Will there be one more frost before Tuesday? Canberra folklore tells us that heaters can only be used between Anzac Day and the running of the Melbourne Cup. For those readers not familiar with Anzac Day and the Melbourne Cup, both signify important events. One because it truly is important, and the other because of hedonistic indulgence and the exploitation of horses and [Sarcasm on] small stature humans [Sarcasm off].
Will there be one more frost before Tuesday
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It seems unlikely there will be a frost on Monday morning given the embracing warmth of this weekend. Strange things do happen in Canberra though, like snow on Christmas Day in 1963. What is more likely is there may be frosty starts after Tuesday.
Anzac Day is the 25th day in April and commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand defence forces on the shores of Gallipoli in 1915. Each year, Australians commemorate, reflect, and express gratitude to members of the Australian Defence Forces who have served in all theatres including peacekeeping efforts.
The Melbourne Cup is a long course horse race held on the second Tuesday every November. I’ve never been a fan of horse racing. I’d prefer to watch horses running free, preferably captured at high speed so I can watch their gait in slow motion. I find these sorts of videos mesmerising. The only thing better than animal gait video in slow motion is watching thermonuclear explosion mushroom clouds in slow motion. I could watch them all day. We really need more thermonuclear device detonations so I can see more of these movies.
Anzac Day is important to all Australians.
[Sarcasm on]The Melbourne Cup is only important to people in Melbourne. You know, the people who call potato scallops potato cakes.[Sarcasm off]
What have I watched this week?
Rugby World Cup 2019
I was disappointed that Wales was defeated by New Zealand for third place. That said, it does bring some satisfaction knowing that New Zealand didn’t win or come second. Not that there are any prizes for second place.
I was happy that the Republic of South Africa defeated England in the final. I feel some disappointment for Eddie Jones though, he is the coach of the English team. Jones is Australian. It’s odd that the English rugby and rugby league teams are coached by Australians. The English rugby league team is coached by the Super Coach, viz., Wayne Bennett.
Rugby and Rugby League
This reminds me how frustrating it is to have to explain to people, usually people from the lesser states of Australia, i.e., Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia, there is a distinction between Rugby (Union) [the game played in Heaven] and Rugby League [the greatest game of all]. This explanation is never needed in the superior states and the territories.
I’m sure some people do it on purpose just to annoy me. But why waste time and energy on wanting to annoy me. It makes no sense.
What have I listened to this week?
Trust me I’m an expert
Stanley Whittingham with two others won this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in developing lithium-ion batteries.
This is timely given recent political interest in extracting lithium in Australia.
I’ve met a Nobel Laureate, viz., Professor Robin Warren, AC. Robin was the pathologist who described Helicobacter pylori in gastric biopsy specimens. He won the prize with Barry Marshall. I even got to hold his Nobel medal.
What have I eaten and photographed this week?
Videos
Photographs
This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one image and scroll through the rest of them.
The Owl Statue on Sunday morning 
Roast rolled shoulder of lamb with mango and lime salad 
Crispy KFC skin with Tasmanian triple cream brie and cherry tomatoes 
The Owl Statue on Saturday morning Lake Ginninderra South on Saturday morning 
KFC and salad 
21-piece bucket KFC with a plate of salad at home 
Steamed duck and Chinese mushrooms from Garran Kitchen 
Coffee and work 
The Owl Statue on Friday morning 
Thursday tea. Roast pork belly and creamy spinach. I took a strip of pork belly and cut the rind off and between a couple of pieces of kitchen paper I dried out the pork rind. I cooked the pork belly sans rind at 200 °C for about 40 minutes. At the same time I had the salted pork rind on the same baking tray but separate from the muscle and fat so it could get crispy. In a hot frypan lubricated with Queensland nut oil I added some sliced carrot and celery as well as some spring onion to soften. Once soft, I added in a handful of spinach leaves and waited for them to wilt a little. As the spinach leaves began to wilt I added in a tablespoon of horseradish and then a couple of tablespoons of sour cream and mixed everything through. I cut the pork belly across the muscle bundles and fat and served on top of the creamy spinach. I added the crispy pork rind on top. If you like these videos please let me know. 
