Christmas Popcorn
‘Tis the season: the season of awkwardness between Remembrance Day and December first. For those among us who revel in Christmas it is a time for cheap holiday movies and classics alike to begin being blasted into our homes at prime time each and every night. With the cooler weather we typically get, nothing sounds better than coming home and having a night on the couch with the family, that special someone or even just you and a blanket.
Whoever decides to join you, there are almost always snacks. When it comes to movies one snack overrides all others, popcorn. Oddly enough popcorn and the movies, or movie theatres, have only been linked as tightly as they have due to the depression. You know, that decade of decline that was the 1930’s. Originally theatres saw popcorn, and concessions in general, as an unwanted and unnecessary distraction to the show. Popcorn was found at fairs and carnivals, but noticeably absent in the theatre. Once sound was introduced to film in 1927 the movies opened up to a wider audience. That, combined with an inexpensive snack such as popcorn, allowed the average movie goer to be able to escape the reality of the times, if only for a few hours. From there, the match was destined for greatness.
The eternal question when you attain your popcorn is what to put on it. Are you good with a simple dusting of salt? Perhaps you prefer some butter over your kernels. There are countless ways you could top the popped corn, and if you really want to get into the spirit of the season you could go gourmet on that bag and spice it up with some traditional holiday spices.
Seasonal Popcorn Spice Blend:
2 parts dried ginger
2 parts allspice powder
1 part nutmeg
1 part cayenne pepper
1 part salt – if desired
Directions: (do you really need them for this recipe??)
- Pop corn using microwave, stove, air popper or other method.
2. Sprinkle mixture liberally over hot kernels
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. Enjoy!
Popcorn is quite literally a culinary blank canvas. You can go salty, you can go sweet, you can add heat, even citrus like lemon or lime could be added if desired. To me however, for this time of year, it’s all about those traditional holiday spices. The salt and pepper serve to enhance the enjoyment of the ginger, allspice and nutmeg flavours. If you are looking for an easy inexpensive way to ease yourself into the spirit of the season, try this popcorn on your next night in.