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,
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week. I’m now back in Canberra after spending nine nights in South Australia visiting Kathleen. Last week, it was Kathleen’s birthday. It was her daughter’s birthday this week and we went out for dinner. We also visited Kangaroo Island and spent three nights there.
How is the foot?
What’s happened this week?
The good news is that being away in South Australia did me good and my foot and knee while weak and limited feel good.
What have I been watching?
Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager
One of the amazing things about Kathleen is that she understands my enjoyment of Star Trek. There were times when we watched some Star Trek together and times when I watched while Kathleen was doing something else.
Restaurant reviews
The Meat and Wine Co
We went with Kathleen’s daughter out to dinner at the Meat and Wine Co. in Adelaide’s central business district.
It is a restaurant which features a lot of beef. The restaurant also does two different types of dry-aged steak. One is done the traditional way, and the other is butter dry-aged.
I went with a bone-in scotch fillet steak, which was traditionally dry-aged. It was a very nice piece of steak.
Kathleen decided to have chicken breast for dinner.
Dry-aged beef at The Meat & Wine Co.I gnawed the ribChicken breast at The Meat & Wine Co.
Penneshaw Pub
View from Penneshaw Pub
We arrived on Kangaroo Island on Tuesday and on arrival enjoyed lunch at the Penneshaw Pub.
We shared six oysters. Kathleen enjoyed some rare tuna and I had some lovely lamb cutlets.
Tuna at Penneshaw PubLamb cutlets at Penneshaw PubOysters at Penneshaw Pub
For dinner, we called around a few places and couldn’t get a table so we returned to the pub for our evening meal.
Kathleen had crispy skin salmon while I had a T-bone steak. We shared another six oysters too.
I decided to make my meal a reef and beef.
Oysters at Penneshaw PubSalmon at Penneshaw PubT-bone steak at Penneshaw PubT-bone steak and oysters at Penneshaw Pub
The house we stayed in had a fully equipped kitchen with both a wood stove and oven plus a gas stove and oven.
This meant I could scramble eggs in butter each morning for breakfast.
Kangaroo Island Fresh Seafoods
We spent the morning in Kingscote and decided to try some fish at Kangaroo Island Fresh Seafoods. This place it collocated with a servo (that’s Australian slang for petrol station). We both asked for flathead fillets. Mainly, because we knew that flathead being a cartilaginous fish like a shark or a ray wouldn’t have bones.
The flat head was okay. I had mine grilled while Kathleen’s was crumbed. Unfortunately, the fryer the restaurant uses for battered fish wasn’t working.
Crumbed Flathead fillets grilled from Kangaroo Island Fish and seafoodFlathead fillets grilled from Kangaroo Island Fish and seafood
Drakes steaks
For dinner we bought some scotch fillet steaks from Drakes. Drakes is a local independent supermarket in South Australia. The steaks looked great in the packaging and cooked nicely that evening. We also bought some blue cheese and goat cheese and enjoyed it with the steak.
Scotch fillet steak
The Oyster Farm Shop
On Thursday lunch was a seafood platter (also known as the Aquaplatter) from the oyster farm shop in American River.
The term aquaplatter niggled my brain because aqua normally refers to fresh water while marine normally refers to sea water.
The platter had oysters, prawns from Port Lincoln, King George whiting, smoked salmon wings, pippis in butter and garlic, plus some condiments.
The platter was okay to good. It was the first time Kathleen and I have eaten pippis. I’m not convinced I’d have them again.
We were told the oyster season finished that Thursday, so we were pleased to enjoy the last of the oysters.
Aquaplatter at the Oyster Farm Shop American River
Reflections Mecure Kangaroo Island Lodge
There was a Mecure Hotel near where we were staying and we decided to have dinner that the hotel’s restaurant on Thursday night.
This was partly because at dusk, kangaroos were likely to be out and about. On the Tuesday night we’d seen a large roo hop across the road in front of us as we were driving to Penneshaw.
