Pop Your Own Corn (with sweet ginger recipe)

So uh, I know all you avid 'small tomatoes' readers have wondered if I just dropped this blog altogether. Right. Well, I did not, and after a long hiatus (during which I thought I was going to publish a new Small Tomatoes web page during the very hectic weeks surrounding the holidays) I'm back to recommend popping your own corn. That's right, enough of that convenient bag of magic that contains kernels covered in fake buttery powder stuff! Break out your biggest pot with a lid! Give "Whole Grain Popcorn, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt, Butter (Cream, Milk, Salt), Natural & Artificial Flavor, Color Added. Freshness Preserved By Propyl Gallate." a run for its money!!

First of all... corn is a WHOLE grain, literally. It's not chopped up, or processed. So the "Whole Grain Popcorn" part really cracks me up. Way to jump on the bandwagon you were already on, Popsecret.

I'm just gonna skip past the partially hydrogenated whatevers and the artificial yada yada yadas. Don't want to ruin a good rant by doing it all the time.

But listen, even though you might not believe it, plain pop corn is amazing if done right. The most fun thing about this is that you can get creative with flavors. You are NO LONGER limited to butter flavor! Cheese, chocolate, spicy, peppery, honey, and much more are all experiments meant to be tried. With no further yaking, here are some directions and suggestions.

THIS is a naked kernel. Waiting to be popped. You can buy plain kernels at some grocery stores. Try Whole Foods.

At the very least, you will need

• 1/2 kernels
• ~1-2tbs of canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil (oils with high smoke points)
• a large pot with a lid

To experiment with the recipe I'll list, you'll need

• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 3 pinches paprika (I used sweet Hungarian paprika)
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Put the pot on the stove, heat the oil. If you're going to make my sweet ginger popcorn, put the spices and ginger in the oil. Put in 3 kernels, and put the lid on the pot. If you don't, the corn WILL pop out. I did that once...it was fun, but inefficient.

When the 3 kernels pop, take the pot off the stove. Add all the kernels in a somewhat even layer. Put the pot back on the heat. When it all starts popping, crack the lid, and shake the pot gently. This will let the steam escape, and keep the kernels from burning, respectively.

Once the popping slows (about 2 seconds between pops), take it off the heat, pour into a big bowl, and stir. This will help coat the popped corn with the spices and/or oil. If you made plain popcorn, add whatever you think would be good! If you made the sweet ginger popcorn, notice the slightly spicy flavors from the cayenne and ginger, and the sweetness from the paprika. NO salt necessary.

Hint: don't oils other than the ones listed. It'll either burn or make the popcorn taste bad. Also, the sage and parmesan combo isn't good. Check that one off your list... I already tried it.