Pop goes the corn

You’ve got to love popcorn. It’s naturally low fat and actually has nutrients that make it a great snack. We can alter the taste in many ways and the ease of making it fresh is an added bonus. You can even place popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag and microwave on high to get totally unadulterated popcorn.

We can thank the Native Americans for harvesting it, letting it dry and then cooking the type of corn which produces popcorn. The three most prevalent types of corn are sweet corn, which we know as the succulent type we eat on and off the cob; feed corn, or as my grandfather, Thomas Pellegrino, would call it, horse corn, which is grown and harvested for the purpose of feeding livestock; and there’s the small kernelled, not so sweet, popcorn, which is succulent for a short time then dried to become the kernels we use to pop. This type is the only of the three that maintain their shape in the absence of liquid after drying.

Popcorn lends itself to fun. The evolution of the popping process over the years proves that people love it enough to make it fit into everyday life. Over the years we saw our parents make popcorn in big pots with oil and kernels. Then we had those popcorn makers you could flip over and the top was the bowl. Let’s not forget Jiffy Pop on the stove top. The pumper made its debut with the idea of hot air instead of oil. We wanted less fat and we got it. Now we have microwave popcorn, which comes in a bag and takes three minutes to make. Amazing! It’s a good idea every now and again to make the old fashioned way, just so the kids can admire the process.

In addition to valuable fiber content, one cup of plain popcorn has only 33 calories. One cup of popcorn with butter flavored oil spray has 35 calories and a cup drizzled with one tablespoon of butter has 135 calories. In the worst scenario, it’s still a good snack choice.

Altering the taste to add some pizzazz is fairly easy. There are sweet and savory options. The most simple are those that include dry seasonings and maybe a splash of oil or butter to help the tastes adhere to the corn. Then we have the elabo- rate mixes which require cooking and baking.

With that in mind I chose two super simple, but taste-packed recipes and one that uses a little cooking to make a sweet popcorn ball. These recipes are great for parties as they add a bit of gourmet to the ordinary snack. Try these, or create your own.

Have fun and pop, pop, pop. It’s good for you!

Popcorn surprise

• 1/3 cup butter • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt • 1/4 teaspoon onion salt • 6 cups unsalted popped popcorn* • 1 cup thin pretzel sticks

Toss together the popcorn and pretzel sticks in a large bowl. Melt the butter and stir in the seasonings. Drizzle butter/seasoning mixture over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat well. Spread the mixture in a large, shallow baking pan and put it in a preheated 250 degree oven to bake for 45 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon, occasionally.

* If you like, your favorite variety of nut may be added to the mix.

Chocolaty Popcorn Balls

• 1/2 cup sugar • 1/2 cup corn syrup • 1/4 cup butter or margarine • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder • 8 cups freshly popped popcorn • 1 cup M&M’s ® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Baking Bits (optional)

Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter and cocoa in medium saucepan; bring to a boil.

Add popcorn, stirring until evenly coated. Remove from heat. Stir in M&M ® pieces (optional). Cool slightly. Shape into two-inch balls. Set on Wax paper to cool completely.

Zesty Popcorn

• 2 quarts popcorn popped in 1/4 cup oil • 1 teaspoon mustard (dry) • 1/2 teaspoon thyme • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper • Dash of cayenne pepper • 1/2 teaspoon low-sodium salt

Keep popcorn warm. Mix seasonings together. Add to popped popcorn and mix thoroughly. Serve warm or at room temperature.