frypan is ready for the eggs and cheese. 
  8. Pour in the beaten eggs and cheese. 
  9. Use the chopsticks to pull the solidifying egg across and around the frypan. 
  10. Keep the heat going until all the egg appears to set, and take the pan off the heat. The eggs will continue to cook using residual heat. 
  11. The aim is to allow the cheese to brown a little. It’s not a fancy-pants French omelette, so some colour is good. 
  12. Give thanks to the Lord. 
  13. Eat with chopsticks or a fork. The choice is yours. 

Toileting tip 

Try to imagine having a brace on your left leg. It reaches right up your posterior thigh to your ankle. Now imagine trying to sit on the toilet without a functioning quadriceps apparatus. The loss of function means you can’t do a straight leg lift. You have to use the other leg to lift the “bad” leg.

After a week, I’ve figured out the best position and posture to open my bowels. The only way to achieve this is with a toilet frame and a footstool. Unfortunately, the only way to finish the task is by standing up. 

The other essential part of the equation is ensuring soft, regular stools.

Photograph of a toilet frame and footstool

Hospital food

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader, 

I am writing an unusual post today. I’m not sharing a recipe for a typical “Yummy Lummy” meal. 

Likely, I won’t be posting for some weeks or months. 

I fell last Sunday and fractured my left patella. I had an open reduction with an internal fixation on Monday. The procedure was complicated, as were the anaesthetic and recovery. If any readers have an orthopædic background, you’ll understand that a distal third bisection requires a different approach when compared with routine patella fracture repairs. 

A couple of post-operative medical incidents complicated my inpatient stay. 

I’m now home and discovering the challenges of living alone with a knee, which is now fixed straight for a minimum of six weeks. I’m looking at three months in a brace with no or limited movement. 

I’ve been told not to expect to drive my car again because the damage was to my clutch leg. I may end up with a limp. 

So what has any of this got to do with “Yummy Lummy”? 

While the blog started as a place of outward expression through food photography and writing, it’s been a hotchpotch of recipes, restaurant reviews, and travel. The focus has changed in later years because I’ve become less inclined to socialise with others. I have been focussing on cooking meals for myself and not making any effort to dine out and write stories. To that end, I started a Facebook Group for people living alone and cooking for themselves. I’m also active in another similar group whose members are past middle age and living alone. We share photographs of what we’ve cooked, and there is some recipe sharing. I usually share the text I’ve written here in those groups. 

A few of the older members of these groups have mentioned that they’ve experienced traumatic injuries that have affected their ability to function independently. I’m now more aware of the challenges, especially in the immediate post-operative period. 

I must limit my standing time for the next few months. I have to make meals simple and relatively fast. I won’t be able to lift and carry various cooking equipment to my workbench. 

I don’t see much point in sharing anything about that, so I don’t know if I’ll post anything unless I temporarily transition to a lifestyle blog for people with an immobilising injury. 

I’m grateful to regular readers who take the time to comment on my posts. I hope for you, I’ll resume something like the old “Yummy Lummy” when I can. 

While I will continue to work full-time, I will also continue to listen to books and explore the things that interest me. If I find anything interesting, it may end up in a post. 

Disability aids 

I’ve spent most nights laying awake, wondering how to do things. While in the hospital, my immediate concern was socks, underwear, and track pants. I can’t reach my left foot with the leg straight. The patient next to me told me to buy some disability aids. As soon as I got home, I checked the internet on my smartphone and discovered a shop nearby which delivers. I purchased a 75 cm gripper on a stick, a shoehorn with a hook, and a sock applicator.

I can now change my underwear, track pants/pyjamas, and socks. 

Hospital food

Here are some photos of the hospital food. I thought it was okay. The public hospital system is under tremendous strain; everyone does their best. I had the best of care from everyone. 

While it doesn’t reflect the food’s quality, I vomited most of these meals within 30 minutes. This week was my first experience with ondansetron. I’m impressed.

Concluding remarks 

Finally, thanks to the special people in my life.

Praise God!