Leftover steak, carrot, celery, and dates 
The Owl Statue on Thursday morning 
Wednesday tea. Roast chicken thigh with avocado and lime salad. Using a wireless meat thermometer I cooked the chicken according the app. I had dry brined the chicken and added a little iodised salt. I put a rack on top of a baking dish and then laid the chicken on the rack and inserted the thermometer deep into a large muscle bundle in the chicken thigh. I cooked my chook in my toaster oven which had been preheated to 200 °C (392 °F) and then used the app on my smartphone to guide the cooking process. I aimed for an internal temperature of about 76 °C (169 °F). After the app signalled the chicken was cooked and resting, I started putting the salad together. In addition to salad leaves I added lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. Some people have asked if I’m sponsored by the makers of the MEATER™ wireless meat thermometer, that is, Apption Labs. No, I’m not sponsored by anyone. I’m not opposed to being sponsored, but no one has made contact with me to offer a sponsorship of any kind. I think, if I was asked, I wouldn’t want to be paid any money, I’d like to review and try new products and be allowed to keep the product. Anyway, this MEATER™ system is fantastic. What I like about it is the food safety assurance I feel by using a thermometer when I cook potentially dangerous meat like poultry. I think when you select a chicken or a duck, you should make the assumption the body cavity is contaminated with germs that can cause gastroenteritis like species in the genera Salmonella and Campylobacter. By selecting the right internal temperature you can be sure that you’ve killed the dangerous germs. https://youtu.be/IZZXyi0hzko 
Leftover steak, carrot, celery, and dates 
The Owl Statue on Wednesday morning 
Using a wireless meat thermometer I cooked the chicken according the app and cooked the vegetables under the chicken in the baking tray as the juices from the chicken dripped as the chicken cooked. I had dry brined the chicken and added a little iodised salt. In the baking dish I added some frozen vegetables including some cauliflower. I put a rack on top and then laid the chicken on the rack and inserted the thermometer deep into a large muscle bundle in the chicken thigh. To avoid the vegetables drying out, prior to putting them in the baking dish I put them in a colander and ran some cold water over the frozen vegetables so the extra water would vapourise and form steam (invisible gas not to be confused with visible water vapour) to help cook the vegetables. I put everything into my toaster oven which had been preheated to 200 °C (392 °F) and then used the app on my smartphone to guide the cooking process. I aimed for an internal temperature of about 76 °C (169 °F). After the app signalled the chicken was cooked and resting, I started plating up the vegetables from the baking dish and then after removing the thermometer probe I put the chicken next to the vegetables. 
Leftover steak with carrot, celery, and dates 
Monday Tea. Baked salmon with a tossed salad. I oiled up the salmon by massaging the fillet with some Queensland nut oil. I then seasoned the fillet with some iodised salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a little garlic powder. I put the fillet skin side up on a baking sheet and added a little balsamic glaze. I put it in a hot oven for 15 minutes. For this meal, a hot oven is 200 °C (392 °F). The salad consisted of salad leaves and dressed with olive oil and lime juice. For the small minded trolls and haters who reported my food blog as abusive to Facebook, I hope more people who watch this video or read this post visit my blog at Yummy Lummy dot com. https://yummylummy.com/YT20191028 
Carrot, celery, dates, and rib steak 
Steamed egg, wilted spinach, crispy cheese, and coffee
Yummy Lummy this week
I cooked roast rolled shoulder of lamb with a mango and lime salad. I now have enough meat for lunches this week too.
Final thoughts
- How do you feel about horse racing?
- Who were you hoping to win the Rugby World Cup 2019?
- Are you aware of how much we rely on lithium-ion batteries in our everyday lives?
I like using @SkylumSoftware Luminar 3 for photo editing
— Gaz 🖖 (@garydlum) August 15, 2019
Check out the product https://t.co/HnxMkLpw1J
Yes, if people buy from this link I get a reward.
I’m not a fan of horse racing and I never place a bet, though if someone organises an office sweep, I may take part, but that’s more about being part of the team at work than the horse race. We’re having a Melbourne Cup arvo tea at work here in Canberra. Again, more about being part of the team!
I don’t follow the Rugby, so didn’t know who was in the final. Wasn’t aware of the battery situation either.
Re the weather, my heater is off now until April 26th next year. No matter what. I held off using it until May 1 this year!
I’ve found this winter to be a bit milder than previous years. My heater hasn’t been on too much.
I’m like you, if there’s a sweep on I’ll buy a ticket to be part of the team but if there was no sweep I’d just keep on working.