Popcorn...Flavors...Cake...Wine Pairings

Popcorn...Oh, how I do love thee. Be you crunchy and salty or savory or sweet. You are everything I want. Especially when paired with an adult beverage and a movie. Heaven. 

 
First of all, ditch the microwave popcorn. Immediately if not sooner. Unless you're a fan of chemicals and artificial flavoring, which I'm not. It's super easy to make delicious popcorn on the stove and it tastes SO MUCH BETTER. You'll never go back to the microwave. 

POPCORN, Oil and SALT. Yes. That's all you really need. Cover the bottom of a large pot with oil. (Not deep, just enough to barely cover the bottom) I use canola, but you can also use vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, olive oil or grapeseed oil. It has to be an oil with a high smoke point. Flavored olive oils are fun for popcorn. I have used a  jalapeno olive oil with excellent results. It added a faint kick without being overpowering. 

Heat the oil on medium/high heat and place 2-3 test kernels of popcorn in the oil after a couple of minutes. Put the lid on. When the test kernels pop, pour in enough popcorn to cover the bottom of the pot. PUT THE LID BACK ON. Turn the heat down to medium. When the kernels start to pop, pick up the pot (use potholders) and shake it around a bit. I do the 'popcorn shake' about every 30  seconds until the corn popping slows down to a near stop. At this point you will have a big, hot, fluffy mound of popcorn and you've burned enough calories to eat all the popcorn you want. (Lies!) The first time my daughter's friends saw me pop corn on the stove, they gathered around in wonder as if I were performing magic, having no idea you could make popcorn without a microwave!

At this point, you should melt some (real) butter and add salt and start the movie.But wait...there are more coming attractions...

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Flavor  

I'm big on flavor! Adding flavor, more flavor, give me flavor. Excite me, surprise me, make me swoon. I've found that by adding some ground black pepper to popcorn you can not only reduce the amount of salt you use (yay...a health tip!), but it brings an entire new and delicious twist to the flavor.


Now...if you want to get fancy (Hint: Fancy popcorn makes a great gift or happy hour snack) Wrap it up using cute cellophane bags and ribbon or giant Mason jars. 

Brown Butter Lemon Popcorn In a small saucepan, over medium heat and stirring constantly, melt 6 Tablespoons of salted butter until it starts to brown and smell nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest. Drizzle over 12 cups hot popcorn and toss with salt and pepper to taste.  Pair this with a Sauvignon Blanc.

Frito Pie  Toss together 12 cups of hot popcorn, 6 tablespoons melted butter, 4 cups Fritos (the small ones),  2 Tablespoons chili powder and 1 teaspoon cumin. Spread on baking sheets (line with parchment for easy clean up). Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheddar and 2 cups chopped scallions onto the mixture and bake at 350 degrees just until the cheese melts, 3 minutes. Season with salt. Enjoy this with Mexican beer. 






Everything Bagel Toss 12 cups hot popcorn with 4 cups broken bagel chips, 6 Tablespoons melted butter, 4 Tablespoons black sesame seeds, 1 Tablespoon each onion and garlic powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Or just use the 'Everything Bagel' spice from Trader Joe's. I'd pair this with a cup of coffee with Bailey's.


Mexican Street Corn Popcorn Melt 3 Tablespoons butter with 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise and stir until smooth. Pour over 12 cups of popcorn and stir to coat. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, chile powder, crumbled queso fresco and a spritz of fresh lime. Try a margarita with this flavor.




Mustard-Pretzel Whisk 4 Tablespoons of melted butter together with 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; drizzle over 12 cups hot popcorn and toss with 4 cups mini pretzels. Perfectly pairs with an Amber beer.

Crab Boil Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter with 2 Tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning in a small pan over medium heat (or in the microwave) Drizzle over 10 cups of hot popcorn and toss with 4 cups of those yummy little oyster crackers. Add salt to taste. This popcorn pairs nicely with a nice glass (or two) of Rose and an ocean view.


Sushi Whisk 1 1/2 Tablespoons each of vegetable oil and soy sauce with 2 teaspoons each toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar; drizzle over 12 cups hot popcorn. Toss in 1 cup (or more) of wasabi peas. Pair with Sake, of course.

Blue Cheese Almond  Drizzle 4 Tablespoons of melted butter over 12 cups of hot popcorn; toss with 1 cup each crumbled blue cheese and toasted almonds (bonus points if you use Blue Diamond brand, but ease up on the added salt), and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. I would pair this with a Cabernet Sauvignon and I might not share it with anyone. 


Parmesan Rosemary Toss 12 cups of hot popcorn with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (real cheese, please don't tell me you think that crap in the green can is real), 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. A Chardonnay would go well with this. 

Maple Bacon Pecan Bourbon In a small saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons of butter, 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup and one Tablespoon of bourbon (optional) until warm and smooth. Toss with 12 cups of popcorn and 6 slices of crisply cooked bacon, broken into pieces. Add 1 cup of toasted pecans.  Season to taste with salt. Pair this with a sparkling wine. 

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Popcorn Cake (no, really)

Reminiscent of holiday popcorn balls that were lovingly prepared by sweet stay-at-home moms when I was a kid, but with that added sweet/salty charm, this 'cake' is fun and unique. It's also super easy to make, but your secret is safe with me. If you're looking for a fun idea for a kid's party or just something different to bring to a potluck, this might be your lucky day.

8 cups of popped popcorn
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 packages - 10 ounces each- of mini marshmallows
1 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts
1 bag - 10.8 ounce- M & Ms (I vote for 'plain', but you do you)

Spray a bundt pan with non stick spray. If you don't own a bundt pan, don't PANic (Thanks for laughing). You can substitute a large bowl. Just be mindful of the shape that you are going for and you're good. Bundt cake pans can be found at your local discount big store for under $10, just so you'll know.

Place the popped popcorn in a large bowl (making sure all unpopped kernels have been ousted). 

In a large saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and marshmallows until smooth and pour this mixture over the popcorn, tossing and stirring until the sticky buttery goodness is well distributed. Add the peanuts and M & Ms and stir. 

 Press this mixture into your bundt pan or bowl and let it set for about 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and invert onto a cake plate. If it doesn't come loose, set the pan down into a sink full of hot water for a few seconds and try again. Let it sit for about 15 minutes prior to serving.

*You can also make popcorn balls (Try a muffin tin) or change up the color of the M&Ms to suit your party theme. Williams Sonoma has some gorgeous Bundt Cake Pans on their website.  

(And look...I made a cute red cake stand from a plate and an inverted bowl)