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.
Dear Reader,
I hope you’ve had a good week.
How is the foot?
What’s happened this week?
There’s nothing really to report this week. I’m using crutches to get around. The kitchen stool which Kathleen got me makes a big difference in the kitchen. I am so grateful for Kathleen in my life.
Unlike the situation associated with the straight leg brace for the knee, I can bend my knee and sit without excess discomfort. It means I can work at my dining table. I can still take part in virtual meetings.
While it is convenient to work from home, my upstairs neighbours are undertaking renovations. For days, there has been the constant noise of power tools and hammering.
What have I been watching?
Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager
I continue to alternate between the two series, one episode at a time.
There is a DS9 episode named “Move Along Home”. Many regard it as one of the worst Star Trek experiences ever produced. It is pretty weak, but it’s still Star Trek, so I watched it.
In VOY, there is an episode named “Threshold”, which is regarded similarly. It’s still Star Trek, so I watched it.
What have I been listening to?
No such thing as a fish
Now that my favourite host, Anna, has returned from maternity leave, I’ve restarted listening to this comedy podcast.
To help overcome the problem of getting to sleep with tinnitus, I’ve been listening to older episodes and falling asleep to the podcast.
Recipe — Fake Spam
This post isn’t a recipe but a description. I’m unable to get out and buy groceries, so I rely on supermarket delivery.
I always mark “no substitution” to avoid receiving products I don’t want. This process doesn’t always work.
I added classic Spam to my list and received Plumrose spiced ham. The tins look very similar, and for all I know, the Plumrose and Spam production lines may be the same. That said, when I opened the bag and saw this, I was disappointed.
My first thought was how my spam-loving siblings across the South Pacific and Southeast Asia would react to an error like this.
Equipment
Air fryer or oven
Ingredients
Fake spam
Instructions
Peel back the tab on the tin to open it and discard the sheet of metal attached to the tab.
Invert the tin and slam it down on the cutting board.
If you slam it hard enough, the vacuum holding the meat in the tin is overcome and the meat slides out. In my mind it’s like a coup contrecoup head injury. If you’re not familiar with the term coup contrecoup, look it up in a search engine. The consistency of the fake spam (and spam for that matter) is similar to a mammalian brain.
Slice off a good wodge of fake spam and lay it on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Cook in an air fryer for between 10 and 15 minutes at about 180 °C.
Wait for the fake spam to cool a little and then plunge a fork through it and take small bites while holding the fork. Be careful, it will be hot and the mucosa and epithelium of the hard palate are delicate and sensitive.
I split the tin into three portions and had some for lunch over three days.
Not surprisingly, this Plumrose spiced ham tastes similar to Spam.
I think I’ll look at the prices of each and choose the cheaper version whenever I’m craving Spam/Spiced ham.
When I’m more mobile, I’ll probably do things like dice the meat and fry it and add it to scrambled eggs or an omelette. Other serving suggestions include frying slices with eggs in butter.
Prior to my low carbohydrate healthy fat way of eating, I’d happily use Spam in meals like fried rice. I expect the Plumrose spiced ham would perform just as well.
Have you eaten Plumrose spiced ham? 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.
Thanks, Kathleen, for writing a guest post last week to cover my absence due to injury. What I’m more thankful for and love about Kathleen is that she dropped everything and flew to Canberra to help me. Thank you, Love
The injury
The Wednesday after Christmas, I was packing an old heavy food processor. As I was lifting it, a blade fell from the bowl and penetrated the medial dorsum of my left foot, lacerating the overlying skin and severing my extensor hallucis longus tendon. The bleeding was impressive. I got to the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department via an Uber. Did you know that kitchen paper towels and rubber bands work to staunch venous blood? I will buy a proper first aid kit.
After about six hours in the ED and being seen by an advanced practice nurse who had a cautious examination, an orthopædic registrar confirmed my suspicion about my EHL tendon. I was admitted to an orthopædic ward, put in a back slab, and had intravenous cephazolin started (in orthopædic doses).
The admitting registrar put me on an emergency surgical list, and the repair occurred on Thursday morning. The surgeon’s incision widened the skin laceration to explore the wound. After the trainee cleaned the wound and repaired the tendon, another back slab was applied. I’ve finished the oral cephalexin. The discharging resident prescribed cephalexin for me to prevent post-operative infection. He prescribed rivaroxaban for 42 days to avoid deep vein thrombosis.
