Popcorn put me through college

More specifically, MAKING popcorn….

The Kingston Drive In Theatre – c. 1977. I was there then. The R didn’t always light up on the sign, so it was also the Dive In Theatre…..

But I also ate my fair share. Not from a package, please. Fresh. Hot. If it’s not hot, it isn’t really fresh.

Popcorn popping – kernel to delightful!

The popcorn I was raised on was the occasional Jiffy Pop. Jiffy Pop Popcorn and I are the same age. Frederick C. Mennen developed Jiffy Pop in 1958. But it wasn’t until the 1970’s that Harry Blackstone, Jr.  was telling us that Jiffy Popwas the magic treat, as much fun to make as it is too eat.

The Jiffy Pop story in pictures

This is what I use at home now :

The Whirley Pop – maybe it’s not as far from Jiffy Pop as I thought….

And then there are Pilgrim and popcorn stories….

It’s emphatically NOT TRUE that there was popcorn at the first Thanksgiving

But Popcorn and Movies DO go together. Plimoth Cinema has popcorn – and I’ve made popcorn for them, too. The proof is in the pudding – I mean commercial – but I made Indian Pudding for them, too. Check out the commercial on their page…but don’t blink or you’ll miss me!

Plimoth Cinema is also raising money for a new projector – no new digital projector, no more movies. There’s a Kickstarter campaign at Plimoth Cinema Kickstarter.  One of the updates is another great video made by some modern day Pilgrims…..so pop some popcorn and start watching.

S’mores Popcorn

talk about your lily gilding…..

6 tablespoons butter
5 cups mini marshmallows

4 quarts fresh popped popcorn
1 cup honey graham cracker cereal
1 1/2 cups  chocolate chips

Honesty minute: I first saw this recipe on Martha Stewart Radio blog site, when Patrick  Evans-Hylton was a guest, which is how I discovered his Popcorn book, which I adore. I often (usually) just mix a batch of fresh popcorn with a half bag of mini marshmallows, half a box of  mini graham crackers (which I’m not sure were even being made in 2011, instead of the cereal) a half a bag of chocolate chips (the sort can vary – I love the dark, but white is nice and a mix is heavenly), toss the whole thing with melted butter (salted butter is important here) and then munch straight from the bowl without s’moring…..OR

1.  Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan; set aside.
2. Melt the butter over low heat. Add the marshmallows, stirring, until they are all melted.  Pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn to coat.
3. Stir in the cereal and one cup of the chocolate chips.
4. Transfer the popcorn mixture to the prepared pan. With buttered hands, press the mixture evenly into the pan; allow to cool slightly.
5. Melt the remaining chocolate chips according to package instructions and drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn mixture. Allow to cool completely, 20 to 25 minutes, then cut into squares.

MSL radio Morning Living June 28, 2011

Popcorn – Patrick Evans-Hylton