stovetop discovery

Today I discovered two things I found enlightening - the mysterious innards of a microwave popcorn bag, and another way the previous generations survived without microwaves.

Dearest Hubby and I don't have a microwave due to our tiny countertop space, and our personal challenge to see how long we can go without one. (Since we have a toaster oven, we've gotten along just fine so far.) However, I love microwave popcorn. I am of the generation that isn't even aware you can make popcorn without a microwave...unless it's one of those stovetop tinfoil-frying pan contraptions of my distant childhood.

For some inexplicable reason, I have several bags of microwave popcorn in my cabinet, languishing until the day we find our toaster oven to be incapable, and get a microwave. (That day is long in coming.) I met a strong hankering for popcorn this afternoon, and got experimental. 

Seizing the kitchen shears, I attacked a hapless popcorn bag, and dumped the contents into a saucepot. (It turns out what I previously believed to be a type of microwave magic labelled "Orville Redenbacher's" is instead a rather un-magical combo of popcorn kernels, butter, and oil. How disappointing.)

Remembering some faint idea of needing oil to pop corn, I added a few sloshes of olive oil to the pot, put on the lid, and turned on the burner. 

After a few minutes, vigorously shaking the pot so as not to burn the mixture, I attained my goal. Lo and behold, popcorn! 

There you have it. My last holdout example of "food only achievable with a microwave" has died.

I need to buy popcorn kernels in bulk at Winco and further experiment - I bet it's less expensive as well. And I can stop measuring popcorn by the bag; I could even make a cup at a time of popped corn! Amazing.

(And yes, all of you who already knew this, I really didn't figure this out until I was in my 20's. Why don't they teach us this stuff in school?)

My glorious discovery:

(You can never have too much salt. Or so I thought. After a few dashes of kosher salt, I remembered this stuff comes pre-salted. I had to break out the colander and shake some of it off.)