Popcorn

It's a strange topic, I'm aware. But I have developed an addiction to the salty goodness that is popcorn.

I'm also guilty of eating when I'm bored, and popcorn seems to be the perfect snack food when you're catching up on your guilty pleasure MTV series (for me, it's Teen Mom), or the nightly marathon to watch all the episodes in your new television show of interest (thank God for Netflix), or maybe you're watching a movie just to pass the time. Perhaps you're writing that essay you should have started last week, but now it's due in eight hours and you're a stress eater. Or maybe you just have a craving.

I have met seldom people who do not enjoy popcorn, and even if you don't enjoy the starchy snack regularly, you cannot deny that there is nothing better than feeling the butter sink into your butt as an ignorant 12-year-old kicks the back of your seat and you enjoy the latest overrated Nicholas Sparks movie. Just a scenario... you could also be going on an adventure with hobbits or curling up into the fetal position while watching a horror movie.

Whatever your vice, popcorn is a delicacy of the cinema; its own sort of crème de la crème if you will. Especially when you're in a dark theatre, you probably catch yourself mindlessly clawing at the bag of popcorn that has found a comfy spot in your lap. Your lips probably get dry and chapped, but you can't will yourself to stop. Once you finally regain your self control, you set the precious stuff down under your chair (so you won't kick it over and waste any of the beastly portion that you probably won't finish anyway), and wipe the buttery residue onto your pants.

If you're anything like me, you refuse to loosen your clutch on the stuff; you bring the popcorn home with you. The first time, I felt like everyone was judging me, and they probably were. 

"Wow, seriously? This girl is bringing her popcorn home with her? She needs to relax."

Yeah, I probably don't need this popcorn, but I want to enjoy every possible bit of that overpriced salty stuff.

Movie theatre popcorn is, undeniably, the ideal popcorn that unfortunately, Orville Redenbaucher will never live up to. However, it is a great snack food, and I'm guilty of bringing a bag to school and eating some of the stuff in class.

And again, if you have the same habit as me of bringing the popcorn home, you may also be shocked by how many times you still can't finish the damn stuff. It's really amazing how addictive it is, and also how endless it is too. I wish ice cream was that way too... but it isn't.

Then, you wake up the next morning with a bag of - what once was delicious popcorn - stale popcorn. You probably have a few kernels in your teeth too. Fantastic.

Some tips and tricks for next time you decide to indulge in some of the salt covered stuff:


If you're trying to be healthy, buy some kernels from your local grocery store. They should be sold in individual packages without any salt or butter. Put your desired amount in a pot on medium-low heat. Cover the pot and shake it around on the element until you hear it pop, once the popping starts to maintain a constant rate and is no longer sporadic, turn the heat down to low and keep shaking. Once the popping starts to slow down, remove the pot from the heat and continue to shake it until the popping stops. You don't want to burn your popcorn. Then you can eat popcorn plain without any fatty dressings. If you want more flavour you can add your own amount of butter or salt, or you can add some peanut butter for protein. It's delicious, trust me.
For a specific recipe for make-at-home popcorn, check out this recipe.

If you're going to the movies, bring some chap stick with you to help avoid some of the problems mentioned earlier on. Also, try to restrain yourself and not eat your popcorn until the movie actually starts. I always find myself sick of my popcorn just after the movie starts which is quite ironic. If you "just have one," it will never be "just one" and that's how you get sucked into it. (Also, I hate to sound like your mother, but go to the bathroom before the movie. We both know you got that drink to help wash everything down, and it will hit you right before the climax. Do you really want to miss that?)

If you have a sweet tooth, you can make caramel popcorn by melting about a 1/2 cup of butter with 1 cup of brown sugar in a saucepan on low heat. Prepare the popcorn by following the first tip provided then mix the caramel sauce in by shaking it up in a covered pot.

Some of you may call me crazy, but next time you find yourself with some leftover stale popcorn, try putting it in a watery base soup like chicken noodle or minestrone. It adds an extra crunch and because of the bland taste, it will work with all soups. I wouldn't recommend it with a thicker soup, like a chowder or butternut squash soup because it doesn't soften the popcorn properly.