Kathleen is an experienced and expert driver in regional and remote areas. Experience and expertise also mean, don’t put yourself at increased risk if you can avoid it.
Kathleen enjoyed the Lamb Rogan Josh, while I thought the rump steak was okay.
Lamb Rogan Josh at Reflections Mecure Kangaroo Island LodgeRump steak at Reflections Mecure Kangaroo Island Lodge
Fat Beagle Coffee Shop
On Friday morning, Kathleen enjoyed brunch at the Fat Beagle Coffee Shop. She enjoyed the breakfast hot dog which featured sriracha sauce and jalapeño peppers. Kathleen also had the vanilla slice which she said was possibly the best she’s ever had.
One of the best things about Kathleen is her love for a vanilla slice which equals my love for them too.
View of Port of Pelicans View from Penneshaw PubBaudin Beach Kangaroo Island
Kathleen’s Kitchen
On Friday, we took the ferry home to Cape Jervis and drove back to Adelaide. Kathleen had purchased tickets for a show at the Adelaide Fringe. Prior to the show, we needed to eat, so Kathleen put some beef short rib fingers into her pressure cooker, and we enjoyed a plate of beef rib meat, cheese, cream cheese, pâté, and avocado, plus some butter.
Beef short rib
The show that Kathleen took me to was very funny.
Final thoughts
It was a fabulous holiday. The best ever.
I even slept better than I have in years. I was able to get between five and six hours most nights while I was away.
Holidaying with Kathleen is awesome.
If you don’t have someone Kathleen, it’s still worth visiting Adelaide and Kangaroo Island.
While the food was mostly good, I think Kangaroo Island is less food destination and more for the flora, fauna, and environment.
Kangaroos on Kangaroo Island
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.
I hope you’ve had a good week. I’m currently in Adelaide with Kathleen.
Restaurant review
I don’t have a recipe this weekend because I’m in Adelaide with Kathleen, and we’re enjoying some of the fantastic feasting here.
Georges on Waymouth
Kathleen has been thinking about dining at Georges for a long time. I think the period can be measured in years. It was an honour and a pleasure to join with Kathleen in dining at Georges for the first time for both of us.
Georges is well known in Adelaide for consistently good Mediterranean-styled cuisine. The menu draws on local produce with European experience and excellence.
We decided to share two starters and went with the Hiramasa Port Lincoln Kingfish crudo, apple and shallot dressing, radish, labneh, and dill oil, along with the Vitello Tonnato, tuna aioli, pickled white anchovies, capers, pickled shallots.
The former dish was a revelation in freshness and flavour. The fish was light and delicate.
The thinly sliced veal with tuna aioli, in comparison, was a more substantial mouthful per fork. It also had the capers’ crisp texture and the aioli’s smoothness.
We enjoyed both but tipped the kingfish as the winner.
For our main course dishes, Kathleen chose the crowd-pleasing lamb press, pancetta, chickpea hummus, Mt. Zero chickpea salad, za’atar, and watercress, which is known as the Georges signature dish. I chose the 300-gram “Southern Grain” Black Angus scotch fillet (MBS 4+), café de Paris butter. I asked for it to be cooked medium rare.
Before I describe these two dishes, the standout main course special for the evening was a 1-kilogram T-bone steak with a marbling score of 4+. It is a shared dish.
When informed of this special, my eyes lit up, and Kathleen grinned in reaction to my facial expression. We discussed the arguments for and against choosing the T-bone steak and decided against it. We would swap our plates during the meal so we’d both experience a good steak tonight anyway. Going with the T-bone would be all we ate, which seemed limiting for our first time at Georges.
I think it was the correct decision. For me, a scotch fillet (or ribeye for North American readers) perfectly blends meat and fat. It is also flavourful and tender. That’s not to say a T-bone isn’t full of flavour, but I wasn’t sure if the chef would leave all the fat on the meat the way I like it. At least with a scotch fillet, there are likely to be islands of lovely fat between the large muscle bundles. This decision also meant we could both enjoy the steak and the pressed lamb wrapped in prosciutto. Our whole meal was a meat-eating dream.
