Im throwing up a quick post just so you all wont think Ive been captured and sold into slavery. MD and I are on the coast-to-coast Sous Vide Supreme introduction tour, which ends today. I thought I would have plenty of time to blog and Tweet on this tour, but it has ended up being a huge time gobbler. What with getting all the stuff set up, checking in and out of hotels, running for flights and flying all over heck and gone, there has been barely any time to keep up with emails let alone fiddling with the blog.
As I type these words, were at 37,000 feet somewhere between Chicago and New York. After all the complaining Ive done in previous posts about my disastrous experiences with a multitude of airlines, Ive got to say that this tour has gone without a hitch. Weve flown U.S. Air, American, Alaskan Airlines, and now Delta, and all flights have been on time on both ends. Were traveling with a crew of nine, so I am thankful for all the airlines weve flown and the weather gods for allowing all this to come off on schedule.
I planned to post about the different venues as we went from city to city, but as I said, the time constraints have been such that I really couldnt do it. Ive got a zillion photos that Ill post in due course and a lot of info about cooking that Ive learned from the best.
Richard Nikoley, of the Free the Animal blog, came to the San Francisco event and posted on it, so you can read his take, complete with photos, here.
Another writer who attended the San Francisco event wrote about it after. Its a good article but I object to the word shilled. In my obviously biased view, touted or promoted or recommended would have been much better choices. Other press reports that are much better (from my perspective, at least) are here, and here.
As you can see from the above articles and blog, Heston Blumenthal, chef of The Fat Duck, one of the worlds best restaurants, is traveling with us and helping us introduce the Sous Vide Supreme to the world. Heston and team (several of whom are with us, too) did the testing of the Sous Vide Supreme in The Fat Duck Experimental Kitchen in the UK. As one of the preeminent and most knowledgeable sous vide chefs in the world, Heston is also doing cooking and teaching demos with the unit on this tour.
At this point in my narrative breakfast arrived. It is pictured below. You can see to what depths airline food has fallen.
Low-fat yogurt, 2% milk, Raisin Bran, fruit, a bagel and coffee. How nauseating. I will admit, however, that I ate almost all of it, middle-aged middle be damned. I did leave over half the bagel because it was totally tasteless, much like eating cardboard and as cold as stone. I havent worried much about diet on this tour because weve been eating one meal a day – if were lucky – so Ive been viewing the experience as an intermittent fast. We get little shards of the foods prepared for the demo, but thats about it. The rest of the time were on the run and havent eaten much at all.
So you can see how the demo events are set up, Ive put up the schedule and menu to the left below.
MD and I introduce ourselves and talk about how the Sous Vide Supreme was developed, much as I did in a recent blog post. We then introduce Heston, who shows a video of the preparation of Mock Turtle Soup, which I also blogged about not too long ago. He follows that with a short video of a dessert composed of all the essences of smoke, apples, leather and tobacco and four different whiskies – all incorporated into a flaming sorbet. He then talks about how he started The Fat Duck with just himself, a dishwasher and a couple of waiters. Then he moves into the different foods prepared using the Sous Vide Supreme and talks about all the extensive testing he did of the unit at The Fat Duck. The staff passes around tasting plates of the food selections to the guests, most of whom are media people, food writers or chefs. The food is absolutely beyond compare. When I have more time, Ill post a description of how each different food is prepared and show photos, of which I have a multitude.
After the event in New York is over today, MD and I have to do a little Middle-Aged Middle promotion tomorrow with some radio, then its off to Las Vegas (of all places) for a couple of days. My niece is getting married there on Sunday (she lives there and is a graphic artist for one of the casino operations), so were stopping on the way back to attend. Then, finally, home on Monday. At which point, after going through all the mail and other stuff that has stacked up while weve been on the road, Ill get back to more regular posting.
I got word yesterday that the 6-Week Cure blog is set up and ready to go, but so far we havent been able to post anything to it. If youve got a 6-Week Cure question or comment, hold it for just a couple more days til we get that blog up. And if youve had a question languishing in the emails, were working on that, too. We had an unexpected glitch, when the new email contact points got mistakenly routed to an email that we never use by the web gurus. There they sat for about a month before we realized that was why we werent getting any emails from the new site. We apologize and as soon as we get back to Casa Eades well get busy answering those we can answer.