This is the plaster of Paris back slab. The big toe has a dressing because the surgeons attempted to insert a K-wire to fix the position of the toe, but they couldn’t get it to stay in a good position.
My experience in the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department, Orthopædic ward, and Operating theatres has been excellent both times this year. All the personnel have been A1.
Yesterday, I attended the outpatient clinic and was fitted with a fibreglass cast. I’ll wear this for the next four weeks. Then, a CAM boot for six weeks. The first six weeks are non-weight-bearing on the foot.
Purple fibreglass cast
I’ve elected not to share an intraoperative photograph. I was sent the photograph while I was in the recovery ward. It depicts the operative field with the wound widened and opened along with both ends of the tendon exposed ready for repair.
That’s two surgical procedures in four months, and I’ll be in some orthopædic support until April. I’m hoping everything heals.
What am I eating?
This injury is more difficult to live with compared with a fractured patella plus its ruptured retinaculum.
With the knee, I was in a straight leg brace and could bear weight on the leg. The tendon repair requires six weeks of not bearing weight through the foot.
I can cook simple meals but must be careful with every step to ensure I am steady and safe.
I’m getting essential food products delivered from my local supermarket.
The main items are butter, avocado, beef, lamb, and eggs (BABLE).
My choice of beef and lamb are thinly sliced scotch fillet steaks and lamb chops, respectively.
I’m scrambling eggs in butter for breakfast. Eating leftover meat for lunch, and then cooking meat in an air fryer for tea.
Thin-cut scotch fillet steak cooked in the air fryerLeftover beef short rib meat with smoked cheddar cheese and some butterLamb chops and avocadoLamb chopsThinly sliced scotch fillet with Jarlsberg cheese, avocado, and butter
The most essential tool for me in my kitchen now is a stool. Kathleen looked on Facebook Marketplace, found two stools for a reasonable price, bought them and went to pick them up for me. I use the stool to hop around the kitchen by placing two hands on the seat, lifting and moving the stool, and then hopping on my right leg. When I get the stool positioned, I can sit. Moving objects involves the refrigerator and the bench tops in small movements. Everything takes a long time to complete.
Cooking and cleaning dishes while seated feels weird.
I’m not shooting photographs (with a proper camera) of anything now and probably won’t until I can start bearing weight on the injured leg. I’ll use the camera app in my smart device to capture images like the ones I’ve included in this post.
Lesson for the future
Wear steel-capped shoes inside.
I put a teatowel on the cast with rubber bands to avoid slipping on the kitchen tiles.
After getting home from church, I put the roast in the oven.
Recipe — standing rib roast.
I have been enjoying more beef and lamb over the last few months. Between the two, I’m eating more beef. If only beef had lamb fat on it. That would be a perfect combination.
If I was eating with others, I’d suggest seafood for lunch. I’d head out and buy some Moreton Bay bugs, Endeavour prawns, sand crabs, and wild-caught Pacific salmon if they had it. I’m drooling thinking about tearing bite sizes of crustacean or fish flesh, mounting them with soft butter, and sprinkling them with flaky salt.
This Christmas, I’m in Canberra. I thought it would be nice to enjoy a rib roast. It would also provide me with lots of meat to eat during the week.
One Christmas Eve, season the roast with a liberal amount of salt. I read somewhere it should be about 1% by weight.
Place the joint on a tray and refrigerate uncovered overnight. This is dry brining.
Remove the joint a few hours before cooking. I did this before leaving for church.
Preheat the oven to 120 °C.
Put the roast in the oven on a tray and cook until the internal temperature reaches about 55 to 57 °C.
When the roast gets to that temperature, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Turn up the heat on the oven to maximum and brown the roast.
Remove the roast from the oven.
Carve the roast and 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. You can pick up the rib and just bite into it. This minimises washing. I cut the bone off and then bluntly dissected the spinalis from the longissimus. I then sliced both muscle bundles.
If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, meat 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 meal won’t be suitable.
Eat with whatever implements you prefer. Eating with your fingers is okay, in my opinion.
Standing rib roast resting and relaxingStanding rib roast resting and relaxingStanding rib roast resting and relaxingStanding rib roast resting and relaxingRested and relaxed standing rib roastRested and relaxed standing rib roastStanding rib roast dissected into ribs, longissimus, and spinalis muscle bundlesStanding rib roast dissected into ribs, longissimus, and spinalis muscle bundlesStanding rib roast dissected into ribs, longissimus, and spinalis muscle bundlesChristmas lunch roast beef and butterChristmas lunch roast beef and butterChristmas lunch roast beef and butterChristmas lunch roast beef and butter
An alternative style
I know some people prefer to dissect the ribs from the muscle meat before cooking. They will tie the bones and meat together for the cooking phase. Once cooked, it becomes easier to cut the string and carve thin slices of meat. This is great for families and meals with friends.