We can understand why the lamb press is the restaurant’s signature dish. It was well executed in presentation; the lamb was perfectly cooked and tender and suited the chickpea accompaniment.
The scotch fillet was magnificent, especially smothered in the herb-enriched butter. I laid the sliced meat flat and then smeared the butter over the cut surfaces for greater penetration and flavour.
We decided against dessert or cheese and ended the evening watching a submarine movie, viz., Hunter Killer, on TV. It was a wonderful evening with Kathleen.
It’s been a while since I’ve written a restroom review for a restaurant. I didn’t require restroom use; however, Kathleen rates the restroom highly.
Georges on WaymouthGeorges Hiramasa Port Lincoln Kingfish crudo, apple and shallot dressing, radish, labneh, dill oilGeorges Vitello Tonnato, tuna aioli, pickled white anchovies, capers, pickled shallotsGeorges signature lamb press, pancetta, chickpea hummus, Mt. Zero chickpea salad, za’atar, and watercressGeorges 300 gram “Southern Grain” Black Angus scotch fillet (MBS 4+), café de Paris butterGeorges 300 gram “Southern Grain” Black Angus scotch fillet (MBS 4+), café de Paris butter
UR Caffe (pronounced your Caffe)
Kathleen took me to breakfast this morning at UR Caffe. This is a well-patronised establishment in North Adelaide.
Walking in, it had a good vibe, and like those well-put-together places where the delicious fragrance of coffee wafts through the air, you can feel this is also a good place for breakfast.
The coffee was good, and the food was great.
Kathleen went with the fried halloumi, Swiss brown mushrooms, broccolini, crispy kale, scrambled eggs, and teriyaki sauce on sourdough bread.
I went with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, rocket, smoked salmon, asparagus spears, bacon, and avocado. The meal came with two pieces of sourdough bread, which I elected to leave untouched.
Both meals went down well and were immensely satisfying. I can see myself wanting to regularly enjoy breakfast at UR Caffe.
UR Caffe fried halloumi, Swiss brown mushrooms, broccolini, crispy kale, scrambled eggs, and teriyaki sauce on sourdough breadUR caffe Poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, rocket, smoked salmon, asparagus spears, bacon, and avocado
Other thoughts
Tonight, we’re dining out again. I may write about this experience next weekend.
I’m loving my time in Adelaide with Kathleen. I also love that Kathleen understands my desire to improve my health by choosing certain foods over other types of food. The places we’ve chosen have given us the freedom to enjoy and not feel restricted in choice.
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 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.
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week.
The weather is getting warmer, and with warmer days and evenings comes a greater sense of well-being, at least for me. Today, it is also wet, I don’t mind wet weather. I know many readers prefer colder, dry weather. We’re all different.
Last week, I cooked kangaroo steaks. Coincidentally, this week, I was engaged in conversations at work about kangaroo/wallaby meat and parasite infestation. I enjoy discussing biological threats and their implications for human health, especially when they overlap with my interest in food and cooking.
Work is getting busier, so I enjoy it when my job and personal health and nutrition interests intersect, and I can read and learn more about food, food safety, and human health.
What have I been watching?
Star Trek: The Next Generation
I’ve now finished the seventh and final season in this series. It had some excellent episodes, and in my opinion, the final episode, which wraps the series, is one of the best in the franchise.
I’m going to start watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
What have I been reading?
Standard mental health first aid manual
My employer is encouraging employees to undertake Mental Health First Aid® training. The hope is that collectively, as an organisation, we will look out for each other through greater awareness.
The core of the training is a book, viz., “Standard mental health first aid manual” (fourth edition). (Kitchener, 2017)
During the week I took part in the training and found the manual to be well written and very helpful.