Im working on another fun post that Ill maybe be able to get up before we get back, but I cant promise. At any rate, itll be up soon after were home if not before.
Thanks for hanging in there during my absence.
My wife and I (usually my wife takes care of it) pack some Atkins bars for times like this. I simply do not eat the carbcrap in an airline meal (and these days, I try not to fly if there is any reasonable alternative, including staying at home). Although if I was really hungry, I might put that pat of butter on my Atkins bar.
One of the real pleasures of a low-carb diet is that I have to miss at least two meals before I start to get really hungry.
On a recent trip to France, I carried cans of tuna, sardines, and (coming home) French pate (all with those rings for easy opening) to eat when they served meals like this.
I hold no brief for Atkins’ or any other manufactured bar (B Sears?).
I do endorse the real lack of hunger when keeping carbs <= 25 gm/day.
Without intending to Fast Intermittently, I so often do not brunch until 13:30, when working from home. I find I will not have eaten for 18 hours. It certainly encourages use of previously stored TAGs for muscle function, and ketones for the heart and brain!
I travel quite often to Budapest. It is easy to distinguish Hungarians from the rest of us: they bring their own salamis, hams,sausages etc. together with their own bottled water!
In extremis, I often make a pile of beef jerky to take somewhere where I expect no reasonable food. It’s extremely easy with a purpose-built dehydrator, and not terribly hard with only an oven. (It doesn’t tend to save in money much over commercial jerky, since decent meat is always expensive, but it saves a huge amount of carbs–the sugar in Oberto is insane.)
And as for “low-carb meal bars”, I had my fill of them years ago. Talk about eating cardboard (And then there’s what the sugar alcohols (maltitol, sorbitol, lactitol, glycerine, isolmalt, etc.) do to my digestion, about which the less said the better.)
That is a pretty rough flight meal, even coming from a non-carbophobe like myself. You’re right though Doc, sometimes life gets in the way of our desire for healthy food, and you just have to let it be. Nothing is more unhealthy than being so fanatical about health that you can’t just eat like a “normal person” for a few days. Sounds like a great trip!
The fact that Heston extensively tested the Sous Vide supreme, and is actively promoting the product, really is major selling point for me! I’ve been stuck using a manky old lab water bath, it does the job and cost me nothing because my university where chucking it out. However I’m very tempted to whip out the credit card and invest in one of these bad boys!
Husband (in comment above) misses entirely the fact that you actually DID get fed, (albeit crap food) which is more than I can say for my 8-hour flight to Hawaii last summer. And though I pack Atkins bars, we actually EAT much better food that I have prepared and packed myself. The Atkins bars are only for extreme emergency.
Although probably the difference between the price of your ticket and the cattle-car fare is way more than the price of the crappy breakfast.
You are forgiven, Dr. Eades.
Hi Doc,
I caught about half of your appearance on Bloomberg radio on Friday — was interrupted by a long distance call — I forgot the host’s name, but she obviously knows what she is talking about, and it was a very good appearance. Congratulations! It is nice to hear the two of you and to know that a national audience is hearing about not just sous vide, but the 6 week cure and also about protein power in general. I thought the host did a great job covering the bases and you guys both knocked it out of the park.
As for me, I am down 6 pound (from 165 to 159) on day 11 and looking forward to my meat weeks.
Thanks again and great job on the air.
Jeff
I preordered my machine today. I can’t wait for mid-November to receive!
Enjoy Las Vegas. That’s where I live and we are supposed to have great weather all weekend.
I agree with Aaron’s comment about jerky. It’s incredibly quick and easy. I cut lean beef or bison into thin slices and hang it on a small rack in front of a fan. It’s dry within a few hours and tastes very good. Takes five minutes of my time to prepare a pound of raw meat that way.
For longer trips, pemmican is ideal — rendered beef or bison suet mixed with grated dried lean meat. That’s a little more work but easier than it sounds.
The last time I flew, I took a ziploc bag with a mix of raw pistachio nuts and dried goji berries.
Regarding your schedule over the next few days, I don’t see anything about sitting down and resting for awhile. Please do. We can’t get along without you, you know.
