POPCORN PEOPLE ! // elspeth

Maybe this doesn't need saying. But here goes. POPCORN PEOPLE! Popcorn! Popcorn made at home! You probably all know how to do this already. But I didn't, and I was very happy to make the discovery that I am capable of popping top notch popcorn from the corn we got with our grain & bean CSA share last fall. 

That's not to say I didn't know people made popcorn over campfires and stoves. I did. But I had never tried it, because as with most easy things, it seemed like it might be hard. Also, I haven't had popcorn in a while, and I'd forgotten how delicious it is. So in case you suffer from these same hurdles, I wanted to clear things up. 

Making popcorn at home is not hard. It is ridiculously easy, and what you get tastes much better than what you get at the movie theater or out of a bag. Also, if you make it the way my mom recommends, with a drizzle of olive oil and a little sea salt, it is practically a health food. Popcorn guilt, be gone. 

STOVE-TOP POPCORN

Here's how it happens. Get out a big pot like the one you see up there—make sure you have a lid.  The pan should be cold; not heat on yet. Measure 3-5 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of the cold pan. Swirl it around so it coats the entire bottom. Add 1 cup of un-popped popcorn kernels (we had a mix of white and yellow from our CSA; I thought this might be a problem, but they popped evenly). 

Turn the heat onto medium. Shake the pan to coat the kernels evenly with oil, and keep shaking every 15 seconds or so to make sure they heat evenly. Eventually, after 2-4 minutes, the first kernel will pop. When you see this, grab the lid and put it on. The others will follow, and within another 2-3 minutes, you'll hear the noise start to die down. Turn off the heat and let the pan sit covered for another few minutes to let any remaining kernels pop. Then take the top off, drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste, and enjoy!