More information can be found at the Mental Health First Aid®website.
Lipoprotein(a) and diet—a challenge for a role of saturated fat in cardiovascular disease risk reduction?
The authors consider new information on dietary recommendations to reduce saturated fat intake to modulate an individual’s global risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While it is known that lowering dietary saturated fat intake decreases low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations, the findings increasingly show an opposite effect on lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) concentrations. Many studies have shown a role for an elevated Lp(a) concentration as a genetically regulated, causal, and prevalent risk factor for CVD. However, there is less awareness of the effect of dietary saturated fat intake on Lp(a) concentrations. The authors discuss this issue and highlight the contrasting effect of reducing dietary saturated fat intake on reducing LDL cholesterol and increasing Lp(a). It appears that a low carbohydrate, high saturated fat diet can reduce Lp(a). (Law et al., 2023)
Honey, what’s in a name?
During the week, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), issued a media release seeking comment on whether the honey from Australian stingless native bees should be permitted. It comes down to definitions of honey, and at the moment, it seems the food standard definition doesn’t accommodate Australian stingless native bees.
Call for comment to permit the sale of honey produced by Australian stingless bees.
With Jeremy Clarkson in mind, if the Australian Native Bee Association Inc. is unsuccessful, perhaps they should call it Australian stingless bee juice. 🤔
If you are not familiar with the connection with Jeremy Clarkson, in a search engine (I use Duck Duck Go, but Google, Bing, and others will work), enter search terms like “Jeremy Clarkson”, “Diddly-Squat” “Bee juice” and hopefully you will see the connection.
What have I been listening to?
Into the Heart of Romans: A Deep Dive into Paul’s Greatest Letter (Wright, 2023)
Tom Wright (also known as N. T. Wright) is an Anglican bible scholar who (in my opinion) articulates the historical facts of the bible in a compelling way. I’ve enjoyed listening to his podcast and watching him speak via YouTube videos. He has a winsome approach to teaching doctrine.
Recipe
The more I read about meat in the human diet, the more I favour ruminant species. I’m eating more beef and lamb and less pork and poultry. For my palate, foregut fermenting mammals have a more pleasant flavour and texture in their meat and fat.
I also eat New Zealand Pacific salmon over locally farmed Tasmanian Atlantic salmon. The difference in flavour and texture is distinct. I’m also conscious of the criticisms of the Tasmanian salmon farming industry. This week, I read a newspaper report suggesting the criticism of the industry may create economic hardship for many people residing in Tasmania. I hope they find a solution that allows them to keep employed and improve the health and well-being of the salmon they farm.
Eat me, Gary.
I saw a rack of lamb ribs in the supermarket and felt it speaking to me. “Buy me and eat me, Gary”.
I’m also adding a modified guacamole 🥑 for tonight’s meal. During the week, Lorraine, from Not Quite Nigella, posted a recipe for what she believes is the BEST guacamole recipe.
Equipment
Oven
Meat thermometer
Gas torch
Ingredients
Rack of lamb
Iodised salt
Garlic
Rosemary
Avocado
Red onion
Coriander (some people call it cilantro)
Lime (for the juice)
Birdseye chilli
Pork rinds made with lard (no seed oils used)
Rack of lamb. Salted for dry brining.Birdseye chilli, coriander, garlic, lime, red onion, and rosemary.Rack of lamb. Dry brined overnight.Bisected Hass avocado
Instructions
Heat the oven to 120 °C for a low cooking temperature.
In the baking tray, add bruised garlic cloves and stalks of rosemary (I bruised the garlic with a metal weight).
Place the lamb on a wire rack over a baking tray.
Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest portion of meat.
Place the lamb into the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 55 °C.
If the fat isn’t brown enough, use a gas torch to sear the fat.
When the lamb has rested, carve the cutlets from the rack and sear the cutlets in a hot frypan with some of the lamb fat collected in the baking tray.
