You can skip the introduction and jump to the recipe if you don’t care to read my views.

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Yummy Lummy. Yummy Lummy is a blog for people who live alone and are keen to cook meals for one. If you’re part of a couple, I hope the recipes are adaptable for you, too.

I also share my opinions 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 on some food and non-food-related topics. Comments are welcome, even if I disagree.

I cite most journal articles or books I’ve read and mentioned. You can see the citations at the bottom of the post.

Introduction

I hope you’ve had a good week.

My mobility is improving. I managed a walk to the Belconnen Owl this week. The first time since the accident. I’ve also got more strength-building exercises to do. I can see my quadriceps becoming more pronounced.

While I’ve been working full-time, I’ve been doing it remotely from home. I’m undertaking a graduated return to the office. Sitting on a proper office chair and using my desktop computer with two large monitors is good.

Today is Remembrance Day (originally Armistice Day) here in Australia and other Commonwealth (formerly the British Empire) countries and Veterans Day in the USA. Forgetting the service and sacrifice of defence force personnel is never an option.

Something curious

I also noticed something curious about my blogging statistics. It’s uncommon to see a spike like this. I think I know what is behind it. New readers, you are welcome even if you’re here for a single visit.

What have I been watching?

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG)

In light of Kathleen’s generous gift of Patrick Stewart’s memoir, I am continuing my rewatch of TNG. I’m now into season four. I’m reminded of how much I enjoy the characters of Captain Picard and Dr Crusher.

While Star Trek: Enterprise (nee Enterprise) is my favourite series, TNG built on Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) in a way that opened the Star Trek realm to so many more people.

While I have no interest in Shakespeare, aficionados of TNG will be familiar with S3:E10, “The Defector” and the connection with Shakespeare.

The more I watch TNG, the more I appreciate Stewart’s stage acting experience. It doesn’t give me any desire to attend stage plays or the like. My desires lay elsewhere.

What have I been reading?

If you are over 60 with high cholesterol, you have nothing to fear from it.

Fellow blogger, Katharine from Diabetes Diet recently shared an article, viz., “Lack of an association or an inverse association between low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and mortality in the elderly: a systematic review”. (Ravnskov et al., 2016)

Most people in middle- and high-income economies receive a common message that elevated serum cholesterol is associated with poor health outcomes. Like most messages from so-called communications experts, the information is shortened and simplified for broader appeal. Sadly, this often means the removal of important nuance, context, and detail. As more was learnt about serum cholesterol, attention turned to low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The popular yet mistaken label for LDL is “bad cholesterol”. The result is a poor understanding of the role of LDL in human physiology.

One outcome of this simplification of a complex message is that medicine has turned its focus to lowering serum cholesterol and LDL through the use of medications. These medications are valuable to manufacturers and fund a huge aspect of the pharmaceutical industry. The focus has swung from health and wellness to prescribing drugs for disease.

Needless to say, all registered therapeutic agents undergo regulation for safety, efficacy, and effectiveness; however, all drugs have a side effect profile.

Before taking any medication, patients should be informed and made aware of the drug’s intended and unintended effects.

The key idea from the article is that for older people, a serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein greater than the higher value of the population reference range is not associated with death at rates any more than any other factor.

This article is aimed at older sapiens. For younger humans, the interpretation will be different. Like a lot of nutrition epidemiology, nothing can be said in terms of cause and effect.

If you are concerned about your own serum cholesterol and LDL, please speak with your general practitioner. Your general practitioner is the best person to guide you.

What human pathogens are transmitted by wild ducks?

I was reading about ducks this week and thinking about ducks as vectors for human disease.

Wild ducks can transmit several pathogens to humans through direct contact, contaminated water, or undercooked or contaminated meat consumption. Some of the notable pathogens transmitted by wild ducks include:

1. Avian Influenza Virus (AIV):

Transmission Route: Direct contact with infected birds or their droppings, contaminated water, or surfaces.

Potential Impact: AIV can cause severe respiratory illness in humans and has the potential for pandemic outbreaks.

2. Campylobacter spp.:

Transmission Route: Consumption of undercooked duck meat, especially contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria.

Potential Impact: Human Campylobacteriosis can lead to gastroenteritis with symptoms like diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fever.

3. Salmonella spp.:

Transmission Route: Consumption of contaminated duck meat or eggs and direct contact with infected birds or their environment.

Potential Impact: Salmonellosis infection can cause gastroenteritis with symptoms similar to Campylobacteriosis. Severe cases may lead to more serious complications.

4. Cryptosporidium spp.:

Transmission Route: Contaminated water sources, including those frequented by wild ducks, can lead to Cryptosporidium infection in humans.

Potential Impact: Cryptosporidiosis causes gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and dehydration, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.

5. Escherichia coli (E. coli):

Transmission Route: Consumption of contaminated duck meat or water, especially in settings with poor hygiene.

Potential Impact: Certain strains of E. coli can cause food poisoning with symptoms like diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and vomiting.

