Hey- it’s your absentee bloghost here. Currently watching Monuments Men and eating jiffy pop, and it occurred to me I am wasting a valuable resource.
I need a popcorn popper and the right kind of popcorn and healthful seasoning. Go.
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Omnes Omnibus
Microwave and butter. Just don’t do it too often.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
I caught “Monument Men” a few week ago at a second-run. I’m glad I didn’t pay to see it at a first-run theater. There was just too little to it.
cckids
@Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again):
I can recommend the book, though. Seeing the trailers for the film after reading it, makes me realize how much they had to have changed the story. All the action stuff pretty much didn’t happen that way.
Omnes Omnibus
@Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again): Have you read the book? I haven’t yet, but it is on my list.
Chocko Rocko
You need to be able to bring the heat on the stove for great popcorn. Orville R. brand slightly swimming in peanut oil at the highest possible heat. It doesn’t work too well on a stove with smaller burners. I use a Calphalon aluminum pot with steel core for even heat distribution. Add salt. But if the idea of salt and oil get you down, how about an air popper? I gifted my dad with one (Hamilton?) a few years ago and he loves it – no added unhealthy anything and nothing to clean up.
goblue72
Whirly-Pop hand-cranked stovetop popper. Totally old school, but you get tasty, crunchy popcorn in 3 minutes. It uses oil, so if that’s a concern, I’d recommend the Presto Poplite, a hot air popper. Both are affordable at around $20. Esp. when you figure corn kernels are cheap in bulk.
I like to sprinkle a little sugar instead of salt sometimes, along with the melted butter. It makes for a lightly sweet addictive snack.
Other fun options – toss a mess of Frank’s Red Hot into the melted butter and then toss into your popcorn. Buffalo Wing Popcorn. Also good is half a pack of Ramen seasoning with the butter. For a different twist, toss with olive oil instead of butter, then add salt and furikake.
wasabi gasp
Quarter cup kernels in paper lunch bag. Fold top closed a couple of times and apply a little scotch tape. Microwave.
Joshua Norton
@wasabi gasp:
This.
I got rid of my corn poppers a while ago when I realized bulky appliances that only have a limited single purpose were a complete waste of money and space.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
@cckids: @Omnes Omnibus:
I haven’t read the book, but I’ve read enough WWII history over the years that touches on the subject- and some good magazine articles just before the film came out. It’s all very interesting.
The film though…I could give it a pass, I think, if I’d read the books and the film took liberties, if the film was good. I thought, though, that the plot was weak and the characters were extremely shallow.
lahke
I’ve had my air popper for 20 years–it’s great, clean, and you can always microwave some butter if you want grease to add on.
Yellow Jolly time, or the stuff in the bulk bins at Whole Foods–fewest unpopped kernals.
jl
I’d go W By God V locavore artisanal popcorn. Iron fry pan with a lid, bear or ‘possum grease, ramps. Go.
Edit: For Gawd’s sake. WVU has its own popcorn machine. And Cole doesn’t own one yet. I think some explanation is due. Overdue.
West Virginia Popcorn Machine
http://wvpics.com/WVU%20Popcorn%20Maker.htm
max
Currently watching Monuments Men and eating jiffy pop
Sounds… sucky. Never eat the stuff myself.
@Joshua Norton: I got rid of my corn poppers a while ago when I realized bulky appliances that only have a single use were a complete waste of money and space.
Just so.
max
[‘It’s corn, man, it ain’t healthy for you or the planet. Which is why they turn into crappy fuel that clogs up your engine.’]
PurpleGirl
Microwave popping bowl. Don’t need oil and you can melt butter on the stove. Use whatever seasonings you want.
I’ve also tried a plain brown paper bag in the microwave as wasabi gasp recommends. It comes out similar to the microwave bowl.
I have used an air popper but the popcorn was too dry. I like the microwaved popcorn more.
Omnes Omnibus
@PurpleGirl: See the first comment. Jebus.
jl
And Amish Country Popcorn has an outlet at Amish Barn in MaCarthur with shitloads of gourmet specialty popcorns. Nothing in CA unless you go all the way north to Crescent City.
Damn if Cole is living in a popcorn paradise. And he is helpless.
The top blown off another BJ blog scandal. My work here is done.
Liquid
Pop-Secret Homestyle. I have a DIY popper but Homestyle is just so damn good.
Omnes Omnibus
What the fuck is b10.sitemeter.com? My updates seem to hang a lot on that.
meander
I’ve heard that coconut oil and curry powder or garam masala are great popcorn toppings.
