Quindecim

Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: Opinion

Rachel Horst is a sophomore at Goucher College.

It sits there, all by itself, inconspicuously serving the vegan and vegetarian masses. Quietly nestled between the tiny fridge full of Tofurkey and gluten-free bread and the soda machine, this little gadget serves as an invaluable addition to the world of dining that is Stimson. What is it, you may ask?

It is none other than the new panini grill.

Added this semester to diversify the meal possibilities for Goucher's resident vegan and vegetarian students, it provides a place to turn an ordinary sandwich into an exciting melt with delicious little brown ridges on the bread, the panini grill has exponentially increased the pleasure of dining at Stimson.

We all know how it is. Standard rice and vegetable mixes sometimes don't do the trick; salad gets old no matter how many toppings we add, or maybe it just isn't a pasta kind of day. So we turn to a sandwich, pile a few things on, and get on with our day. But imagine a little layer of melted cheese, a new concoction of tomato and condiments and bread all mixed together and...heated!

This is the future of the sandwich, now that the panini has entered the picture. Norman Zwagil, head of Bon Appetit, Goucher's food service company, says that he decided to purchase a grill or two to expand meal options for all students, but also particularly after speaking to parents of students with allergies (hence the gluten-free bread and other specific items for those with allergies) and deciding to set a aside a place where they could put together a meal with ingredients to their liking.

Now, you may be thinking, "But I'm not a vegetarian!" Not to fear; by next week, two more panini grills are coming to Goucher, intended for use by non-vegetarians or non-vegans.

Zwagil says he was unaware of the demand that would ensue, but he intended from the beginning to spread the wealth around the student body by providing grills for all students - additional grills were simply delayed due to the manufacturer's being out of stock.

This means turkey, salami, chicken, non-vegan cheeses, and the like can all be added to the list of possible ingredients to be panini-fied.

There has, of course, been some tension regarding the exclusively vegan/vegetarian usage of the machine, resentment on the side of those who feel the grill excludes them and those vegans who feel the grill is being "contaminated" by non-vegan food items. This is all very soon to end, and all of Goucher can fairly and happily enjoy their respective food items.

If you have ever had the pleasure of grilled cheese from Pearlstone or perhaps a George Forman grill at home, you can imagine the difference it makes to stick a sandwich - or anything else you can think of, really - between the grills for a few seconds.

You will no longer have to endure the stare of the tired lump of tuna or chicken salad before you and wish that you could take a different route than just nuking it. You no longer will have to wait patiently while your bread toasts exclusively before putting together your sandwich. And you can finally do something with that perfectly good piece of chicken, begging you to garnish it with something creative before you stuff it into your mouth.

And all your friends, I guarantee you, will stare at the product you bring back to the table. "Where did you get that?" And you can answer, in your most suave tone, "Oh. I made it. With the panini machine." And then you'll realize the true possibilities of that little grill.

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