We usually carry paleokits and water when we fly. Prior to this, I had to eat pats of butter and drink black coffee.
We usually carry paleokits and water when we fly. Prior to this, I had to eat pats of butter and drink black coffee.
We usually carry paleokits and water when we fly. Prior to this, I had to eat pats of butter and drink black coffee.
When pre-ordering the SVS, I was given the option to also order the Reynolds® Handi-Vac® Product Line for $7.99. Wanting to find out more information about the Handi-Vac, I went to the manufacturer’s website at http://www.reynoldspkg.com/reynoldskitchens/handi_vac/en/home.asp.
This is posted there:
“Reynolds® Handi-Vac® Product Line Discontinued
We have made the difficult decision to discontinue manufacturing and distributing Reynolds® Handi-Vac® Vacuum Sealing Pumps and Bags. Product inventory has been depleted and is no longer available.”
Since replacement bags cannot be purchased, it seems foolish to buy one of these Reynolds pumps from your site, if that is truly possible. Is it possible to use bags from other manufacturers? I am disappointed that you are offering something for sale that will have a very short usable life and no warning is given about the product being discontinued..
Wish I had the option of eating that. I would choose hunger.
Too hypoglycemic, too prone to obesity and moods, etc.
I carry peanuts, atkins bars and other convenient foods. No reason to go hungry or to eat a bagel.
I am going to have to suggest that what Mr. Blumenthal is doing for you is indeed shilling.
I am assuming that Mr. Blumenthal is taking time from overseeing his kitchen at the Fat Duck and touring around the US eating Mars bars and drinking beer on behalf of the Sous Vide Supreme because he is being compensated. Even if he is donating his time due to a personal friendship with you or MD, or to his extreme belief in sous-vide as the future of home cooking, he is still a shill, under this lovely definition:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shill
“2- a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.”
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s not exactly like he’s a blind tested convert to sous-vide and the SV-Supreme. He is a famous molecular gastronomist who is being compensated for his time in the promotion of the SVS, which furthers molecular gastronomy, which furthers him directly.
Let’s say a friend of mine (who beforehand isn’t necessarily diabetic or even pre-diabetic) has adopted a VLC diet, and then a zero-carb/meat diet. Let’s day his blood sugars have been elevated on this diet to levels that are much higher than what I would consider healthy. I know protein can be converted to sugar, but I don’t believe he is eating it in excess. It has been over a month and we are not sure what to do… could it be a temporary effect, natural reaction to zero-carb, or possibly dangerous?
If this hypothetical situation occurred (and I am asking becasue I know for some it has) goes against almost everything I have learned over the past few years about blood sugars and diabetes.
You are the only man I know that has medical knowledge and doesn’t freak over the idea of an all-meat diet.
Suggestions?
Oh, this might be a good link… do you think that it is possible that the elevated blood sugars are fine?
http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/search/label/Physiological%20insulin%20resistance%20%281%29
Matt Stone “That is a pretty rough flight meal, even coming from a non-carbophobe like myself.”
Then a carbphobic like me would actually have a heart attack if they put that in front of me xD
Hate airplanes, last time i traveled (from Australia to South America) my first flight lasted almost 14 hours (pacific) and I had to sleep all the way cause i forgot my snack and i knew what was comming, the next one (6hrs) i did eat (i was starving at that point) but thankfully we had salmon ( a tiny piece) along with bread, margarine, choc mud-cake, chocolate bar and rice, ohh and fruit, I was like: -_-!
You know, a few months ago I’d have thought that your airline meal was pretty healthy. Keep spreading the good word!
Re: mock turtle soup: you’re lucky, I can’t get real mock turtles around here 😉
Well, that’s what you get for flying Delta. Continental’s regular first-class breakfast includes a small omelet (usually plain, sometimes with cheese) and a breakfast meat (usually sausage, sometimes ham). There are potatoes and fruit and a warm muffin, too, but at least it’s not a total carb blowout, and the eggs and meat are quite tasty. Sometimes I’ll take a flight earlier than strictly necessary for my schedule, to make sure I’m solidly in the breakfast period.
