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My father used to say, “Chuck doesn’t do anything in halves.” He was right: sometimes its a virtue and sometimes a curse. He and my mother taught me to cook, sometimes using cookbooks, like Julia Child's, but more frequently just winging it. This site is a roller coaster ride of recipes, articles, ingredients and anything else that involves cooking and presenting food. There is something here for everybody from beginners to experts.


Cooking Temps

Chicken breast 165, Chicken thigh 170 or more. Pork med well 145, Pork med 140, Rack of lamb med rare 131, Beef very rare 125, Beef rare 130,Beef med rare 135, Duck Breast 126, Salmon med 118, Disclaimer: USDA stds dictate much higher temps. To be super safe, cook everything until it is dry and crunchy, then toss it in the trash

CGM one Month later

CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) is life changing! Without a doubt it is the best thing I have ever done for my health. I am not diabetic, but based on my readings, I have changed my diet and I have become much more educated. I now understand what various food items do to my glucose level. I pay attention to ingredients and I am less likely to go to restaurants. When I started, 17% of the time I was outside of my target of < 140. Now I am in the target range 99% of the time. 

What do I eat? I am not eating a non-sustainable wack-o-genic diet that eliminates everything good. I eat a Mediterranean diet that is based on vegetables, fish, nuts, fruits, limited carbs, and minimal sugar that is easy to follow. Other than low glycemic index fruit, I have eliminated sugar from my diet and I don't miss it. More of my calories come from protein and vegetables. For breakfast I have yogurt sweetened with Allulose, nuts, Blackberries, Blueberries, and Strawberries. My glucose briefly goes up a little but comes back down quickly. For lunch I will have a salad with a hardboiled egg, salmon, chick peas, and tomatoes dressed with Olive oil and vinegar. Dinner is varied, but typically not a huge amount of pasta, fried food, potatoes, or rice. I make keto Ice cream with yogurt and Allulose which is a satisfying dessert.

I am a walking experiment. I eat something and within 30 min I start to see results. If I see something increase my glucose level too much I either avoid it or I make sure to eat some protein and fat before it to slow the absorption. I can also go for a walk after the meal to quickly bring down the level. It is easy to avoid things that result in pain. Eating substances that cause metabolic harm can be difficult to avoid because there isn't any immediate feedback, and we frequently don't even know there is a problem. By the time we experience the actual health consequences, like a heart attack or stroke, the injury has been done. Glucose monitoring provides instant feedback; Like a pain response to metabolic injury. I understand what I am eating and my metabolic response to it. What I have learned is something I can use for the rest of my life, and I can pass this information on to family and friends.