Martha popcorn

I found my camera (it was hiding in plain sight on the backseat of my car) and now that I'm back in full photograph mode my new post is about... ta-da... popcorn??! Okay, so popcorn is not exactly a beautiful food, inspiring to food stylists and photographers around the globe. It is kind of cute, though, and it is one of the things the super-spouse is great at making. And we got home late from a day in Sacramento. So popcorn it is.

The super-spouse is named Tad, not Martha. His recipe is called Martha's popcorn because he learned from the queen of all TV homemakers that you can make almost-instant popcorn using nothing more than popcorn kernels, a brown paper bag, and a microwave oven. Then you season it up however you like. So who needs that microwave popcorn from the video store or supermarket -- adulterated with artificial flavors, trans-fats, and other bad stuff?

Does the mention of a microwave oven give you the willies? I own one but never cook anything in it, because it's no fun to stick some food in a closed box and wait for it to get hot. That's not what I call cooking. I like to see and smell what's in the pot, and stir and taste and generally get all involved with it. Plus I have some concerns about nutrient loss caused by microwaves.

I've read up on the subject and the radiation doesn't scare me, any more than the electromagnetic field emitted by any other of my household appliances. I know a lot of health-conscious people don't like 'em, but they're not on my personal list of major bugaboos. There is one important thing to keep in mind: There may be health consequences associated with using plastics in the microwave, including styrofoam and plastic wrap. For more on that subject, read this. Despite the title, the guy does say some chemical transfer from plastic to food can occur in the microwave.

In any case, my microwave oven gets used pretty much only for instant reheating in a pinch, like when the aforementioned spouse is running late for work and wants hot coffee to go. And he uses it to make Martha's popcorn about once a week.

What make's Martha's popcorn really yummy doesn't have anything to do with the woman it's named after. The seasoning inspiration is all Tad's. Here's what he does:

1) Pour 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels into a medium-sized paper bag; 2) Fold the bag closed and microwave for 2.5 minutes; 3) Transfer popped corn to a LARGE bowl so there's plenty of room for mixing; 4) Squirt or drizzle the corn with flax oil (take it easy, it's pretty strong-tasting stuff; olive oil is also a good choice); 5) Sprinkle on a liberal amount of granulated garlic and nutritional yeast flakes, and a small amount of salt; 6) In his wilder moments, he also adds some crushed dried oregano; 7) Toss well and eat with gusto using your preferred method -- one kernel at a time, a dainty few, or by the massive handful.

Does this sound delicious to you, or just plain weird? Well, it may be the latter, but it is DEFINITELY the former. And if you put it in a pretty bowl, it's even kind of photogenic.

Blessings and bon appetit!
vegetarian food cooking microwave popcorn flax oil nutritional yeast