Meal Monday
I am what is known in business school case studies as a late adapter (see Luddite). I cannot be convinced (no matter how hard my husband tries) to give up my traditional date book that I mark in pencil. I got an iPhone last spring from my children as a birthday present, primarily so they can play games on it. I was perfectly happy with an old fashioned cell phone.
I literally do not know how to turn on the television in our house. Once there is more than a single remote control, I give up. I do not have the extra brain space to devote to something that's supposed to make my life easier, but carries what I consider a steep learning curve.
So it came as a surprise to my family and to myself, that I have gone slightly gadget crazy in the kitchen recently. Last year, I gave us all an ice cream maker. And we have used it quite a bit to make sorbets. The insert takes up a lot of space in the freezer, and falls on someone's foot on a regular basis, but overall, it was a good purchase.
It has since been supplanted, however, by the as-seen-on-tv Yonanas machine. This simple blender-like contraption turns frozen bananas into a creamy soft-serve dessert. It's really good and guilt-free, because after all, it's only a banana. Of course, I am not counting the Nutella or chocolate chips we add in ("just a little") to dress it up. Pretty soon, I fear, the ice cream maker will be relegated to the basement shelf next to the bread machine.
My other new favorite is my Cuisinart Griddler. It does everything. I suspect it bears more than a passing resemblance to that perennial favorite of gadgeteers everywhere, the George Foreman Grill, but I found this one at Costco and I love it. It takes up about the same amount of counter space as a laptop (we cram it into the cabinet when not in use). It has two inserts -- one side is a grill/panini device and the other is just a flat griddle. It would have been my savior a couple of years ago when we renovated our kitchen and had the refrigerator and single electric burner from Walgreens in the dining room, but alas, I am a late adapter (see above), and did not have it then.
Now, despite having a fully-equipped kitchen, I am an enthusiastic proponent of this widget. I favor the grill side and use it mainly as a panini press, but I did make some awesome French toast the other day on the griddle side. BUT, when I tried to scramble the remaining egg mixture ("why waste it?"), at least half the mixture rolled right off the griddle and into the handy-dandy drip pan. Not a big success.
The paninis, though, have become a staple for us -- great easy dinners and weekend lunches. I stock individual focaccia rolls (my kids love them) and cold cuts, along with cheese and avocado and tomatoes and can always whip up a panini or two. The other day, I made my daughter a panini with sliced turkey and black olive tapenade. Rave reviews ensued.
I guess we can file this in the progress column. I will continue to use my date book ("OMG Mom!") and be frustrated with the television, but the learning curve was worth all the effort for a good panini.
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