Weekend Ramble: Genes vs Self

Genes.... Man, they scare the crap out of me. 

Let's go back in time for a minute. It was around 1998 that I found out I had cholesterol problems. We deemed it to be largely a genetic issue, because when I went on a low cholesterol diet, absolutely nothing happened. In fact my overall number was up 30 points. Months of trial and error finally produced a meds set that along with a proper diet kept my numbers in line. Cool. Just keep taking the meds and you'll be fine.

Not quite.

In 2013 my glucose and liver numbers started creeping up the scale. You've been there... Well... many of you have. :-) Results yoyoed for a while but basically got worse with each set of labs until there was no denying I had developed type 2 diabetes. I had already cut the alcohol the previous Halloween in hopes of bringing my liver levels down. Nope... didn't happen. Ok so maybe it's the statins causing the bad numbers... Nope, not that either. An abdominal ultrasound showed a fatty liver.

Now I knew what I had to do. I had to DO something. I had to FIGHT!

Radical diet change. No sugars and no carbs. I can do this. I'm gonna fight like hell! Drink tons of water and do a colon and liver cleanse. Create dishes I can feel good about and that will save my life. Lose weight..... LIVE! I WANT TO LIVE!

Doc took me off my statin to see what would happen in that arena as well. You see, he didn't know me 15 years ago, and I guess I was in denial about my genetics. The major diet change was going to be my panacea... yup I was going to kick some diabetes and cholesterol ass!

The pounds came off with ease... 14 pounds in six weeks. I'm DOING this! YES!..... and then came my latest bloodwork... with rather mixed results. Glucose and liver levels were in normal ranges, but cholesterol numbers were through the roof. I literally crashed emotionally. I had psyched myself up so much with this diet change and the effect it was having on my weight and overall sense of winning that I completely set aside the fact that I had cut my glucose and liver numbers nearly in half!

All I could see was what I deemed failure. Frustration spiraled nearly out of control and I was sinking into a depression until I realized that I had kicked ass on what I COULD control, and simply still needed outside help on what I could not. You see, for us folks with these ongoing health issues, it's important to understand the difference between what genetics do to us and what we do to ourselves.

You can't beat your genetics. So you learn to live with the cards you're dealt and get help to keep things in line. When it comes to Self, though, we have all the power in the world to combat and control our disease. Our number one tool? The brain. Use your brain to make a choice... Fight like hell and live? Or capitulate, toss all hope and die. It's as simple as that.

Start that fight with your food choices. I've chosen to go all the way instead of the moderation angle. I know that moderation is easy to cheat on, and knowing my addict gene is always lurking, I understand full well that rationalization is just around the corner. Do I miss my Jameson, my potatoes and my cake? You bet I do, but I can tell you this... It's getting easier to embrace this dietary change with each passing day.

I've taken control of what I can, and I'm getting help with what I can't. 

This is my fight, and I intend to WIN!

Have a great week, everyone, and thank you for your support!

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

                                                            Chef Michael R

Weekend Ramble: Dumping Red Meat

I am a huge fan of red meat.

There... I said it. LOL

I don't eat it anymore except maybe once or twice a month, but I am a fan nonetheless. 

You see, in April of 2022 I was finally able to connect with a cardiologist I had wanted to work with for two decades. In our first appointment we talked for over an hour. Can you imagine? :-)

I never thought it would happen, but because of him and the fact that we have a monthly subscription with Wild Alaskan Company, I decided to try a week without red meat. At the end of week one I was just fine and decided to go for a second week. Oddly enough, I was okay at the end of week two as well. Third week..... okay you can see where this is going. :-)

I ended up eating fish, shellfish and white meat chicken for four months... and then we did labs. The results on all levels were just insanely good... the best I'd had in 20 years. 

You see it's not so much the fat that comes with red meats, including pork and dark meat chicken, but rather the stuff in the meat itself that sends my lab numbers through the roof. Giving that up and limiting myself to one glass of red wine per day has convinced me that I CAN be healthier without giving up "good food".

Of course it helps that I can cook. :-)

I share this with you as I revive my recipe blog because up until early 2023 the collection had been somewhat red meat heavy. That is changing every day, and I am experimenting with converting some of the older dishes listed on the blog to include better proteins.

Don't let me scare you from red meat, though.

Moderation is key, and red meats will remain part of my new diet once or twice a month.

Stay tuned.... more good food is coming your way! 

Have a great week, everyone, and thank you for your support!