Keep the lamb fat for future use. I hope to keep my Lp(a) low with some saturated ovine fat. 😉 🐑
In a medium-sized bowl mix the onion with the lime juice and salt and allow to sit on the counter for 20 minutes.
Tear the coriander leaves and stalks.
Place the avocado 🥑 flesh into a bowl and smash with a fork. I like my smashed avocado to be chunky rather than smooth.
Stir in the onion, marinating juices, chilli, and coriander (leaves and stalks).
Eat the guacamole with the pork rinds before the avocado oxidises because of exposure to oxygen in the air.
If you don’t like avocado, consider serving the lamb cutlets with vegetables or eat it with some extra seasonings like iodised flaky salt and freshly ground black peppercorns. 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, the meat and some plant-based real foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination. If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, some sautéed asparagus with hollandaise sauce would be great. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this animal meat won’t be suitable.
Eat with whatever implements you prefer. Eating with your fingers is okay, in my opinion. For this meal, I ate the meat lollipops by holding the rib bone and gnawing the meat from the bone. 🦴 I dipped pork rinds into the guacamole and put them in my mouth with my fingers. I didn’t need to dirty a knife or fork. 🍴
Temperature monitoring for a Lamb Rib Rack
Cooking guide for rack of lamb
Doneness
Internal Temperature (°C)
Internal Temperature (°F)
Rare
49–52
120–125
Medium-rare
54–57
130–135
Medium
60–63
140–145
Medium-well
66–68
150–155
Well-done
71 or higher
160 or higher
Cooking guide
Oven cooked rack of lamb.Oven cooked rack of lamb.Oven cooked rack of lamb.Rack of lamb and guacamole.Rack of lamb and guacamole.Rack of lamb and guacamole.Rack of lamb and guacamole.Temperature monitoring for a Lamb Rib Rack
Thoughts on the meal
Tonight’s roast was an experiment. Many recipes suggest a higher oven temperature, e.g., 200 to 220 °C. Those recipes also recommend searing the lamb before entering the oven. I was interested in knowing the texture if I used a much lower oven temperature and took a low and slow approach to hopefully render the fat better.
It turns out, this approach works well. It takes longer, but the outcome is good. I recognise that many others will disagree and cook their rack of lamb differently. I’m trying to simplify the process and maintain the flavour and texture that suits my palate. This low-temperature approach also resulted in some great pan juices that didn’t evaporate.
Since changing my diet, I’ve been enjoying more lamb. The money I’m saving by not buying starchy, high-carbohydrate plant food and processed food is going into buying better-quality meat.
The birdseye chillies and lime juice gave the guacamole a nice zing. 🔥
While I’m probably eating more meat-only meals, avocado 🥑 is a regular feature in my meals. I am conscious that, unlike beef and sheep which are environmentally friendly when you consider the carbon dioxide sequestration and soil care in regenerative farming, avocado farming has problems. This is especially true for water requirements. (Buxton, 2022)
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.
Kitchener, B. A. (2017). Standard mental health first aid manual. Mental Health First Aid Australia.
Law, H. G., Meyers, F. J., Berglund, L., & Enkhmaa, B. (2023). Lipoprotein(a) and diet—A challenge for a role of saturated fat in cardiovascular disease risk reduction? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 118(1), 23–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.05.017
Wright, T. (2023). INTO THE HEART OF ROMANS: A deep dive into Paul’s greatest letter. SPCK Publishing.
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).
Hello there. I hope you enjoyed a good week. I’m still euphoric from last weekend’s trip to Brisbane and time with my daughters and parents.
Returning to Canberra reminded me again how good Brisbane is.
What have I been reading?
I’ve been reading nutrition articles in my spare time.
I came across an excellent paper describing the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide (NO) pathway. Dietary nitrate has various beneficial vascular effects, including reducing blood pressure, inhibiting platelet aggregation, preserving or improving endothelial dysfunction, and enhancing exercise performance in healthy individuals and patients with peripheral arterial disease. (Lidder & Webb, 2013)
Some studies with nitrate or nitrite also show the potential to protect against ischæmia-reperfusion injury and reduce arterial stiffness, inflammation, and intimal thickness.