Doc , I am trying to find out if i can pre-order from Canada, and what are the shipping charges to CANADA, Please?
Thanks
Jo-Anne
biltong or bills dong in our house.
18 inch stwips of beef or game meeee-at.
crush coriander seeds, and add some salt and winegar. turn every few hrs for 24hrs.
old paper on floor beanath, bit o stwing, some paper clips unfolded as ‘hooks’ hook thru mee-at and oer stwing.
Do in averagely warm room…maybe 3-5 days it’s weady to eat.
You will shoot yr bolt at le taste.
No fans or owt else needed other than the above..however you might need a safe as when pals and relos eat this it’ll be snarfed in short shrift.
You have been warned !
El Wreckless Pen !
Most recent on oesophageal cancer and curcumin:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8328377.stm
I have been using turmeric as an additive on many foods recently, but it does stain my utensils as if suffering from the “yellow peril”!
@Katie
Hyperlipid – Peter – seems quite happy, does he not?
“So do I worry about a FBG of over 5.5mmol/l?
Not while my HbA1c is 4.4%.”
Hello all: I have a simple question not related to this specific post. I would like to know if egg-yolks cause swelling, bloating and water-retention in our bodies? I would like to know that, because i’ve read different articles and even in Dr. Eades book “Protein Power” he said that in some people read-meat and eggs might cause some liquid retention and some bloating.
Thanks
What the hell did Ken S just say?
ML Harris: I disagree and think shill was a most inappropriate word used to describe the business relationship. Even according to definition in your link, the word is used to describe the role of a set up man in a scam or a carnival barker. It is simply not appropriate in this context.
‘Promote’ or ‘sell’ would be more appropriate choices. ‘Shill’ is a loaded term and an insult, which I’m sure is what the writer intended.
@ Lynn_M
Yes, the Ziploc vacuum bags work with the Reynold’s Handi-Vac. I’ve been using the Reynold’s Handi-Vac for a couple of years for food-freezing purposes. I was disappointed when the Reynold’s product line was discontinued and I could no longer find the vacuum bag refills, but relieved and delighted to discover that the Ziploc bags work just as well as the Reynold’s bags. Of course, there is also a Ziploc-brand vacuum pump available for sale. I’ve seen it marketed alongside the replacement bags at a couple of different area supermarkets (definitely Superfresh and ShopRite and/or Acme, in NJ).
Lynn I owned the handi-vac and yes you can use the ziploc vacuum bags with it. They work just as well if not better. I order them by the case from BuyTheCase.net . Since moveing to Texas in June, I was haveing a hard time finding even these bags, so I e-mailed ziplock and yes they still make them. Our stores here, HEB and Walmart are the only choices in Austin it seems. doesn’t always carry them.
Debbie
Dr. Mike,
I know you are super busy……have you ever considered putting together a blog on gestational diabetes/long term effects on mommy and baby? I want to scream right now, one of my dear friends spent last week in the hospital after being diagnosed with it. I have given her my two cents, but was curious to see what the internet had to say as well. HORRIBLE. Seems the dietician recommended diet has preggo’s eating around 200g/carbs per day. Between the medical websites and the mommy forums, I kept seeing “carbs are the answer!” only their version of low-carb was kinda off. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
R/Amber
Dr. Mike, I know you said you were planning on doing an article on supplements. My question concerns calcium.
I keep reading that I should be getting 1,000 mg of calcium per day, but you’ve said in PPLP and elsewhere that we need equal amounts of calcium and magnesium. I don’t think I want to take 1,000 of magnesium a day (I’d never get out of the bathroom!).
Do you think that 500 grams of calcium plus 500 grams of magenesium plus 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day is sufficient to ward off osteoporosis? I’m also starting to take 1,000 mg of krill oil, 1,000 mg of Omega 3 oil, and 800 mg of Vitamin E to help with arthritis. I’ve taken both Bromelain and Curcumin for more than a month now (with the Krill oil, but not the Omega 3 or the Vitamin E), and see no difference, which is why I’m switching up a bit.
I don’t expect an answer right away, but if you could address this in an upcoming blog, that would be great.
THANKS!!!
on a different note,
check this out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8334353.stm
“Eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression, research suggests.”