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

                                                            Chef Michael R

Weekend Ramble: Let me introduce you to my Mom

The Weekend Ramble comes in many shapes. Sometimes funny, sometimes educational, often quite personal. I share personal experiences and beliefs because they have shaped me to the man I am today. They have also influenced my cooking. To that end, let me introduce you to the woman who always told us that the secret to her insanely good meatballs was that she coughed on them.......

Her birthday is tomorrow, July 9, and my guess is she's having a party somewhere up in heaven.

Help me celebrate her life today. :-)

Sometimes life has a way of working itself out.

In 1979 I met the woman I proudly call Mom to this day, even though she is no longer with us. We still communicate all the time, because she and I have a bond I will never let go. When she died, I wanted nothing more than to stand before the world and share just how amazing she was, but as heavy as my heart was, I knew I was not going to be able to do so in a spoken eulogy. So I set it to the written word, and you know.... I'm glad I did, because now I can share my love, joy and pride with you. If you don't know her already, you are about to meet my Mom, the most amazing woman I have ever met. (Besides my Carolyn, of course)

A Written Tribute to Mom

 ...'cause there's no way I could get through this cohesively in person.

Concetta Vitale. . . Connie. . . our wife, our mother, our sister. . ... Our grandmother, aunt and friend. . . . Connie, the often loudmouthed, loving General who was adored by all because she never pulled punches; she never judged and she always, without fail, told you what you needed to hear, whether you liked it or not.

Connie, the consummate caregiver, the woman who gave of herself always, the woman who loved unconditionally, the matriarch who would rip you a new one without hesitation if she felt you needed it. Funny thing is...... she was always right when she did so.

I knew her simply as Mom, because that's who she was and always will be to me. I met Mom back in 1979, the same year my father passed away, when she invited me to dinner at her home when Carolyn and I were still dating. Having come from a very quiet home, I was somewhat shell-shocked when Dad showed me his gun collection in the first twenty minutes and I found the dinner table to be buzzing with at least six simultaneous conversations. Mom, of course, was apart of each and every one. And even though Carolyn had gone completely against Mom's wishes by bringing home a guy with a beard and a van, Mrs. V. welcomed me with open arms and immediately did what she did so well... she fed me. When I was full and tried to pass on a third helping, she fed me some more with a reason I have heard hundreds of times since then......

"....But it's good!"

From that day forth, I knew I was going to be not just her son-in-law, but her son. She taught me the virtues of Italian family by example. She gave me love, she gave me laughter, she smacked me in back of the head. She tested every whole wheat on the pasta on the market so that I'd eat well after learning of my heart disease. Mom taught me how to give without expecting anything in return, because that's what she did best.....give from the heart.

Connie's love for her family blossomed more and more with the arrival of each grandchild. Steve, Dillon, Alexa, Mario, Sofia, Silvio and Santino.... The seven of you are blessed to have been nurtured as well as yelled at by Grandma. Think about those times and remember them always..... Face Brutte, Precious Heart, Precious Liver..... Who besides Grandma can say those loving words and have them mean as much as they did?

Mom's Parkinson's disease, as we all know, took a severe toll on this strong woman. Not being able to care for others frustrated her to no end. That was her main concern.... the family. Connie hated this disease with a passion and fought it to the best of her ability.... Not for herself, but for her family. Her surgery last Monday, which coincided with her birthday, was supposed to give back some of her mobility. This past weekend was the best she had had in a long time. She was upbeat, smiling, laughing, and several times she said that for her birthday, she was going to become a new person. Of course we all related that to a successful outcome to the surgery....

But Mom, as always, was one step ahead of us.

You got your wish, Mom... no more pain, no more pills, no more walker, no more damned oxygen hose. Mom, you are indeed a new person now… you're an angel in heaven.

Blessed be.....and ride in Peace.

Thank you, Carolyn, Marion and Lydia for sharing your Mom with me.

Have a great week, everyone, and thank you for your support!

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

                                                            Chef Michael R

Weekend Ramble: Some of My Favorite Quotes

There are quotes we come across in our lives that shape us as a person. They may describe a specific point in time or describe our views of life and humanity as a whole. Quotes come and quotes go.... we chuckle at many of them, but every once in a while you come across one that just sticks. Here are a few of mine:

“When one door closes another door opens;
But we so often look so long and so regretfully
Upon the closed door,
          That we do not see the new worlds
          Which open for us”
                                                Alexander Graham Bell