I was interested in the ramifications of blood pressure control and other potential physiological benefits.
It also raised a question about the difference between the nitrates in leafy green vegetables and those found in cured meats like bacon.
To answer the question, I visited three large language model artificial intelligence platforms, viz., Bing, ChatGPT, and Bard. Check out the answers at the end of this post.
Noting that the main difference is the pathways to either nitric oxide or nitrosamines, I wonder what the outcome would be if I ate bacon with antioxidants. That would be an interesting experiment.
What I find interesting is the assumption that observational studies, including meta-analyses and systematic reviews are accepted without question by so many. The difficulty is that unlike the situation with cigarette smoking and lung carcinoma where the association was strong with odds ratios >30, for the nitrates and gastrointestinal carcinoma, the odds ratios are much less and in the order of just over 1.
The absolute risk is low when you take into account that gastrointestinal carcinomas occur in people who have never consumed cured meats. That said, it would be unethical to undertake a randomised controlled trial exposing a group of people to a diet with a lot of cured meat in it. Cause and effect may never be proven.
For me, this tells me that bacon, Spam®, and cured sausages are not everyday foods, but when I put them into the context of low carbohydrate, healthy fat eating, these foods are not anathema. Nor are they forbidden to me. The danger from sucrose, refined carbohydrates, and even complex so-called slow carbs is far greater in terms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, and obesity. There is a growing belief that many malignant events are a result of insulin resistance.
Please note, reader, this is my personal opinion as it applies to my own health. I’m not providing advice to anyone. I get questions from friends and family, and I find writing out my thoughts here useful. The most important message for anyone reading this and thinking about their own health is to speak with their regular general practitioner. If you don’t have a GP, I urge you to find one and develop a strong relationship.
Recipe
Equipment
Slow cooker
Ingredients
Lamb bones
Lamb shanks
Iodised salt
Iceberg lettuce
Instructions
Brown the lamb shanks and lamb bones in a hot oven.
Place the lamb shanks and lamb bones into the slow cooker.
Cook for 9 hours.
Remove the meat and bones and then pass the cooking liquor through a metal sieve. The filtrate is the start of what will become bone broth with a few more uses with other joints of meat.
Pull the meat from the bones and place into a refrigerator container. Discard the bones.
Wash the lettuce leaves and spin them in a lettuce spinner to remove as much water as possible.
Place some of the meat along with some olive oil and apple cider vinegar into a couple of lettuce leaves and roll them to form a bite-size bundles.
You can serve these bundles of meat with a anything you like. I chose a little salad of avocado, cherry tomatoes, and olives dressed with olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
Give thanks to the Lord.
Eat with your fingers.
Thoughts on the meal
There’s nothing special or difficult about this meal. It requires no skill and given most of the cooking happens slowly the big advantage is that my flat is filled with the aroma of lamb fat and lamb meat.
Photographs
Pulled lamb wrapped in iceberg lettuce leaves with a small saladLamb bones and lamb shanksSlowly cooked lamb bones and shanksPulled lambPulled lamb wrapped in iceberg lettuce leavesPulled lamb wrapped in iceberg lettuce leavesPulled lamb wrapped in iceberg lettuce leaves
References
Lidder, S., & Webb, A. J. (2013). Vascular effects of dietary nitrate (as found in green leafy vegetables and beetroot) via the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway: Vascular effects of dietary nitrate. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 75(3), 677–696. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04420.x
Bing
What is the difference between the nitrates in leafy green vegetables and those in cured meat like bacon?
Nitrates are a set of compounds that involve nitrogen and oxygen molecules. While they are often associated with cured meats, green, leafy vegetables are much richer in nitrates1. The nitrates found in vegetables may help reduce the risk of carcinoma, whereas eating foods high in added nitrates can cause health risks.
