Food Matters Project #2: Seasoned Popcorn

This is the 2nd week of The Food Matters Project, and the recipe is seasoned popcorn.  Check out everyone’s recipes here (under the comments are links to the various takes).

Kate has chosen this weeks recipe Seasoned Popcorn.

Also, today is the last day to qualify to win Mark Bittman’s The Food Matters Cookbook.  Leave a comment on why food matters to you or a favorite healthy meal- here.  The giveaway ends tonight!

Popcorn always makes me think of movie theaters and new movies.  There is the packaged popcorn, but I really have never bought it, mainly because I could never finish a bag in one sitting!  So my popcorn consumption has always been at the movies- but as prices are getting higher and higher, and Reese’s Pieces being so much tastier (and cheaper)- I rarely eat any.

I will admit, I don’t think I have ever made popcorn from scratch at home on my own.  So when this project challenge was added, I was excited to try something new.  Sam was the expert on this one and took charge immediately.

Since we had some popcorn, why not watch a movie, right?  We enjoyed The King’s Speech last night (I know, a bit behind on our movies)- if you haven’t seen it yet, definitely add this one to your list.

When it comes to popcorn, our tastes are a bit different.  So we decided to make our popcorn two ways- each to our own liking!

There are a million flavors of popcorn- the choices are infinite!  Needs some more ideas?  Mark Bittman suggests: garlic popcorn, fresh herb, Old Bay seasoning, toasted sesame seeds, brown sugar, or ground nuts and coconut.

In the March issue of Vegetarian Times, there was a list of favorite popcorn flavors from the readers, some of them were:

* butter, curry and paprika
* sugar, salt, turmeric and cayenne
* maple syrup and cinnamon
* truffle oil and Parmesan cheese (I want to try this next time!)
* sea salt, cracked pepper with chocolate chips

Seasoned Popcorn
Adapted from: The Food Matters Cookbook (pg. 38)

2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup popping corn

Pour the canola oil in a deep pot.  Turn on the heat to medium heat, and allow the oil to heat up a bit (1 minute).  Then add the corn kernels, cover the pot.

When the kernels stop popping (no more than 5 minutes), remove the lid and pour out the popcorn on a paper towel lined plate.

Then pour your popcorn into a container with a lid or a brown paper lunch bag.  Add in your seasonings, close the container or bag, and shake the popcorn with the seasoning.  The trick is to have a bit of seasoning on each popcorn kernel.

Pour it into a bowl, turn on a movie and enjoy!

Spicy Popcorn Seasoning
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp chili powder

Cheesy and Salty Popcorn Seasoning
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt

Fall weather & activities!

When you get a chance, check out and Like the Fifth Floor Kitchen Facebook page!  You’ll know of new blog posts even faster!

I hope all of you have gone apple picking or carved pumpkins.

And if you’re living in the DC area- wine tasting!

I’ve been lucky enough over the last couple of weekends to do a little bit of everything.  Fall is wonderful in Virginia, leaves turn wonderful colors and the weather is perfectly crisp.  Is it like that where you live?

It’s always fun to carve pumpkins…

…and then eat the seeds!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds*

olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  After taking out all of the pumpkin seeds out of the pumpkin, rinse them off.  Then spread them out on a cooking sheet.  Pour olive oil over the pumpkin seeds, and mix it together so each seed is covered with olive oil.  Then sprinkle salt and pepper over the pumpkin seeds.  Mix all of the ingredients together once more.

Bake it in the oven for about 20 minutes.  Keep checking on the seeds, once they are golden brown they are ready.  Take them out of the oven and let them cool off.  Enjoy!

*There are no specifics for this recipe.  This all depends how many seeds you have and how much salt/pepper you like.