Or perhaps fool around with Mexican-inspired spices, ground dried red chiles like ancho, Mexican cinnamon, etc.
Hal
A little rant: my week officially sucks. I took two college courses this semester I need for my major, and just found out I got a D and a fucking F. This semester has been terrible. Health problems, depression, and admittedly way too much drinking to compensate. Now I’m trying to fight off the urge to give up and just be stuck in a job a hate, that doesn’t pay the bills. Going to college at 40 officially blows.
I also forgot to inform my boss that all my exams were on Monday, and since I worked the overnight shift Sunday, I was half asleep for most tests, combined with the fact that I am a terrible test taker. I don’t get it. A subject I like, and can spout off about, but when test time comes my brain jumbles everything together. All my fault. Ugh, I’m so disgusted with myself right now. rant over.
Genine
Brewer’s yeast+Parmesan cheese+butter+dill weed+black pepper+Cheyenne pepper over air-popped popcorn= yummy!
wasabi gasp
You still shacking up with the bass player?
Last night on Kimmel, a British Nu-dude rocked the bass. Band’s a two piece: drums and bass.
Royal Blood – Out of the Black
Amir Khalid
Amazingly enough, I’ve heard of Jiffy Pop popcorn. Mulder mentions it in the first X-Files movie.
wasabi gasp
@Genine: I keep meaning to try yeast on popcorn, but haven’t yet. My understanding is that the yeast to use is nutritional yeast rather than brewers.
Origuy
How about Old Bay’s on the popcorn? I can’t eat it without a little salt, but it doesn’t take much. Anything but that awful microwave butter flavoring. I think making popcorn with that at work should be grounds for termination.
Joel
A heavy lidded saucepan and a bit of oil works. That’s how I do it.
opium4themasses
I am seconding the yeast. I prefer the nutritional yeast + parmesan cheese + (if your blood pressure is ok, a smidge of MSG)
mai naem
I’m so lazy I buy the popped popcorn at Trader Joes. The Olive Oil popped popcorn at Trader Joes is really really good. I used to buy their other one until one of the cashiers told me to try the Olive Oil one. Anyhoo, Dr.Oz recommended the Olive Oil one on one of his stupid shows a year or two ago so they run out of it every so often. There was a shortage of green coffee beans too when he apparently recommended them as a weight loss aid. Costco’s movie style microwave popcorn’s really good too.
richard w crews
yes to the yeast and yes to the air popper, but you HAVE to find Blue Indian popping corn! It is so white that all your other corn will be clearly yellow – all that stuff you think is white. small kernals but the BEST!
Adobe Mills in Cove Creek used to have it. I don’t know where now. It’s trhe best!
richard w crews
I meant Dove Creek, CO, “Pinto bean capital of the world”
Steeplejack
@Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again):
Oh, yeah. I saw it in the theater when it first came out, and it seemed like a meandering, amiable waste of terrific production values. After I saw where it was going, I resigned myself but got obsessed with some minor nitpicks—like I’m pretty sure in real life they didn’t use their short-wave radios like cell phones, having rambling late-night chats across Europe.
Genine
@wasabi gasp:
I can’t taste much of a difference, really. I use both at different times. The only big difference is that nutritional yeast has more B vitamins, especially B12, so you may have a point about nutritional yeast. :-)
Steeplejack
I eat popcorn only occasionally, so I’m not a gourmet, but I stumbled on Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet White Corn Popcorn (“blended with real butter”), which is surprisingly good—far better than any other microwave-bag popcorn I’ve ever had. It does me for the infrequent times when I’m jonesin’ for popcorn.
Hal
@mai naem: I love TJ’s movie theater style popcorn. The only weird thing about it is every once in awhile, it is super salty. Almost too much salt. Just one out of every few bags I’ve noticed. I’m sure it’s cheaper to make your own, but I like it because it’s the right crunchy texture, and it’s only 1.99.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
@Steeplejack:
LOL. The radio thing bothered me, too.
The crowd in the theater in which I saw it was mostly Boomer and older. A few of them started to clap at the end and I just shook my head. Yeah, I get it, your dads/brothers/husbands fought in WWII. This was not an applause-worthy film, though…Which made me sad, because it’s a good cast, it’s shot well, the real story is very interesting, but it just wasn’t good.
wasabi gasp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfdLh0MHqKw
I’ll be duckin’ and runnin’ now.
Joe Max
Whatever you do, avoid air poppers. They make popcorn chewy.
IIRC, Julia Child said the one thing microwaves do well is make popcorn. I recommend Orville’s. Get the plainest kind and add real butter. Because Julia also said everything is better with butter.
