WHAT'S POPPIN'??

Back to life, back to reality...

We don’t know about you, but the race to the end of Summer has our tanks on empty! Those of you with kiddos are no doubt getting back into the school day routine, with extracurriculars and last-minute dioramas to be made. And for those of us without kids, it still kind of feels like back-to-school, doesn’t it?! Weird how we never really grow out of that.

Anywho, that’s all to say that we’re not doing full recipes this week, because we’re easing into our new routines, too. But we do have something tasty to perk up your inbox today… POPCORN!

AU: Popcorn is something I go to in phases… when I’m hot on it, I’m HAWT. And the way I’ve been making it lately, makes me crave it daily! It’s so easy and so delicious! It scratches the salty/crunchy itch for me, and I’ve gotta imagine it’s better for you than potato chips.

EK: I love popcorn any which way—homemade is the best, but SkinnyPop is a close second. In fact, I was eating so much of it, that I had to stop buying it because it was my dinner on more than one occasion, IYKYK.

AU: Oh SkinnyPop was the snack of choice in The Chew office, back in the day!

I always thought one needed a popcorn maker or a special pot, if you weren’t making it in a microwave. Turns out that’s all untrue! You already have everything to make spectacular popcorn in your home right now.

I also always thought—incorrectly—that popcorn required a lot of work to pop the “traditional” way. NOPE! You need four things: a 3-quart or larger pot with a lid, some kind of fat (oil, tallow, pork fat, coconut oil, ghee, etc), and popping corn kernels.

HERE’S HOW I MAKE MY POPCORN OVER THE TOP!

AU: My preferred fats are either Coconut Oil or Ghee because they’re just easy to spoon into the pot. You’ll need 3 tablespoons of fat. Let it heat over medium-high. You can add 3 kernels of popcorn as sacrificial lambs to let you know the oil is hot and ready for popping. If you do this, put the lid on, so the tester kernels don’t fly out. Once the tester kernels have popped, remove them, and your oil is ready. Add 1/3- 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels to the pot and cover with the lid. Shake the covered pot to make sure all the popcorn is coated and in an even layer on the pot’s bottom. Crack open the lid—enough to let steam out, but not so much that rogue kernels can escape.

Soon the popping will start and the comforting sound will make you think, “Am I in a movie theater? Is it still Summer and am I seeing Barbie again?!” Shake the pan every once in a while during popping, to make sure all the kernels are getting a fair shot at exploding into fluffy, crunchy morsels. Once the popping stops, remove the lid (careful of the steamy contents) and pour into a big bowl.

AU: Now you’re going to immediately shower your popcorn with seasonings while it’s still piping hot. You may, if you’re inclined to do so, add a little oil or melted butter, so that the seasoning “adheres” more to the popcorn, but I find that sogs out the popcorn and also is too much work.

HERE’S MY LATEST POPCORN SEASONING OBSESSION:

• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

• 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

• 1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s “Seasoning in a Pickle” blend

*Start with these amounts, taste your popcorn, and then measure with your heart.

The resulting snack is a craveable, can’t-stop-shoving-it-in-my-mouth popcorn that tastes like a dill pickle, popcorn, and cheddar-sour-cream potato chips all threw a key party. I think it pairs perfectly with a glass of wine and a Below Deck marathon (once the kiddos are asleep!).

We’ll see you back here next week!

xo
AU & EK

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CONGRATS TO **MELISSA GREER** FOR WINNING OUR PULLED PORK PRIZE PACK!

You’ve won a copy of Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque and a pair of heat-resistant Grill Armor Gloves! We hope you enjoy cooking up some great food in your gloves from this amazing book!

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