I latched on to the above quote 25 years ago when I was in the midst of quitting smoking. I was about 6 months into my quit when I realized that I had to... and needed to... focus on the new life ahead instead of continuing to mourn the loss of my deadly companion. Mr. Bell's words of wisdom rang true once again last year when I was diagnosed as diabetic. It is his thinking that immediately caused me to look forward and in turn create this blog to make my life going forward as normal as possible under the circumstances. The understanding that my menu of the past was killing me allows me to sever ties with moderate ease. Now don't get me wrong, this shit is NOT easy... not in the least. There are days when I crave carbs like pasta and potatoes just like a drug dependency. I'll be honest... there are days when I cave as well... I am NOT perfect. As a man doing his best to keep that addict gene in check, though, I am able to keep in mind that the alternative, in a nutshell, is a premature death. My sister died before turning 60 years old. My father died at age 52. Those are some pretty strong motivators for me as I approach my 65th birthday in a few days.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,
To front only the essential facts of life,
And see if I could not learn what it had to teach,
And not, when I came to die,
Discover that I have not lived.
I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear,
Nor did I wish to practice resignation,
Unless it was quite necessary.
I wanted to live deep and suck the marrow out of life..."

                                                  Henry David Thoreau

First time I read the above quote, I literally got goosebumps. Grabbing life and making it real.... understanding that we are but a fleeting moment in time as we walk our planet... and realizing just how precious the simplest things truly are... THAT... is living. This diabetes? It is something to be dealt with... period. It is not the end of the world, but instead a challenge to help myself by helping others. Through it all, I know that I can still look to Mother Earth and all her glorious beauty... and I can smile because life is worth living.

"When I cook, I am looking to pull myself back

from a dish rather than add to a dish.

I would rather a dish feel too simple than too fussy.

Sometimes, though, you need to add some extra ingredients

as long as they work dynamically."

                                                    Chef Michael Anthony

                                                    Gramercy Tavern, NYC

When I first read Chef Michael Anthony's quote, I was reminded of my early days of cooking when I thought more is better. Since then I have learned from numerous chefs that it's important to let the protein shine and not bury it in a sea of herbs and spices. This quote has become the backbone of my cooking and it has served me very, very well.

My latest favorite sums it all up for me. I'll yet you form your own interpretation on this one because... well... I have a couple of new recipes to try out! :-)

Some people feel the rain...

                                                  Others just get wet.

May light, love and laughter be your constant companion.

Have a great week, everyone, and thank you for your support!

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

                                                            Chef Michael R

The Spice & Tea Exchange of Mystic Seaport, CT

Have you ever had an experience where you've visited a new town, either on business or pleasure, and you've wandered into a shop that turned your day into an experience rather than just a shopping stroll? Well, a few years back it happened to me in this shop. Welcome to 

The Spice & Tea Exchange of Mystic Seaport, CT

Yes, this shop is a franchise operation, but honestly, I only found that out after I got home and checked them out on the Net. The lovely lady who took care of us made us feel right at home with her fresh brewed sample tea, an Earl Grey Creme...

and her delightful Green Tea Treats...

We got to sample various spices and received

some recommendations that have not disappointed.

The Florida Sunshine mix has proven amazing on leftover chicken. The Baker's Secret elevates morning coffee to the aromas of Mom's kitchen during baking, and the Pirate's Bite blend.... well let's just say it has just the right amount of kick to clear your sinuses.

We got some white peppercorns so I could try my hand at the mignonette this past week and also grabbed some Pink Pepperberry... just because I'm curious.

Naturally we couldn't stop at peppercorns...

And with the myriad of teas a small selection did need to come home with us...

All in all, it was quite the haul LOL

So if you're ever in Mystic Seaport, CT, do check them out...

I promise you'll walk away smiling :-)

Have a great week, everyone, and thank you for your support!

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

                                                            Chef Michael R

Weekend Ramble: GOT SPICE?

Good morning, everyone! Today's focus is on spices. You know... those little goodies that enhance all we do in the kitchen creating our culinary masterpieces.

If you're anything like me, you cringe whenever you have to plop down seemingly insane amounts of money for these little jars of goodness. I have been known to just buy whatever brand of spice is on sale at the time I need to replenish. As you can see above, this methodology results in a hodge-podge of bottles that can drive us OCD types just a little nuts. What to do?

Start growing your own, buy IN BULK what you can't grow yourself and package it all in matching jars that will turn your spice cabinet into a functional work of art! First you'll need to choose a jar style and size that suits you. Personally I like the look of square bottles. I found these little 6oz beauties at Specialty Bottle for ~$1.59 each. 

Packaged in neat little six-packs they are at the ready when you are.

Screw tops and snap-on shaker tops are included with every bottle.

Buying in bulk is not only a cost savings, but it lessens our plastic and glass footprint as well. The big box stores like CostCo or BJ's are good sources, but I really like The Monterey Bay Herb Company as well as Penzey's Spices. Check them out for great prices on bulk bagged herbs, spices and teas, too!