Cured or processed meats such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and ham often contain added nitrates and nitrites. These compounds prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, add a salty flavour, and make the meat appear red or pink2. Nitrates convert to nitrites, and in the stomach’s acidic environment, nitrites interact with specific components concentrated in meat to form N-nitroso compounds, which are potential carcinogens.
In summary, while the nitrates in leafy green vegetables may have health benefits, those in cured meats like bacon can have adverse health effects.
ChatGPT
What is the difference between the nitrates in leafy green vegetables and those in cured meat like bacon?
Both leafy green vegetables and cured meats like bacon contain nitrates, but there are essential differences in their sources, roles, and potential health implications:
Source and Chemical Structure:
Leafy Green Vegetables: Nitrates in vegetables come from the soil and water in which the plants are grown. They are naturally occurring and absorbed by the plants during their growth. Nitrates in vegetables are primarily in the form of nitrate ions (NO3–).
Cured Meats (Bacon): Nitrates in cured meats are additives, primarily in the form of sodium nitrate (NaNO3) or sodium nitrite (NaNO2). These additives are used in the curing process to preserve the meat’s colour and flavour and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.
Conversion to Nitrites:
Leafy Green Vegetables: Vegetable-containing nitrates are converted into nitrites (NO2–) by bacteria in your mouth and gastrointestinal tract. These nitrites convert to beneficial compounds like nitric oxide (NO) in your body.
Cured Meats (Bacon): Nitrites are additives in cured meats. Nitrites play a crucial role in preserving the meat’s colour, flavour, and safety, as well as preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.
Health Implications:
Leafy Green Vegetables: Vegetable nitrates are generally considered beneficial for health. Nitric oxide, produced from the conversion of nitrates, promotes healthy blood vessels, regulates blood pressure, and supports overall cardiovascular health.
Cured Meats (Bacon): Concerns exist about the potential health risks of consuming large amounts of processed meats containing added nitrates and nitrites. High consumption of processed meats is associated with an increased risk of specific health issues, including colorectal carcinoma and other chronic diseases. The nitrites in cured meats can react with amines in the meat to form compounds called nitrosamines, some of which are considered carcinogenic.
Dietary Context:
Leafy Green Vegetables: Consuming a variety of leafy green vegetables is generally encouraged as part of a balanced diet due to their high nutritional content, including vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants.
Cured Meats (Bacon): Processed meats like bacon are typically higher in unhealthy fats, sodium, and calories and are often low in essential nutrients. As a result, consume processed meats in moderation and choose leaner and less processed protein sources.
In summary, while leafy green vegetables and cured meats contain nitrates, their potential health implications differ. Leafy greens provide natural sources of nitrates that can positively affect health, whereas the nitrates added to processed meats can raise concerns when consumed excessively.
Bard
What is the difference between the nitrates in leafy green vegetables and those in cured meat like bacon?
The nitrates found in leafy green vegetables and cured meat are chemically the same but have different effects on the body.
Nitrates in vegetables convert to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide has many beneficial effects, including lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, and reducing inflammation.
Nitrates in cured meat convert to nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are compounds linked to carcinoma.
Nitrates in vegetables are not harmful because of accompanying antioxidants, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, which help prevent them from being converted into nitrosamines. Cured meat, on the other hand, does not contain these antioxidants, so nitrates are more likely to be converted into nitrosamines.
In addition, the processing methods used to make cured meat, such as smoking and salting, can also increase the risk of nitrosamine formation.
For these reasons, it is safe to eat leafy green vegetables, even though they contain nitrates. However, limiting your intake of cured meat is best, mainly processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, and sausages.
Here are some tips for reducing your intake of nitrates from cured meat:
Choose fresh meat over processed meat.
Look for meats labelled “no nitrates added” or “minimally processed.”
Cook meat at lower temperatures and for shorter periods.
