The Marquee Food Item at Movie Theaters
Opening a movie theater in a small town can be a risky endeavor, especially when there’s a 10-screen cineplex just a few miles away. Luckily, I’ve done my research and discovered that there’s a sizable market – made up mostly of college students and young professionals – who are ready and willing to welcome an alternative. Of course I’ve taken steps to set my small two-screen arthouse apart from the megaplex.
First of all, I’ll be screening mostly foreign films and independent movies. I also plan to show midnight presentations of cult classics such as “Jaws,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The Big Lebowski” in an effort to generate buzz and drum up business. The final prong in my calculated assault on the cinema market is to serve better food than most movie theaters would dream of purveying. For example, I just purchased a bulk shipment of wholesale gourmet popcorn online, and I’ll be topping it with real butter rather than that unseemly artificial junk that flows from dispensers.
A Tasty Treat for the Holiday Season
Christmas is coming sooner than you or I might like to believe, especially in light of the fact that the holiday shopping isn’t even close to being complete. If I had any say in the matter, we’d push the celebration back a few weeks to allow for more preparation time. However, given that that December 25 date just won’t budge, I’ve already begun rounding up my traditional holiday recipes. Feel free to try out the following instructions for making popcorn balls. I like to add some red and green colored sugar for decoration at the end.
Ingredients:
¼ cup corn oil
½ cup bulk popcorn
½ cup corn syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. table salt
Directions:
1. Put the oil in a kettle over medium heat for just more than 2 minutes. Add popcorn, and cover most but not all of kettle. Shake kettle vigorously over heat until popping slows down considerably.
2. Mix sugar, salt and corn syrup, then add them to kettle. Toss them over medium heat for 4 minutes. Allow sugar to caramelize and popcorn to coat evenly.
3. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly and shape into balls.
Quality Corn
Any connoisseur will tell you that the quality of their product is of the upmost importance. Many people love the buttery taste of popcorn, but few venture further than the cheap microwaveable bag to get their fix. Although this option is quick, the taste doesn’t compare to true, gourmet popcorn.
Buying high quality popcorn can enhance your experience and ensure that you get the perfect popcorn kernel every time. Popping your own popcorn is not much harder than throwing a bag in the microwave, and the results are palpable. It is also a fun way to engage your children in the kitchen and teach them about cooking.
What makes the “POP!?”
Children are notorious for their inquisitive minds. They are always asking “why” and “how,” often to responses of: “I don’t know—it just does.” With the amount of information available today, the answer to most of these questions is often just a click away.
Recently my four-year-old posited the question: what makes popcorn pop? Unsatisfied with the “I don’t know” answer, I decided to look it up. It turns out that the answer is fairly simple: water. Every kernel contains a small amount of water in it and when heated enough it turns into steam and expands, creating the “pop!
Worth the Price of Admission?
When my wife and I decided to go to the movies for the first time in years, I was absolutely shocked at the exorbitant prices. Not only did it cost $15 to see the movie itself, but the concessions people could have been accused of grand larceny. As much as I love an enormous tub of popcorn, I was put off by the ridiculous price and the artificial butter product that they drizzle over the top.
We found our solution a week later, when we decided to stay in with a DVD and a bowl of healthy gourmet popcorn. We added light salt and a bit of real butter to draw out the popcorn’s subtle, delicious flavor. And I don’t have to tell you about the many benefits of screening a movie at home. The pause button and easy access to the restroom are easily worth the price of admission – which happens to be free.
Why Mess with a Good Thing?
Even if genetically modified food isn’t dangerous – and that’s a big if, considering that the evidence isn’t fully compiled yet – there’s no reason to tamper with a good thing. This new trend seems to be a case of human engineering running amok rather than allowing nature to take its course. The reality is that there’s plenty of all-natural, non-GMO popcorn to go around.
These foods first hit the store shelves in the 1990s, and they have since proliferated to markets across the United States. Corn, soybeans and potatoes are just a few of the other delicious foods that have been corrupted through unnatural modification. Perhaps most egregious is the creation of popcorn with more “desirable traits.” Just as any child about the desirable traits of popcorn and she’ll surely tell you that the real thing is perfectly fine the way it is.
A Kernel of Historical Truth
Today, popcorn is an essential part of any serious movie-watching experience. Likewise, the tasty snack is a slumber party staple. But popcorn has been around since long before either of these pastimes were conceived. Archaeologists poking around in the subterranean tunnels below Mexico City discovered fossilized popcorn kernels that have been carbon dated and confirmed as more than 80,000 years old. Perhaps most surprisingly, those ancient pieces of popcorn bear a striking resemblance to our modern movie theater fare.
Prior to the colonization of America, popcorn was a fixture of many native diets. Chieftains wore clothing adorned with popcorn, and the substance was used to make a diverse variety of dishes including soup and beer. The snack caught on immediately with settlers, and it continues to stand as a cultural touchstone of our civilization. Popcorn history is rich with tales of delicious discovery, but wouldn’t you rather eat a handful than read about it?
Branching out with Popcorn
Most Americans readily recognize that popcorn is a glorious snack that can be enjoyed in its traditional state – sprinkled with salt and drenched in butter. Variety is the spice of life, however, and it can be fun to shake things up once in a while. The following guide to making brown sugar lollipops is only one of many diverse popcorn recipes you can create at home.
Ingredients:
6 cups popcorn, popped
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp. butter
cooking spray
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
mini pretzel sticks
Directions:
1. Bring brown sugar, honey and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar caramelizes.
2. Add butter and stir. Pour mixture over top of popcorn, tossing for consistency.
3. Spray hands with cooking spray and shape the popcorn into balls. Use pretzel sticks to create lollipop handles.
4. Roll the balls in cinnamon and sugar, then cover with clear wrap.
Pop Quiz
It’s human nature to explore different food combinations and preparation techniques. We should not be surprised to discover, then, that the Native Americans were enjoying popcorn for years before European settlers learned of the unique snack. To this day, people love to eat popcorn by the handful, especially in movie theaters. Between bites, the more inquisitive folks stop and wonder: Why does popcorn pop?
Popcorn is different from most other grains in that its kernels are rock-hard on the outside and moist on the inside. A certain amount of oil collects inside the kernel, and the impermeable shell keeps the moisture from escaping. Enough heat will transform the wetness inside into steam, which pressurizes until bursting out of the shell. The proteins that were once trapped inside the shell are released in a foamy substance that eventually cools into fluffy popcorn.
Popcorn Pairings
As any moviegoer will attest, popcorn and butter is a match made in heaven. The aroma alone is often enough to set stomachs rumbling. Still, people have a tendency to forget that popcorn lends itself to a wide variety of flavorings. Butter is by far the most prominent, but premium popcorn can also be enjoyed with a caramel coating or a powdery cheese additive.
For the health-conscious, popcorn can be paired with a variety of fruits, nuts and natural spices. Cinnamon-apple popcorn makes a great low-calorie dessert, and peanut butter popcorn balls are a portable pleasure. The crisp, subtle taste of fresh, gourmet popcorn can be altered in many ways; chances are, the result will be delicious.