Growing your own can reduce that footprint even further. This is my 5-basil blend that I grow, dry and grind every year. Due to space limitations I only end up with about 12 of these bags a season. Cost: $6.00? Here's a tip... Homegrown spices and herbs make great gifts. :-)

Now, as honorable as reducing our waste footprint is, I am compelled to point out how much organization, order and uniformity turns me on in the kitchen. My friend Sunny, who sadly is no longer with us, referred to things like this as "Kitchen Porn"... I agree! 

Come on... you know you see it, too ;-)

THIS:

INSTEAD OF THIS:

Yeah.... I'm diggin' it :-)

These are our tools... just like our precious knives they deserve our utmost respect. Packaging them so they are an integral part of our domain just makes everyone happy ;-)

Blessed be...and happy cooking!

                                  Chef Michael

Everyone has a defining moment in life. I'm pretty sure March 31, 2020 was mine.

I wrote and vented hard that day. Earlier that month Carolyn and I had moved from our main residence in Westchester County, NY, just north of NY City, to our second home in Washington County upstate. The morning of March 31 our downstate county registered 1% of the county infected (9326 people) and there was no sign of any improvement on the horizon. Basically, we had fled. We were safe while thousands died. As far as the lockdown goes, I was in pretty good shape at first. I had my fields and my forest with plenty of outside work to do. I installed bad satellite so Carolyn could work remotely, albeit pixelated on marginal video conferences. We were... okay.

As the lockdown continued on, we were far better off than most, but even surrounded by nature the constant, always dire pandemic news finally got to me. On March 31, 2020, I succumbed to what I perceived to be impending doom and a very possible end to life as we know it. I remember driving my tractor on the mountain that morning... a simple firewood run... At one point I just stopped the machine and cried in my forest. As I often do in times of crisis, I sat down and vented on "paper" when I got back to the house. It mostly works well for me... though only to a degree that day.

What I DID find that day was just how important my cooking and my kitchen are to me. They define me in more ways than I had known until I found myself escaping to my kitchen and my tools for comfort and mental safety. 

The piece came up Friday as a Facebook memory... again. I will hang on to it for as long as I'm alive because I now know that March 31, 2020 was a day that has defined me for the rest of my life.

Pandemic Lockdown - March 31, 2020

Quarantine. It's necessary. Yes. Definitely necessary. It's working. I know because I'm not sick. Yet. I'm scared shitless watching the numbers rise around me. 1% of my county has now been tested positive. That may not sound like a lot but it's 9326 neighbors as of this morning. I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to run away. I can't run away. I have to stay inside. I have social media... a curse as well as a blessing. I watch people sing. I watch them clap. I see people coming up with ways to not go insane with fear for themselves as well as others. People being supportive with song, poetry, art etc. People telling each other it'll be okay....... And then I think.... what if it's not going to be okay? What if this pandemic wipes out every person I know. What if the virus kills half of the people in my life? The number of infected people is now creeping closer to my small circle of friends and relatives, and it scares me. It scares me like nothing has ever scared me before. I don't have song... or poetry... I don't do video games... I rarely read... I found myself slipping deeper and darker the last few days. And then I realized something. My kitchen is my safe zone. In my kitchen I am in control. It is immaculate and virus free and shiny and everything in it is a treasure that will sustain me going forward. It is organized to be completely ergonomic. The tools I use are of quality, and they are well maintained.

In my kitchen I am in control. That's something to hold on to, because everything outside my bubble is beyond any reality I have ever known. I'm still scared when I cook, but at least here I know what to do. And I make myself and the people around me a little brighter.

Stay safe, people.

Have a great week, everyone... and go hug somebody.

                                                            Michael

Weekend Ramble... or maybe I just need a vacation.

March and April are my least favorite months.

It's a limbo time where winter is kind of still hanging

on and spring just isn't springing fast enough. I have my

own version of March Madness.... grrrr.

There's mud everywhere

There is snow and ice where it shouldn't be

It's still cold enough for the furnace to kick in

I despise painting

My shoulder hurts

The Market isn't doing what it should

There's mud everywhere

I want to eat a pound of ravioli slathered in butter

The pond is still frozen

I'm sick of diabetes

The lawn looks like shit

The trees look like shit

Is it ever going to stop raining?

There's mud everywhere and I want a drink

People need to be nicer

Suppliers need to ship faster

If I can muster up common courtesy, everyone else should, too

Telemarketers should at least speak English I can understand

My knees hurt

I'll probably be dead in 20 years

There's mud everywhere

I want to binge on Oreos... but I can't... and I won't

Damn mud...