It’s important to note that the transmission of these pathogens can be mitigated through proper cooking practices, good hygiene, and avoiding direct contact with wild ducks or their habitats.

Australians are unlikely to give up meat and become vegetarian to help the environment.

I read a media article published on Monday focusing on a survey conducted by a pair of academics from La Trobe University who asked 700 Facebook account holders about their beliefs on climate change, meat consumption, and the effect of meat consumption on the environment. (Rattenbury & Ruby, 2023)

It seems most respondents, who were all residents of Australia, didn’t believe reducing meat consumption affected climate change.

It reminded me of Jayne Buxton’s arguments in her book, “The Great Plant-based Con: Why Eating a Plant-Only Diet Won’t Improve Your Health or Save the Planet”. (Buxton, 2022)

I don’t think this response is because Australians aren’t concerned for planetary health. Quite the contrary. I think Australians know that intensive farming practices damage the soil and the land. Intensive farming also kills many animals, mostly insects and small mammals, which are ecologically valuable species. Regenerative farming practices that allow primary production on non-arable land help the soil and the land and supply nutrient-dense food for the community. It makes for good land care and carbon dioxide sequestration.

What have I been listening to?

Making It So: A Memoir by Sir Patrick Stewart

I completed the book during the week. (Stewart, 2023)

I loved listening to Stewart’s reflections on his time making Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series and movies and his recent work in making Star Trek: Picard.

Stewart also described his three marriages and other romantic relationships and how those relationships influenced his attitudes. I particularly enjoyed the end, where he tied his emotional maturity to the final scenes, he had planned for Star Trek: Picard.

Thanks, Kathleen, my love, for this beautiful gift.

Recipe

It’s been a while since I’ve cooked any poultry. Given a choice, I think I’d eat beef and lamb most days. I don’t really need variety to keep me happy. However, since I was reading about ducks, I thought I would cook duck breasts this weekend.

Equipment

• Precision cooker
• Water bath
• Frypan
• Gas torch

Ingredients

• Duck breasts
• Iodised cooking salt to season the duck breasts.

Instructions

1. Score the skin of the breasts with a knife.
2. Season the skin and flesh of the breast with salt.
3. Allow the meat to dry brine, uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Sear the skin in a hot frypan. I do not always sear meat before cooking it in a water bath. I wanted to try a pre-water bath searing phase.
5. Place the breasts into a vacuum bag.
6. Cook the breasts at 57 °C for 2 hours. This will ensure a medium cook and sufficient time and temperature for pasteurisation.
7. Remove the meat from the bag and dry the skin with a paper towel.
8. Sear the skin in a hot frypan and finish with a gas torch if necessary.  
9. Serve the duck with vegetables or eat them alone. If you’re following a meat-only, just the meat will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. If you’re low-carbohydrate, healthy-fat eating, the meat and some plant-based “real foods” like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination. Potato mash would go well with the duck if you’re not concerned with carbohydrates. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this duck won’t be suitable.
10. Always give thanks to the Lord.
11. Eat with whatever implements you prefer. Eating with your fingers is okay, in my opinion. For this meal, I used a knife and fork. I could have used chopsticks. 🥢

Thoughts on the meal

Duck breasts are not like chicken breasts. The meat is darker and usually more tender. Sous vide duck breast ensures a consistent result. I like the flavour and the texture of duck meat. Given a preference, I’d prefer duck thigh, but I rarely see duck legs at the supermarket. I’m curious about buying a duck thigh, putting it into a vacuum bag with ample olive oil and cooking it in a water bath to simulate a confit duck thigh.

If you don’t have a precision cooker and water bath, duck breasts can be easily cooked in a frypan. With care and attention, a suitable result is achievable.

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

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

Rattenbury, A., & Ruby, M. B. (2023). Perceptions of the Benefits and Barriers to Vegetarian Diets and the Environmental Impact of Meat-Eating. Sustainability, 15(21), 15522. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115522

Ravnskov, U., Diamond, D. M., Hama, R., Hamazaki, T., Hammarskjöld, B., Hynes, N., Kendrick, M., Langsjoen, P. H., Malhotra, A., Mascitelli, L., McCully, K. S., Ogushi, Y., Okuyama, H., Rosch, P. J., Schersten, T., Sultan, S., & Sundberg, R. (2016). Lack of an association or an inverse association between low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and mortality in the elderly: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 6(6), e010401. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010401

Stewart, P. (2023). Making it so: A memoir. Simon & Schuster Australia.

Legend

BMI = Body mass index.

CGM = Continuous glucose monitoring.

CSIRO TWD = Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Total Wellbeing Diet.

LCHF = low-carbohydrate healthy-fat eating.

Red meat = is the meat of mammals, including pork.

SAD = Standard Australian diet (rich in carbohydrates, poor in healthy fats, and heaving in processed and ultra-processed products).  

T2DM = Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

TOS = Star Trek: The Original Series

TNG = Star Trek: The Next Generation