Thursday, July 8, 2010

What's Poppin'?

Let’s talk constipation.

Okay, let’s not. But you’ve got to admit, it’s a subject that’s part of the in and out of food. Maybe I’ll come back to it when I’m stuck for a topic. But today? Today, I’d like to say a little something about one of my favorite foods; Popcorn.

I love popcorn. I’ve had it micro waved popped, kettle popped, machine popped and even Jiffy Popped. In fact just between you and me, there was a time or two my wife and I went to the theater just for the popcorn. No, they didn’t charge me entrance. They let me in and escorted me out. And we sat outside on a bench enjoying those hot, salted and delicious kernels of joy by the handfuls.

So where is a good place to find popcorn? Well, the best popcorn I have had is at my house. My wife makes it. And it is fantastic.

Now unless you invite yourself over to our house I’m afraid you’ll not get a chance to enjoy it. So I thought maybe what I would do is to give you her recipe. Do me a favor, though. Her recipe is kind of a secret so maybe we can keep it between ourselves. On the down low if you don’t mind.

She uses a large Farberware saucepan; Redenbacher popcorn and… now here’s her secret ingredient; olive oil. Mama mia! Healthy, tasty and so Mediterranean. She places the saucepan on the stove, turns the stove to high and pours in enough oil to cover the bottom. Then the popcorn goes in and we wait for the magic to happen. Soon the air is filled with the sounds of popping pleasure. The fragrance of corn and oil pull at you. Your mouth waters and it’s ready. Put your popped corn kernels in a bowl and pour the melted butter. My wife loves it with or without the butter; it’s me that insists on it. Sprinkle sea salt to taste. Yes. Sea salt is a must.

Catch us at dinnertime and you’ll find that we sometimes have it as our main dish.

Popcorn is a food that engages our every sense. Our hearing, smelling, seeing, touching and tasting all join in the fun. In interpreting our world of food, our brain blends all their input to come to this conclusion: Hot dang you’re in heaven. Enjoy!

And by the way, did you know that popcorn is an excellent source of fiber. Hey, just in case.

Now go explore!

1 comment:

Derrek said...

Wow, olive oil and sea salt added to the grain that built a continent! Two variations on an American treat which I feel I should have thought of long ago. This post is timely as I am planning on watching a movie this weekend and now I can give the new recipe a try.

I recently reading "One Small Candle" by Thomas Flemming and was shocked to learn the Massasoit American Indians celebrated the ripening of crops with a "Green Corn Dance". With this feast each fall they popped corn and during the first Thanksgiving in 1621 the pilgrims were introduced to it. They cooked corn over coals in earthen jars until the kernals burst into fluffy whiteness. The Indians had been eating it this way for decades, and the also knew how to add the final touch by pouring maple syrup over it to turn it into sweet crunchy balls of goo.