Several weeks ago we went to dinner at a neighbor’s house. The topic of snacking came up. Our host said she loved popcorn so much she made a large bowl EVERY SINGLE DAY and ate it in the car while she ran errands. She called it “car corn.” I’m all about this level of commitment to a good snack.
My grandmother has a similar passion for the corn. Every Sunday for at least 40 years, she’s eaten one dinner without variation: popcorn and beer (Miller Lite, specifically). She’s still kicking ass at 94, so maybe there’s something to it?
Our house inherited her healthy enthusiasm for popcorn. It’s one of our hall-of-fame snacks - the others being taralli, various nuts, or dates with peanut butter. We don’t keep chips or packaged snacks in the house, because I didn’t grow up with them and I got used to it. And for the most part, they’re crap.
In the earliest days of COVID, I was eating popcorn everyday. In the process I found a farmer in South Carolina growing a specific type of butterfly popcorn that I fell in love with. (Butterfly popcorn is much preferred in our house to Mushroom Popcorn. Look them up.) I bought it in bulk, repackaged it into 1 pound bags, and sold it through Instagram. I was fully prepared to switch my entire professional trajectory into popcorn.
At this point, I have mastered my technique. I’ve got some touches that make it great: what popcorn to buy, the best oil for cooking, and the best way to finish it. Let me tell you about it:
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