Because I will eat this roast myself, I don’t need to go to the extra trouble. I prefer slicing between the ribs and then dissecting the bone from the meat.
For the remaining ribs, I’ll remove them and then bluntly dissect the spinalis (deckle or fat cap) from the longissimus dorsi (fillet) and store each muscle bundle separately. I will use the longissimus for lunch meat. The spinalis will be cut into cubes and served cold with King Island smoked cheddar cheese, Outback brand pork rinds, and gobbets of butter.
Recipe — Dessert
Ingredients
Blueberries 10 grams.
Pure cream (not thickened) 10 mL.
Instructions
Pour the cream into a bowl.
Add the blueberries.
Eat with a spoon.
Blueberries and pure pouring cream
Thoughts on the meal
I like roast beef, especially a rib roast. This meal was good. I enjoyed it. It was deeply satisfying.
The pink hue is oxidised myoglobin in the meat juices. It is not blood.
The dessert was a treat.
Final thoughts
I hope your Christmas and New Year are filled with peace, joy, and rest.
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.
Nutrition information
Nutrition information for 300 grams of roasted scotch fillet (ribeye) steak.
Calories: 720–864
Fat: 40–55 grams (15–20 grams saturated)
Protein: 50–55 grams
Carbohydrates: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 200–250 mg
Sodium: 800–1200 mg
Nutrition information for 10 grams of blueberries.
Calories: Around 6–8 calories (very low!)
Macronutrients:
Carbohydrates: Approximately 1.4–1.5 grams, mostly from simple sugars like glucose and fructose.
Protein: About 0.07–0.1 grams, minimal amount.
Fat: Trace amount, less than 0.1 grams.
Additional notes:
The glycæmic index (GI) of blueberries is around 53, considered low and unlikely to cause significant blood sugar spikes.
Nutrition information for 10 mL of pure cream.
Calories: 35–38 calories
Macronutrients:
Fat: 4–5 grams
Saturated fat: 2–2.5 grams
Unsaturated fat: 1.5–2 grams
Carbohydrates: 0.4–0.5 grams
Sugars: 0.3 grams
Protein: 0.2–0.3 grams
Additional notes:
Pure cream is high in fat, primarily saturated fat.
I hope you’ve had a good week. After returning from Brisbane, I’ve enjoyed the week at work. As everyone tries to wrap up the calendar year, our diaries are full of meetings.
Recipe — turkey drumstick
I found some turkey legs to try.
Turkey isn’t my favourite meat. I thought I’d give a leg a try rather than breast meat. I assumed dark meat would be tender and juicy.
Originally, I was going to use a water bath, but all the recipes run for between 24 and 36 hours. I know my precision cooker can manage this, but I’d prefer not to use it for longer than a few hours.
I decided to use my pressure cooker, and I chose a cooking time of 25 minutes.
Equipment
Pressure cooker
Ingredients
Turkey leg (also known as a drumstick)
Beef stock
Turkey leg
Instructions
Place the turkey leg and beef stock into the pressure cooker.
Seal the lid and turn it on.
Set a timer for 25 minutes.
At the end of the 25 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to equalise naturally.
Remove the lid and take the leg out of the cooking vessel.
Strain the cooking liquor and keep in the refrigerator as a mixed species stock.
Preheat the oven to a high temperature.
Pat the surface of the turkey leg with absorbent paper to remove as much moisture as possible.
Put the meat into the oven for a couple of minutes to brown the skin.
You could use a small gas torch to melt butter over the turkey if you have one.
Put the leg onto a dinner plate.
If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the meat will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the leg and just bite into it. This minimises washing.
If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, meat 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 turkey leg won’t be suitable.
Eat with whatever implements you prefer. Eating with your fingers is okay, in my opinion.
Turkey leg cooked in a pressure cookerTurkey leg cooked in a pressure cooker served with avocado, butter, and olives
Thoughts on the meal
The leg was tender, and it wasn’t tough or stringy. It was filling.
I have another leg in the freezer. I may cook it in the new year.
