I've been answering the "are you writing another book?" question for a couple of years now with the same answer: I'm writing a book about popcorn. In the vein of 'write what you know' it makes the most sense, really. Parenting, homeschooling, farming, crafting....all those things, meh. I wouldn't call myself anything close to an expert at any of them. But popcorn? I will most confidently stand behind my ability there.
I jest, of course...I don't really want to write a book about popcorn. But why not, I was thinking, share a little bit of it here? Following how to pronounce my name (it's soule, as in soul), how we make popcorn ranks right on up there with frequently asked questions. And I cannot tell you the number of times I've bumped into readers in the bulk aisle of the grocery store, with my scoop deep in the popcorn barrel. We all love it. It's good stuff, that popcorn.
And so...today I bring you, the beginnings of A Year Of Popcorn! Once a month, I'll share a different way we make it, starting today, with our most favorite of all.
Cheesy Herb Popcorn
1 cup plus 1/4 cup popcorn
3 generous Tablespoons grapeseed oil
6 Tablespoons of butter
a pinch or two of sea salt
just shy of 1/4 cup dried dill
just shy of 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
(Bear with my silly measurements. I'm not much of a measurer, but my 'handful' is different than yours of course, so I tried my best to conform to some kind of standard.)
Melt the butter on the stove top. Add the oil to a stock pot - it should cover the bottom of the pan well. Add a generous pinch of salt to the oil. Heat on high until the oil is hot. Add the popcorn, giving it a little shake to coat the kernels thoroughly in the oil. Put the lid on the pot....and leave it alone. (I know there are a great number of popcorn 'shakers' but I don't adhere to this. If you cannot resist, give it a shake. But truly, if you leave it alone, I promise that most all of them will pop.) When there is more than 2 seconds between the popcorn 'pops', turn the heat off. Immediately put the popcorn in a large bowl, and pour the butter over it, stirring to cover thoroughly. (Yes, that's a lot of butter. Go with it.) Add the dill, nutritional yeast and parmesan, mixing thoroughly.
Some notes:
I cook mine in a 8 quart stockpot, so you'll need to adjust the amounts a bit if you've got a smaller (or larger, oh my!) pot you're working with. My lid is vented, so a bit of air escapes and cuts down on condensation.
I use a variety of different oils depending on the recipe and flavor I'm going for. I like grapeseed for this one. A good substitute would be coconut, but an allergy here (mine) keeps that one off the list. You'll see plenty of other oils used in the recipes to come.
And there, my friends, is your dinner (or breakfast, lunch or snack). Enjoy!
