I frequently solicit friends for topic suggestions for this column. Usually, I'll get a range of suggestions that represent what my guinea pig friends are interested in learning about in the world of food (and if any of you three readers has any ideas, please also pass them my way). Just when I thought I had my topic chosen earlier this week, I was thrown for a loop when a friend demanded I discuss George Foreman grills in my upcoming column. Off-put, I told him no -- the idea was too ridiculous, especially after he insisted George Foreman is the greatest American patriot since George Washington.
After marinating in the idea for a couple days, I thought of my own experiments with a secondhand George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine. All of my tries at cooking both protein and vegetables had sailed smoothly, with tasty results. As the TV ads promise, cleanup is in fact a snap -- as long as you clean it right after cooking, when the residue hasn't yet had a chance to dry and permanently adhere to the nonstick surface. With its sloped body, excess fat drains in channels into the provided fat collector cup, or whatever euphemistic name they call that piece. Unless you overcook your meat, which -- caveat emptor! -- is a very likely possibility, you're almost guaranteed a juicy end product since the fat trickles over and bastes the meat, then drains.
But meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike can all bask in the glory of the grill. I once used my George Foreman to grill marinated portobello mushrooms, which take on a hearty, meat-like consistency and hold up well when pressed between both grill sides. Other vegetables do equally well, picking up grill marks while cooking in a heartbeat. In fact, even if you own an outdoor grill, the George Foreman is an efficient tool to have in the kitchen. In the time it takes to fire up an outdoor grill, you can grill vegetables (or whatever) to be used in another recipe. I once threw some veggies on the Foreman, used the lag time to get some bread ready, then made a sandwich with the grilled vegetables and some cheese. Now I regret that I didn't then put the whole assembly onto the grill, as it makes delicious grilled sandwiches as well. Compared to a George Foreman grill, which is outfitted with floating hinges that allow a variety of food thicknesses to be cooked on it, a panini press seems limited in its function. And for all of you living in dorms, or if you have limited space in the kitchen, these George Foreman grills are tiny compared to other cooking appliances while still enabling you to make a hot meal -- handy if you have no approved area to cook and are instead forced to eat at the dining hall. They can be stored anywhere you have extra room, like under a bed. Maybe you see what I'm hinting at here, but just realize that discovery by fire marshal or burning your building down would be entirely your fault.
So, as you've seen, I've now written an article on the merits of a George Foreman grill -- something I initially swore I would never do. But truly, after collecting all these thoughts and putting them on paper, I might not be comparing the Georges (both Foreman and Washington), but the practicality of this invention is undeniable. I've been told that some of the newer models even have interchangeable cooking surfaces, like a griddle that can be swapped for the traditional grill plates, so pancakes are now a viable option. For those of you who are technology buffs, don't you wish this were real: ThinkGeek.com "invented" a George Foreman grill that connects via USB as an April Fool's joke, reported to be $99. The Web site claimed that consumers could "download recipes, enter in the type of food, weight and desired degree of doneness, and the iGrill does the rest ... As your meal cooks, the subtle glow from under the unit increases brightness and pulses faster until your meal is perfectly done." Someone should invent that for real.
I'll end with a recipe I often save for the outdoor grill, but I assume it'd translate easily to a George Foreman. Or if you try it and it doesn't, I apologize. But I think it will. If only you could download it into the George Foreman iGrill ... I'm sure it would tell you whether it's an acceptable recipe.
Grilled Whiskey Bananas
Get a large plastic bag and mix in the following ingredients in whatever proportions you desire: whiskey, brown sugar, vanilla, some cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut bananas lengthwise and in half and throw into bag. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Place pieces on the grill and cook for only a minute or two. If desired, take the marinade and reduce over the stove. Serve over vanilla ice cream.
Nora's column runs biweekly Wednesday. She can be reached at nwhite@cavalierdaily.com.
Editor's note: The Cavalier Daily does not endorse the use of George Foreman grills or panini presses on University property, as they may violate housing policy
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