Final thoughts
Do you like turkey? What is it about turkey meat that you enjoy?
I will try to post my Christmas meal on Monday afternoon.
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.
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Yummy Lummy. 😊 My target audience is readers who live alone and are keen to cook meals for themselves. If you’re part of a couple, I hope the recipes are adaptable for you, too.
I also share my opinions (not advice) on topics others may (or may not) be interested in. With my recent change in diet (SAD→CSIRO TWD→LCHF), the blog’s emphasis is shifting to sharing my opinions (not advice) on some food and non-food-related topics. Your comments are welcome, even if I may disagree.
I cite most journal articles or books I’ve read and mentioned. You can see the citations at the bottom of the post.
The Canberra weather this week has been good. Most days have been >30 °C (86 °F). The Bureau of Meteorology is issuing alerts about extreme heat, with temperatures in Sydney approaching 40 °C (104 °F). I hope people can stay comfortable and not suffer from heat stress.
What have I been watching?
Frasier (2023)
I subscribed to Paramount+ to watch some of the more recent offerings from Star Trek. I noticed the new Frasier, starring Kelsey Grammer (who has also appeared as a guest star on Star Trek: The Next Generation), is on Paramount+. It’s been thirty years since the original Frasier (1993) aired on TV.
The new Frasier is much the same as the old Frasier. The show is still funny.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager
Having watched Star Trek: The Next Generation after listening to Patrick Stewart’s memoir (thanks again, Kathleen, for a lovely gift), I decided to proceed to both DS9 and VOY, given they were broadcast at the same time.
I’m alternating between each series, one episode at a time.
What have I been listening to?
No Middle Name
This book is a collection of Jack Reacher short stories by Lee Child. The settings and plots range across Reacher’s life, including his childhood and adolescence. (Child, 2017)
What have I been reading?
The Wolf you Feed: Wayne Bennett the man, the myth, the mayhem
This book is an unauthorised biography written by Andrew Webster. It’s one of the best biographies I’ve listened to. While it is unauthorised, the author was able to speak with Wayne Bennett directly many times with Bennett’s knowledge about the book.
Andrew Webster describes someone I’ve been interested in for decades. He has failings and faults like all humans. Andrew Webster fleshes out those faults and failings while highlighting Wayne Bennett’s exceptional qualities. Wayne Bennett polarises people with his words and behaviour. He says very little and is introverted. His advice about rugby league and mentoring young men is worth listening to.
Do you know that conversation starter when you get asked which four people apart from family you’d invite to your final meal? Wayne Bennett would likely make my list.
While in Adelaide, Kathleen and I experienced a scotch fillet steak from Press Food and Wine restaurant. It was a 700-gram steak served with horseradish cream and mustard. We loved it and were taken by the rich, creamy horseradish cream, which enhanced the beef flavour.
Press Food and Wine Scotch fillet steak served with horseradish cream and mustard. Check out the tip at the far end. It was fatty and delicious. Yes, I gnawed the meat from the bone.
I thought tonight I’d cook a steak and make some horseradish cream. I’ve never made horseradish cream before.
I’d prefer to use fresh horseradish and grate it into the ingredients. I wasn’t able to find any. I will have to explore some local markets next time. Tonight, I’ve made do with prepared horseradish.
Equipment
Precision cooker/water circulator
Water bath
Frypan
Hand mixer
Ingredients
Scotch fillet steak
Iodised salt
Horseradish cream (see the separate recipe below)
Dry-brined scotch fillet (ribeye) steak.
Instructions
Select a nice-looking steak. I bought a scotch fillet (known as ribeye in North America) steak from my local supermarket.
Season the steak with salt the day before cooking and place the meat on a rack. Put the steak in the refrigerator and leave it uncovered overnight. This process is known as dry brining.
A few hours before you sit down and eat, remove the steak from the refrigerator, place it in a vacuum bag, and seal it. At this stage, you could also add some freshly ground pepper. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don’t. I’ve become accustomed to a simple approach, and I like my steak well-seasoned with salt and finished in butter.
I couldn’t find a thick steak like the one we ate together last week; therefore, I reduced the temperature for the water bath to 55 °C rather than 57 °C. Cook the steak in the water bath at 55 °C for 2 hours.
Remove the steak from the bag and dry the surfaces of the steak with an absorbent paper towel. A dry surface helps with caramelisation from the hot frypan.
Heat a frypan and sear the steak with some butter.
If you have one, you could use a small gas torch to melt butter over the steak.
