Tech Readers
Introduction
As you’re probably well aware, a ketogenic diet typically omits gluten. But you may not realize that gluten lurks in many unexpected places!
Once when we were visiting family, someone asked if I wanted a Bloody Mary, explaining that the mix she had bought was gluten-free. I don’t drink alcohol, so I passed, but the offer prompted my brother to ask if Bloody Marys typically contain gluten. Yep, many mixes include Worcestershire sauce (or the bartender will add a few drops to the mix), and Worcestershire sauce contains gluten.
During that same visit, my aunt made stuffed mushrooms and claimed that they were gluten-free because she hadn’t added any crackers or breadcrumbs, but when I asked her for her recipe, she said that she adds a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. This hidden gluten can be quite problematic for people with serious allergies! So I put a list together for you, whether you want to get rid of all gluten from your diet or you have a guest coming for dinner who suffers from a gluten allergy.
For the most part, the recipes in this book require tools that are part of a basic kitchen setup: standard pots, pans, baking sheets, and so on. However, some of the recipes, particularly the desserts, rely on specialized tools, and there are some tools that will simply make your life in the kitchen easier.
I’m often asked what my favorite spiral slicer is. It depends on the thickness of the noodle. For a thicker noodle, I love the Veggetti Pro Table-Top Spiralizer. If you prefer a thin, angel hair-like noodle, I recommend the Joyce Chen Saladacco Spiral Slicer.
Does such a thing as a healthy nonstick pan exist? Nonstick cookware can be very handy when cooking crepes, omelets, or wraps, but most nonstick pans are coated with Teflon and other chemicals that we want to avoid. Instead, you can use a well-seasoned cast-iron pan or a stainless-steel pan coated with lots of keto-friendly oil.
I’ve also found that the glazed ceramic pans from Ceramcor have a great nonstick surface without any chemicals. They can be cleaned as you would any other pan—the surface is very hard to scratch. They are super-durable and heavy-duty. However, there is a little learning curve with these pans. Because they are ceramic, they take longer to heat up. For omelets, I turn my burner on low for 2 or 3 minutes to warm the pan, then I add my cooking fat; I turn off the heat when I flip the omelet (ceramic pans, like cast-iron pans, hold heat longer). The omelet slides right out!
High-speed blender
A high-speed blender is perfect for processing liquids. High powered blenders, such as those from Blendtec and
Vitamix, have better performance, durability, and speed— but they’re also more expensive than regular blenders.
