How I pop

Since beginning this blog, I was given a semi professional quality popcorn machine. It's a bit large for our small apartment, but it does work very nicely.

It pops most kinds of popcorn well. The only kind it doesn't seem to do a good job on is the red hull-less popcorn. A lot of kernels remain unpopped no matter what I do (dumping out as much of the popped corn as I can being one method I've tried). And the ones that do pop tend to be a bit on the dense side for my taste. If that's what hull-less means, I guess I'm not a fan.

The directions are printed right on the door, which is a truly inspired idea so that one doesn't need to remember measurements or where the manual is.

One tablespoon of oil plus a half cup of average sized kernels makes a big bowl of popcorn suitable for one. It's easy enough to do a second batch as well. Obviously, this big popcorn popper is ideal for doing larger batches.

When I first got it, I was put off by how difficult it was probably going to be to keep clean. But it's a breeze, definitely even easier than cleaning the whirly-pop, a popper I had a while back. The popping bowl doesn't get greasy at all. Don't ask me how this is possible, but it's true. The only area that gets a little bit of grease build-up is the bottom of the machine, where the popped popcorn lands. But that's the easiest area to reach and wipe down.

The most ingenious aspect of this machine are the holes in the bottom. When scopping up popcorn, just run the scoop back and forth across the bottom before scooping to push the unpopped kernels through the holes. They land in a drawer that allows for easy disposal.

The only drawback to this machine (besides its substantial size) is that unless you want to make a mess of your machine, you can't add any toppings to your corn during the popping process.

Joe & Seph's popcorn with goat cheese and black pepper

This is seriously one of the best flavored popcorns I've ever tasted. Exactly as described on the bag: creamy and peppery.

A nice touch is how the bag comes with a built in zip lock. But at the size of a sandwich baggie and with popcorn this tasty there's not much chance you're gonna need to re-seal this bag.

It says on the back of the package that since the product is handmade, it is possible that there will be some unpopped kernels, but I didn't see a single one. Each piece in the bag was perfectly popped and evenly coated with pepper and cheese. Neither the cheese nor the pepper were overwhelming.

I give this popcorn 5 popped kernels for both taste and package design.

For more info: joeandsephs.co.uk  Woah, seriously, check out these flavors. Next time I'm in England, I'm going to buy at least one of each.

Piggy Pop

Not sure what to do with the leftover bacon grease? Don't waste it! Leave the pan on the stove after breakfast until the afternoon when you're ready for a snack.

Melt some butter in with the grease. Meanwhile, pop some popcorn.

Put popcorn and greasy goodness (plus salt) in a paper bag and shake-shake-shake! I usually drizzle butter a couple cups of popped corn at a time, but you do whatever you like. It's not an exact science. It's popcorn!

Use whatever proportions seem good to you. This is how I did it today: I had the greasy leftovers from 5 pieces of thick-cut bacon. I added a half a tablespoon of butter. I popped 1.5 cups of kernels. It would have been even baconyer if I had done only one cup, I think.

Starbucks fail

I certainly did not have high hopes for Starbucks popcorn. But wow, I can't believe how bad it is.

The butter flavor is butter powder which tastes like old oil. The 1 ounce bag had 8 grams of fat and is 150 calories. For that price I expect ACTUAL butter flavor. Tsk Starbucks. I couldn't even finish it. Yes, me! I know! Popcorn!

Little Lad's not bad

I grabbed a big (they have an even bigger one, too) bag of Little Lad's Herbal Corn at Whole Foods for my train ride this evening. It was the most least caloric and fatty option they sell, so I was sold. The Gouda flavored one sounded divine, but the cheese negates the healthy snack aspect.

The herbs are mystery herbs. But they are pleasant tasting. And there is a good amount of salt, too. One of the 365 brand options was lowfat and low sodium. Dis I say I wanted to avoid bloat? Jeebus. We can't forego everything delicious now.

My only real beef with Little Lad's is the messy factor. My shirt was covered with mystery herbs. And I assure you that I'm a very neat eater.

Would definitely eat again but perhaps not in public.