All posts by epicureasian

a gardening gamer girl in search of good grub
Dining

Franklin Barbecue: Storied BBQ landmark damaged by fire

As I was searching through the news finding out the status of BBQ restaurants in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, I found this news at Texas Monthly regarding the most famous of all BBQ joints “in the world”.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/aaron-franklin-will-rebuild/

Indeed a banner on the Franklin BBQ website indicated the indefinite nature of the shutdown.

As of 9/1/2017

However, we know that the same spirit and optimism moves the people of South Texas and Louisiana affected by the storm as we look toward the coming days of relief and recovery.

Fitness

Results from another extend fast 8/21-8/25

It’s August 2017, and it’s Restaurant Week all month long. Frankly though, it was just an excuse for me to binge, birthdays plus adventures in dining and all.

So weighing in at 160lbs on Monday 8/21, I embarked on another week long fast…and pretty much nailed it. I intended to do 5 days or 120 hours of straight water fasting, and made it to the 119 hour mark.

The last time I attempted the extended fast was a week before a birthday. I had to rifle through my MFP food diary to see what records I logged. From 7/24 to 7/29 I fasted, then broke fast on Sunday 7/30. The transition wasn’t as rough (with the help of Metamucil pills), and I stayed home for much of that time to avoid any embarrassing mistakes.

I started another week of fasting on 8/21 and ran till 8/25, for about 118-119 hours straight fast. I had a planned lunch with friends on Saturday, and I wanted to avoid any discomfort with food. I kept strict logs on exercise, weight, blood glucose and blood pressure readings. I tried to make sure to get enough sleep (though still not enough).

As was expected, day 1  went great. It seems that days 2-4 are consistently wracked with hunger pangs and willpower drain. Days 2-3 are marked by physiological indicators of hunger…tummy rumblings and sensitive stomach. Day 4 is more of an emotional and mental challenge to hurdle. These days required bone broth to help power me through the rest of the day. Day 5 allowed me to coast to the final hours without much agony. Work kept me busy because of document updates that are due on September 8.

Fruit and salad helped to break the fast, but I leapt to a steak dinner with baked potato immediately afterwards, with very minor bathroom drama. So the fiber pills do help a whole lot more than chia seeds. But to be fair, this is less than a 6 day fast, and a much easier transition.

I estimated a food intake of about 2500 to 3000 calories each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which if the sum divided by 7 means that I would have eaten 1286 kcals roughly daily. I do have to remember there were some coffee and bone broth calories during the week to account for, but I would like to hope that I am in deficit for the week…and will account for something.

More positive news is that I kept blood sugar and blood pressure records for the entire time of the fast, which painted an accurate picture of my health status. Insulin resistance was my major concern and I wanted to be on a fasting protocol to drive down my insulin resistance and A1C (which I suspect ran up during this year).

Day 1 showed the highest glucose readings and it declined during the course of the week. Blood pressure was more challenging, because it stayed above normal reference range, and I took medication regularly to keep it down.

I need to moderate my fitness on day 1 since I tend to over achieve and end up regretting it for the next 48 hours…leaving me wrecked by the mid-week routine. Sleep is also a factor.

I’m starting a new 5 day fast on 8/28. With Labor Day soon approaching (and Wagyu brisket and steaks on the way), there sure to be much feasting going on.

Record-keeping plus more moderate feasting days guarantee better outcomes, which is what I aim for.

Technical

Geek Me: Linux in Windows

I’ve had rudimentary knowledge (i.e. Google) running Linux web servers for the 5-6 years, but decided to delve deeper into Linux. I’ve been in training last week to get my foundational learning in Linux, and plan on getting my Linux+/LPIC certs hopefully by the end of the year.

During training, I found out that as an alternative to VMs, Microsoft implemented WSL–Windows Subsystem for Linux–in some builds of Windows OS, namely Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016.

Got it installed on my home PC, which relieves some of the need to switch over to my Linux boxes when the mood strikes…

Dining, Recipes

Recipe: Dry Spice Rubs and Mixes

There’s nothing more indispensable than a simple spice blend of salt and pepper (and garlic powder if you’re in my household) to season every dish: raw, grilled, broiled, roasted, seared, stewed, sauced, you name it.

When it comes to letting quality ingredients–meats and vegetables–shine, simple spice mixtures are usually best. These spice rubs are my go-to when roasting, grilling and smoking healthy.

S&P: Salt & Pepper

  • sea salt or, even better, Himalayan salt
  • fresh cracked black peppercorns

You dropped a hunk o’ change on that choice- or prime-cut of steak! Salt and pepper about 20 minutes before you grill premium quality meats to give the salt a chance to draw out the moisture and intensify the flavor. S&P is so basic yet it’s the best and simplest way to savor grass-fed, free-range, exotic meats and seafood.

Citrus & Herb:

A citrus-y component …

  • orange peel
  • lemon peel
  • lemon or lime basil
  • lemon  or orange thyme
  • lemon balm
  • lemon verbena
  • lemongrass (ground or pounded)

Plus an earthy or woody herb …

  • rosemary
  • oregano or marjoram
  • thyme
  • sage
  • chives
  • basil (non-citrus varieties)

Brightens any veggie, meat or seafood dish, especially if pan-searing, grilling or roasting.  Since I grow many of these herbs in my garden, it’s a great way to take utilize ingredients at its freshest.

GM: Garam Masala

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 bay leaf (crushed)

While it’s used to season curries and stews in Indian cuisine, garam masala is a versatile spice mix. Works best with any truly bland vegetable, like cauliflower, or protein, like fish. Use it to spice up a baked potato or a grilled avocado. It’s a great way to liven up any dish and give it an antioxidant punch at the same time.

Cajun/Blackening Spice:

  • 2-3 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes, ground cayenne, or a dash of ghost pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/2 to 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

I originally created this spice mix for blackening fish, chicken and steaks in butter. But I’ve found that it does extremely well for direct grilling and searing all types of  protein, especially pork belly! Tweak the spice levels by increasing or reducing the amount of cayenne/red pepper. For a really spicy punch, use ghost pepper!