“If my life were a movie, this is where I would go out for popcorn.” -Charles Schultz, American cartoonist and creator of the Peanuts gang

Mother Nature has been busy knitting the East Coast a big, beautiful winter blanket full of snowflakes lately.  For a good solid day-and-a-half last week, New York City effectively came to a halt.  Most schools were closed, the streets were empty and quiet, and dinner delivery took an hour and a half.  (I gave the poor guy a nice big tip for trudging through the snow to my house, though.)  Having grown up in Colorado and never seeing a single snow day despite driving a Honda Del Sol (a tiny 2-seater roller-skate of a car) and living at the top of a huge scary hill, I find it endlessly amusing that a city so flat, so populated with people made of steel, and so equipped with some of the world’s best public transportation can just screech to a stop because of a little bit of snow.  Pffffft.

With that said, however, I love a forced day off.  I mean, let’s face it, there’s really no forcing me to stay in bed under a snuggly blanket with my beloved dog Sputnik and a stack of movies.  It’s a fate I accept rather willingly indeed.  I will admit that utter laziness set in rather quickly on this day, and the most I could manage to produce in my kitchen was a big bowl of popcorn to enjoy during my movie-thon.  Of course, when I do popcorn it isn’t some insta-pop microwave chemical nightmare.  No, not me.  (Hell, I don’t even own a microwave!)  I kick it old-school and do it right in the pot, the old way.  My parents used to make my sister and I popcorn in a brown paper bag in the microwave before Pop Secret took over, and my grandmother had a fancy popcorn machine that I loved to use at her house, but none of these so-called “convenience” methods are any easier than doing it the old-fashioned way.  And this is one of my all-time favorite popcorn creations.  The flavors aren’t very original or fancy at all, but they are very delicious, and it’s nice to do movie popcorn a little differently than the usual butter and salt.  This is also a great light and healthy snack to have on hand, and stores beautifully in an air-tight container or bag.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

Zest of 1 lemon

Neutrally-flavored oil, such as vegetable or canola

1 cup popcorn kernels (NOTE:  I used Arrowhead Mills Organic Popcorn)

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped

Sea salt (NOTE:  I used Maldon Sea Salt)

Instructions:

1.  In a small bowl, combine the softened butter and the lemon zest with a fork so that the zest is evenly distributed in the butter.  Set aside.

2.  You will need a large stock or soup pot with a lid.  Heat just enough of the neutral oil to coat the cooking surface of the pot over medium-high heat.  When the oil is nice and hot, add the popcorn kernels and stir quickly to coat with the oil.  Cover the pot with the lid.  About every 2 minutes, give the pot a good shake just above the flame, keeping the lid intact.  After a few minutes, you will start to hear the distinct sounds of popcorn popping.  When it starts to happen, lower the heat a tiny bit.

3.  The popcorn will begin to pop fairly vigorously after 30 seconds to 1 minute after it begins.  Continue to give the pot a good shake every few minutes, keeping the lid intact.  Allow the popcorn to continue popping until it slows down, and there are about 2-3 seconds in between pops.  Remove pot from heat and let stand for at least 1 minute before removing the lid.

4.  When removing the lid, take care that your face and hands are out of the way as a lot of steam and heat that was trapped in there will escape.  When the steam dissipates a bit, stir in the lemon/butter mixture and the rosemary with a rubber spatula.  Season to taste with the sea salt and serve in a big bowl.

Yield: This recipe will get 2 buddies through 1 movie.