Turn the heat off and move the steak to a cutting board.
Cut the steak into thin slices. With scotch fillet, I like to bluntly dissect the spinalis from the longissimus and eat the fat cap or deckle meat at the end.
Form a quenelle of horseradish cream to add to the 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 low-carbohydrate eating, meat 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. Eating with your fingers is okay, in my opinion. I used chopsticks. 🥢
Recipe — Horseradish Cream
Ingredients
½ cup full-fat sour cream (at least 30 per cent fat).
¼ cup pure pouring cream (not thickened cream).
Two tablespoons softened cream cheese.
Two tablespoons of pre-grated or fresh horseradish. I will try to source fresh horseradish for grating in the future.
One tablespoon Dijon mustard.
One tablespoon of chopped fresh chives (optional).
¼ teaspoon iodised salt.
Black and white peppercorns will be freshly ground.
Cream, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, horseradish, and sour cream
Instructions
Whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream, and cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. I will use a hand mixer, which my daughters gave me as a birthday gift a few years ago.
Stir in the prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, chives (if using), salt, and pepper.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more horseradish for a stronger kick or extra cream cheese for a richer texture.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, allowing the flavours to blend. Refrigeration helps the sauce thicken up slightly.
Serve chilled with the steak.
Horseradish cream
Tips
This horseradish cream can be kept for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition per serving (based on one tablespoon)
Calories:
55
Fat:
6 g (4 g saturated)
Carbohydrates:
1 g (0 g net carbs)
Protein:
1 g
What are the nutrition details for mustard powder?
Mustard powder, derived from ground mustard seeds, offers a unique nutritional profile:
Calories: Around 28 calories per tablespoon.
Protein: Approximately 1.7 grams.
Fat: About 1.7 grams, primarily unsaturated fats.
Carbohydrates: Roughly 3 grams per tablespoon.
Fibre: Contains about 1.6 grams of dietary fibre.
Vitamins and Minerals: Contains small amounts of essential nutrients such as manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium.
What are the nutrition details for store-bought Dijon mustard?
Store-bought Dijon mustard typically contains the following approximate nutritional values per tablespoon serving:
Calories: Around 15–20 calories.
Protein: Approximately 0.6–1 gram.
Fat: Roughly 1–1.5 grams, primarily from healthy unsaturated fats.
Carbohydrates: About 0.5–1 gram of carbohydrates.
Fibre: Contains minimal fibre, usually less than 0.5 grams per tablespoon.
Store-bought Dijon mustard often has a lower calorie count and fewer carbohydrates than mustard powder, as it includes additional ingredients such as vinegar, spices, and sometimes wine. Its nutritional content might vary slightly among brands due to added ingredients and processing methods.
Sous vide scotch fillet (ribeye) steak. Before searing. Sous vide scotch fillet (ribeye) steak. After searing. Sous vide scotch fillet (ribeye) steak.Sous vide scotch fillet (ribeye) steak.with a quenelle of horseradish cream.
Thoughts on the meal
I like to think I can cook a steak. While this steak tasted great, it’s nothing on the experience of enjoying a meal with Kathleen.
Final thoughts
Do you like reading biographies?
Who would you want at your last meal besides your spouse and family?
Do you like horseradish cream?
Did you watch Frasier on TV 30 years ago?
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
Child, L. (2017). No middle name: The complete collected Jack Reacher short stories (First edition). Delacorte Press.
Webster, A. (2023). The wolf you feed: Wayne Bennett the man, the myth, the mayhem. Macmillan by Pan Macmillan Australia.
Legend
BMI = Body mass index.
CGM = Continuous glucose monitoring.
CSIRO TWD = Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Total Well-being Diet.
CVD = cardiovascular disease.
FMT = Faecal microbiota transfer.
FSANZ = Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
LCHF = low-carbohydrate healthy-fat eating.
Lp(a) = lipoprotein(a).
LDL = low-density lipoprotein.
Red meat = is the meat of mammals, including pork.
SAD = Standard Australian diet (rich in carbohydrates, poor in healthy fats, and heavy in processed and ultra-processed products).
T1DM = Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
T2DM = Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
T3DM = Type 3 diabetes mellitus is a new term some people are ascribing to Alzheimer’s Disease.
TOS = Star Trek: The Original Series.
TNG = Star Trek: The Next Generation.
ENT = Star Trek: Enterprise (originally called Enterprise).
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here:
Cookie Policy