Avoid smoking or salting meat.
Following these tips can reduce your risk of exposure to harmful nitrosamines.
I hope you had a good week. Mine was busy with lots of stakeholder meetings.
What have I been listening to this week?
I listened to a book by neurologist David Perlmutter titled “Grain brain: the surprising truth about wheat, carbs, and sugar – your brain’s silent killers” (Perlmutter, 2019). The author focuses mainly on the role of gluten in neurological disease; he also advocates for a low carbohydrate, healthy fat eating lifestyle. He is a proponent of the concept that gluten sensitivity is a spectrum rather than a binary abnormality. By that, many will say that proper gluten sensitivity is coeliac disease. If a diagnosis of coeliac disease cannot be achieved using conventional criteria, then the patient doesn’t have gluten sensitivity. Perlmutter proclaims that gluten sensitivity and coeliac disease should not be bound solely as gastrointestinal diseases but also neurological ones. He cites many examples from his own clinical practice and helpfully also shares citations from the observations of other neurologists (Cherbuin et al., 2012; Li et al., 2023).
I’ve also been listening to “Kitchen Confidential” (Bourdain, 2000) by Anthony Bourdain (1956 – 2018). I had picked up a bit about Bourdain based on his TV shows and what I’d read in the news. Listening to him read his book authenticates the stories he’s telling. I never realised how many illicit drugs he was snorting, smoking, ingesting, and injecting.
What’s on the menu tonight?
I was scrolling through low carbohydrate, healthy fat eating groups on Facebook. I noticed some were enjoying a rack of lamb. It got me drooling.
Recipe
Equipment
Oven
Meat thermometer
Frypan
Ingredients
Lamb rack
Iodised salt
Spinach
Cream
Olives
Cherry tomatoes
Instructions
Turn the oven on and set the heat to 160 °C.
Season the lamb with salt.
Insert the thermometer.
Put the lamb on a rack and into the oven and cook until the internal temperature is about 54 °C.
Slice the rack into cutlets.
Wilt some spinach in rendered lamb fat and then add some cream.
Add the other bits of vegetation.
Put the food and the vegetation on a dinner plate.
Give thanks to the Lord.
Eat with a steak knife and fork.
Thoughts on the meal
I love lamb, and I love a rack of lamb. I chose a frame with lots of fat. It was delicious. I’ll have plenty of lamb cutlets left for lunches during the week.
Final thoughts
Do you have gluten sensitivity? Do you think it’s affected how you think?
Do you like watching Anthony Bourdain’s TV shows?
Are you a fan of lamb? Do you like lamb fat?
Photographs
Roast rack of lamb with spinach, olives, and cherry tomatoesRack of lambRack of lambRoast rack of lambRoast rack of lambRoast rack of lambRoast rack of lambRoast rack of lamb with spinach, olives, and cherry tomatoesRoast rack of lamb with spinach, olives, and cherry tomatoesRoast rack of lamb with spinach, olives, and cherry tomatoesRoast rack of lamb with spinach, olives, and cherry tomatoes
References
Bourdain, A. (2000). Kitchen confidential: Adventures in the culinary underbelly (1st US ed). Bloomsbury.
Cherbuin, N., Sachdev, P., & Anstey, K. J. (2012). Higher normal fasting plasma glucose is associated with hippocampal atrophy: The PATH Study. Neurology, 79(10), 1019–1026. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e31826846de
Li, C., Guo, J., Zhao, Y., Sun, K., Abdelrahman, Z., Cao, X., Zhang, J., Zheng, Z., Yuan, C., Huang, H., Chen, Y., Liu, Z., & Chen, Z. (2023). Visit-to-visit HbA1c variability, dementia, and hippocampal atrophy among adults without diabetes. Experimental Gerontology, 178, 112225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2023.112225
Perlmutter, D. (2019). Grain brain: The surprising truth about wheat, carbs, and sugar – your brain’s silent killers. Hodder & Stoughton.
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