The Most Perfect Pop

What's movie night without popcorn, especially popcorn that's been made on a stove top?There's nothing like it, with the fluffy kernels buttered and salted to perfection.Now it can be made even better - if that's at all possible.

Melissa Clark tackled this in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section, She had been making stove top corn the way everyone has for decades, cook them in oil and then coat them in melted butter and salt. That changed when she had Jessica Koslow's recipe.Ms. Koslow is the owner and chef of the trendy Los Angeles eatery, Sqirl, She has a knack for taking the familiar and turning it into the extraordinary. Her toast is what put her on the map. Slices of brioche are toasted until burnt then  slathered with creamy ricotta and served in a puddle of homemade jam. Her tweaks are not for the faint of heart home chef - or family popcorn popper .She uses two to three times the amount of oil for cooking the kernels. Think half a cup of oil for one third of a cup of popcorn kernels.That much oil gives the corn a richness and the fluffy whites a sturdy extra crunchiness, what Chef Koslow calls "potato chip sturdiness"/Her way of seasoning is also different. Toss the kernels in dry ones before cooking. That way the fluffy whites aren't sogged down by the  seasonings .

What kind of popcorn and what kind of oil should be used? Ms. Clark doesn't give suggestions on the first. Some food blogs recommend Amish Country which you can buy on Amazon. An easier buy is Orville Redenbacher .from your local grocery store. As for the oil, Chef Koslow recommends grapeseed for its' high smoke point and clean flavor, but you can use another other oil such as sunflower, safflower, canola and corn. Ghee can also be used.Ms. Clark pops hers in a mixture of oil and butter for a buttery taste without the sogginess. She has also combined oils with low smoke point fats such as duck(!) and bacon (!).If you want flavored corn, then stick with dried seasonings such as ground spices, seeds, chiles, nutritional yeast,seasoned salts and dehydrated herbs. Stay away from anything with a high moisture content such as Parmesan cheese lemon zest and fresh herbs.They'll turn the popped kernels into mush. The recipes included are a spicy Pimenton or smoked paprika, a vegan cheesy one that has nutritional yeast filling in for the real thing, and one that's combines cane sugar with turmeric for a unique take on kettle corn. Any of the three is the perfect snack for movie night or or even as an appetizer at a barbecue.


A good movie deserves good popcorn. Pop them this new way with more oil for the ultimate snack experience. Just remember to make a lot. This flavorful new corn will be more of a hit than the movie.

Tea And The Perfect Kettle

One of the best things about chilly winter days is a soothing hot cup of tea. It's more refreshing than a coffee and lighter on the palate than hot cocoa.What makes the perfect tea? The perfect kettle, of course!!

What is the perfect kettle? I had to ask myself that today as I browsed both the Target site and Target's actual shelves. Our old kettle's handle broke, ending thirteen - fourteen? years of constant service.(it's seen in this blog's signature photo) We not only heated water for endless cups of tea - but also for instant espresso, hot cocoa ,oatmeal and instant soups. It could have lasted for another decade - save for the plastic handle breaking.  A tea kettle is vital to any household, especially one as tea addicted as mine. Going out to buy one was a must.I had wanted a stainless steel one, like our other. That was until I saw this beauty.

It's from Chantal (29.99 from Target) and what drew me to her (is she like Mrs.Potts from Beauty And The Beast?) is the sleekness. I love the ergonomic handle that makes her easy to lift and pour. Another big selling point was the lever on the handle's underside, It automatically lifts the spout cover. This is a huge plus  because it  was a pain to always lift the old kettle's cover.That required a a pot holder to do this. She is also a whistler - another bonus.

This tea kettle is a bit more delicate than the other. It is completely coated in enamel which means it can't handle intense heat for long periods of time.If the enamel melts she becomes  a fancy watering can for the garden.She  also only holds two quarts while the old kettle could handle about three and a half to four quarts.Still, she is a beauty , especially with that glossy, shiny navy blue coating.She is going to be handled with care. .The interior needs to be washed if there are any mineral build up which unfortunately will happen  thanks to us having hard water.. Luckily there is an instruction booklet and it suggests washing  away any mineral build up  by boiling white vinegar and water for twenty minutes. How can you tell when that happens? The kettle's interior will have a white powdery deposit, thanks to a high  magnesium and calcium content,It can be a real pain to remove if left untreated for long periods of time.

What makes for a good cup of tea? My Chantal tea kettle. I look forward to many cups of tea with her.