Bonnie
Hot air poppers make the absolute best popcorn. I think butter is the best; but, it is optional.
Steeplejack
@wasabi gasp:
As well you should.
If only you had given us something from Hot Buttered Soul.
Wendy
I feel for you, Hal. :-(
JGabriel
Arrowhead Mills Organic Popcorn kernels. Or a bag of Jolly Time kernels if you prefer – the kernels really aren’t as important as the butter.
Get GOOD euro-style butter, in the 1/2 pound bricks. I like the Parmigiano-Reggiano butter the best, which is about $6.00 (here in NYC, anyway) for a 1/2 pound. If that’s too much, one of the cheaper French butters is fine too.
You can pop in a roughly 50/50 mix of oil and butter if you like, but you must use a good butter. It makes a pretty big difference, surprisingly – or maybe not surprising at all since that really is where most of the flavor comes from.
Pour the kernels into a pot, with enough butter to coat them – or cover them, your call – when it melts, probably a tablespoon or two. Throw in some salt if you want it.
Heat on med. high in a pot till they start popping, swirling the kernels, then reduce to med/med. low, and keep swirling and shaking.
Yeah, it’s basically old-style, but it still works great.
Just remember – the butter is the most important ingredient,
Am I really the only person here who still pops corn the old-fashioned way?
NotMax
Hot air poppers work just dandy, cost next to nothing, and there is no clean-up needed.
dnfree
Microwave popper. Here is the one we have. If you have a Farm and Fleet-type store they might carry it. We don’t use oil to cook it, and just a little butter added afterwards.
http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Microwaver-Popcorn-Popper/dp/B00004W4UP/
kdaug
Screw the butter. Do it on the stovetop with one of those turn-knob kettle things, a touch of oil for cooking, and season with 1:2 cayenne to salt mix. You won’t miss the butter.
J R in WV
If you use butter while popping the corn, you risk burning it, as the best popping temperatures get above the smoke point of butter.
I use grape-seed oil, 3 table spoons to a heaping half cup of Orville’s plain popcorn. While that’s popping on high heat in a heavy pot, I melt about half and half butter and my best olive oil. A tiny bit of salt before pouring the butter over several layers of fluffy white corn. And you have to shake the popcorn while it’s popping to get the un-popped kernels back down to the bottom of the pot where the heat is working.
I’ve had various flavorings, including yeasts, but plain buttered popcorn is hard to beat.
I don’t know what to think about the WVU machine, there weren’t any pictures (for me) but it seems like it’s a giant device like you see at fairs and movie theaters. Too much for me, all you need is a heavy pot and a hot stove tap.
chopper
@Hal:
That sucks. I still have nightmares about fucking up test day. Probably will forever.
Specialed5000
Air popped corn has always seemed dry, tough, and flavorless to me, and you can’t get salt or any other seasoning to stick to it.
I’ve been using a Stir Crazy popper for years and love it. You can use as much or as little of whatever oil you like. I vary seasonings al the time but lately I’ve been using very little oil when popping, then spraying the popped corn with butter flavored Pam and adding garlic powder and Texas Pete then tossing in a big plastic bowl with a lid on it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004RC6R/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1400421016&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40
Elizabeth
Another vote for cooking popcorn in a big, heavy pot. My twist is to set the kernels (I prefer white popcorn) and some oil (coconut works great) on to heat on medium-low for a while, shaking frequently, not in order to initially pop but to brown them just a bit. This gives the popcorn a toastier, richer flavor. It’s important to take your time, the object is a nice all over golden color, not brown burns here and there.
Once things look good to you, crank up the heat, and shake and pop. Then add butter and salt, or whatever you want. It’s easy to make your own popcorn salt, which goes farther than regular: just grind it in a spice grinder or by hand in a mortar and pestle. For mass quantities a food processor could even work. It certainly does for making powdered sugar, and this is essentially powdered salt.
Finally, make sure you clean that pot out soon, because the sticky stuff the popping kernels leaves behind can dry and become really hard to remove! Best of luck, and let us know what you come up with!
JoyceH
@PurpleGirl:
This.
I moved from microwave bags to pop on the stove, but recently got a microwave popping bowl and use it All The Time. There are little paper inserts that are that same kinda material as the ‘browning sleeve’ for a hot pocket – you can buy them in packs of eight and they’re good for four or five pops. You can pop with or without oil, and eat right out of the popping bowl.
