Sriracha and popcorn

Lee is back in England, after a nice (although short) break back here. It’s actually been three weeks since she went back, which feels totally wrong, because it seems like both 1) three days and 2) 3 million years, at the same time. Soon enough, though, I’ll get to go to Europe to visit her, and then she’ll be back just in time for us to get married, and I might even have something to wear for it, beyond the overalls (and/or whale costume. Long story.) I’ve been threatening if I can’t find a decent dress.

And look at that, I’ve just taken us from May through to the end of summer. Let’s back it up a bit. For the next several weeks, it is still May, and Lee is still across an ocean, and I am still here, trying not to mope, and trying to remember to cook decent meals for myself. “Decent meals” very often end up meaning popcorn. Although I figure if I put some cheese on for protein and pair them with a smoothie (or let’s be honest: wine), that’s basically a balanced meal, right? Right.

Popcorn’s weird for me. I never make it for other people, but when I’m on my own, I tend to feel myself getting a bit peckish in the evenings. Enter: popcorn.

I know it isn’t much of a recipe, but to be honest, before a few months ago, I’d never successfully made it from scratch, with just oil and kernels creating some sort of alchemy in the pan. So I’d like to share two things with you: how to make some nearly perfect popcorn, and that hot sauce on popcorn is delicious.

(I like sriracha.)

 

Popcorn
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
3 tablespoons coconut oil and/or ghee and/or butter
a pinch of salt
optional: hot sauce, grated cheese, truffle oil

Melt coconut oil or ghee in a medium-sized saucepan. If using butter, don’t add it in yet, as it will burn if heated for this long. Put four or five popcorn kernels and the salt to the pan, and turn the heat to medium-high.

Wait until one of the kernels pops, then remove from heat. Add butter (if using) and the rest of the kernels. Wait thirty seconds with the pan off the heat. (This brings all the kernels to the same temperature.)

Return the pan to medium-high heat, cover, and let sit until the kernels begin to pop. Once they do, move the pan around on the burner to keep the kernels moving and not burning, until the popping has stopped. Remove from heat, quickly add cheese if using.