The Tools of the Dukan Profession
My crêpe has burned! If I don't flour the tin, the cake sticks! My cream is full of lumps! Over the years, we have often read these phrases.
My crêpe has burned! If I don't flour the tin, the cake sticks! My cream is full of lumps!
Over the years, we have often read these phrases. In fact, even for those who knew how to handle traditional cooking, the Dukan diet can hide some pitfalls.
It involves working with "alternative" flours, without the possibility of adding fats or sugar to the mixtures, and dealing with textures that are completely different from the usual.
Today we talk about those few, inexpensive tools that will save you from bitter disappointments during your journey.
SILICONE MOULDS
Unlike traditional aluminium moulds, which need to be greased and floured, silicone ones allow you to pour the mixture directly once it's ready for baking. There are many shapes and sizes available; particularly useful in Dukan are the "single-serving" ones that allow you to portion based on the amount of bran to be consumed.
https://www.tibiona.it/tortiera-in-silicone-per-crostata-24cm-professionale.html?tracking=55adf2f0b7cc5
WHISKS AND SPATULAS
Lumps are not living beings that spontaneously arise within a mixture. If the proportions of the recipe are well balanced between powders and fresh ingredients, the presence of lumps will surely be due to inadequate mixing. This reasoning applies to both mixtures to be baked in the oven and to creams and sauces. Whisks ensure smooth and homogeneous mixtures; spatulas, in addition to helping you flip crêpes and omelettes, are useful for mixing creams and sauces as they thicken.
https://www.tibiona.it/leccapentole-da-26cm-professionale.html?tracking=55adf2f0b7cc5
VEGETABLE SHREDDER/SLICER
The vegetable shredder is a true sharpener in which vegetables such as courgettes and carrots are inserted to obtain spaghetti-like strands, great for consuming raw or lightly sautéed.
The vegetable slicer allows you to achieve very thin vegetable cuts all of the same thickness (which will therefore cook evenly), ensuring a precision that is very difficult to obtain with traditional knives.
FOOD RELEASE SPRAY
Food release spray is a very useful aid when you cannot grease moulds and pans with oil or butter. You really only need a little for all preparations to magically come out of the moulds and not stick to the pans.
https://www.tibiona.it/staccante-spray-per-dolci-400ml.html?tracking=55adf2f0b7cc5
PRECISION SCALE
Although for most ingredients a classic kitchen scale is sufficient, for some others (e.g., sweeteners and thickeners) it is useful to have scales that can measure even tenths of a gram for optimal dosing.
https://www.tibiona.it/bilancia-tascabile-division-110000.html?tracking=55adf2f0b7cc5
MICROWAVE COOKER
There are a series of microwave-safe containers that allow you to cook various types of food in record time. The most commonly used are: rice cookers, vegetable steamers, egg cookers, and apple cookers.
This way, even sudden hunger can be satisfied easily and deliciously.
PARCHMENT PAPER
In addition to the classic use as a lining for trays, it can be used in many other ways. For example, you can roll out your mixtures with a rolling pin between two sheets, and you can even use it to freeze your "sheets" simply by rolling them in the paper on which you have spread them.
MUG
The mug is a uniquely shaped cup, specifically designed to hold the cake that is ready in just a few minutes, which takes its name from it (mug cake). Using regular cups increases the likelihood that the mixture will overflow during cooking.
PRESENTATION PLATES
Too often we eat without even looking at what we have on our plate. This leads us to be habitual, lazy, and lacking in imagination. We have always believed that the eye also wants its part and that presentations are an integral part of a complete food re-education journey.
Sometimes a bit of ingenuity and cunning can solve difficult situations because happiness can also be found in the darkest moments, if only one remembers to turn on the light.
For further support, we invite you to join our Facebook group Dieta Dukan Italia (classica e 7 giorni), and to visit the Youtube channel of Cucina Dulight.
Until next time,
Jessika and Cristiano – Cucina Dulight