I use a teaspoon of oil (an improvement over the tablespoon or more you need for skillet popping) – I just like it better than popcorn popped without oil. And for seasonings, I tried a lot of things, but I went back to salt. I use a quarter of a teaspoon and that’s plenty salty. And look – a quarter teaspoon of salt has about 600 mg of sodium. Most of the sodium in our diet comes from processed food. If you’re cooking fresh and not eating processed food, 600 mg of sodium isn’t going to hurt you.
For folks still using the microwave bags – get the popping bowl. It’s every bit as convenient, doesn’t give you the nasty chemicals of the bag, and comparing the cost of loose popcorn to micro bags, the bowl will pay for itself very quickly.
muddy
I do it on the stovetop. Put oil in, 2-3 kernels, cover and heat. When you hear the test kernels pop you put in the rest. Re-cover and shake periodically. Be very conservative about how much corn you put in. It doesn’t look like very much, and suddenly the corn is raising the roof on the pot.
If I use butter I also add safflower oil to raise the smoke point without altering the flavor. I often use coconut oil, depends on what goes with the seasonings. I use pretty much any seasoning I have a taste for. If it is air-popped the seasonings don’t stick well.
muddy
@JoyceH: If you look at the ingredients on the microwave pouches, there is a long list, it’s the ick.
LongHairedWeirdo
@Genine:
Brewer’s yeast is risky.
There are two forms of brewer’s yeast. One is the ordinary, which has some valuable minerals and it’s very good for you. It’s also gross tasting. No, I don’t mean you need to get used to it, it is *gross*. The mineral content makes it bitter.
The decent tasting stuff tends to be what’s often called “nutritional yeast” (but it’s sometimes called brewers yeast too) and it is the same basic yeast, demineralized. It has a cheesy flavor and I’m sure some people hate it but would probably not call it gross.
LongHairedWeirdo
@Genine: Nutritional yeast doesn’t have B12 unless added. It has good B vitamins and a good protein profile, but the B12 bit was a popular myth that became real because people expected it.
Accuser: “Hah! You’ve taken the B12 out of your brewer’s yeast, you horrible cheater!”
Respondant: (Thinks about arguing with the kind of person who goes around buying Brewer’s Yeast who is also making a false accusation) “Sigh. Yes, you got us. Here’s a version with some All Natural B12 that we haven’t touched (unsaid: after we added the B12, at least….)”
Allen
Not cheap, but I got one of these recently: Paragon Theater Pop 4
There are cheaper ones like this, but the Paragons are *really* well made. There are packages available that have pre-measured popcorn, oil, and flavoring. And recent evidence shows that coconut oil, long considered the best for popcorn, has some heart health benefits (see Wikipedia entry on coconut oil). Still not a health food, exactly, but not nearly as bad as we were once told.
Shane in Utah
The Whirly-Pop is a completely awesome device. The popcorn has flavor, unlike that made in hot-air poppers, which tends to taste like puffed cardboard.
The popcorn in the bulk bins at Whole Foods tends to be really good.
trollhattan
@Shane in Utah:
Amen to Whirly-Pop!. It’s the Peugeot pepper mill of popcorn-makers, and is even made in you-ess-eh. Takes a minor amount of oil and there are scarcely any old maids.
Jennifer
Eh…you don’t need special equipment for popcorn.
Get a heavy pan, pour in just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Throw in 3 kernels, turn the heat to medium high, put the lid on, wait for those three kernels to pop, then take the lid off, pour in enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan, put the lid back on, shake the pan a little to help coat the kernels, turn the heat back to medium, and in 2-3 minutes it will all be popped. I always do the “one thousand one, one thousand two…” count towards the end when the popping slows down…if you can count past 3 without another kernel popping, you’re done. Don’t let it go longer or it will burn. Dump it in a bowl and season however you like.
Jennifer
Also, w/r/t all the microwave popcorn recommendations upthread.
Don’t. Just…don’t.
I hate the microwave stuff, because of that weird, gross coating it leaves on the inside of your mouth. Know what that coating is? Various chemicals mixed in with trans fat. Now that I’ve mentioned it, any of you who like the stuff will notice it, and soon you won’t be able to eat the stuff, either. I would say “sorry!” but I’m doing you a favor. Trans fat is the worst stuff you can eat, healthwise.
mzrad
With gas/propane stovetop and a larger pan with lid, add a Tablespoon of coconut oil with three kernels & shake. When they start to pop (using high heat), add 1/2 cup organic popcorn, close lid, and shake around. Shake every 20-30 seconds until they all stop popping. Add to bowl with melted butter, pink salt, nutritional yeast, and Spike (from your local health food store). !