The Hangover

I have to admit, this was the first time I had seen The Hangover. The things we do for our friends!

A lot happens, there's probably a lot of directions one could potentially go flavor wise... but after much deliberation, I decided it all started with those shots of jagermeister on the roof.

Jager is very...licori-ishy... and some people love that and others, like me, aren't huge fans.

How to make it a little more yum? Carmel seemed like a good idea :) Now, it's fairly easy to add spirits to caramel but I'm prego so we are going to improvise on the flavor for now, imitating the Jager instead.

So here is a rather simple recipe for a movie in which a whole lotta crazy goes down.



The {Four} Best Friends
Jagermeister-Carmel Corn
3 T coconut oil
1/2 c. popcorn kernels

1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp orange zest
1/16 tsp ground anise seed
2 T caramel (or more if you really like your caramel)

DirectionsAdd the oil and popcorn kernels to a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan with a lid. Shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil. The kernels should cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.

Cover the pan and place it over medium high heat. When the corn begins to pop, lift it slightly from the heat and shake the pan every so often (does not have to be continuous), holding the lid in place, until the popping begins to slow, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into bowl or bag big enough to toss further ingredients.

Heat caramel sauce in microwave until melted, about 15-30 seconds. Add ginger, orange zest, ground anise seed and salt to caramel and stir to mix. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn, stir to coat. (Place bowl in refrigerator or freezer to harden carmel faster, if you wish)

The Avengers

Love this movie! And if you also love this movie, you know the epic, hilarious ending involving the team silently eating at a shawarma restaurant.


What better way to set this movie apart from the other superhero movie requests than to come up with a seasoning combo inspired by the tasty treat?

I recommend the use of a grinder, if you have one. I have one of those Bella Rocket Blenders and it has the grinder on it. You don't HAVE to, it's mainly because dill and parsley tend to be larger leaved and so if you want more spread from them you have to grind them down in some way. Also, instead of tahini I used sesame seeds, so those would also need to be ground. What I did was add all the seasonings together in the cup and then ground them all together. Worked great.





Post World Saving Battle Shawarma Popcorn 
3 T olive oil
1/2 c popcorn kernels

1/2 tsp garlic
1/16 tsp cardamom

1/16 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp lemon pepper

1/16 tsp dill

1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp sesame seeds 

Directions

Add the oil and popcorn kernels to a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan with a lid. Shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil. The kernels should cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.

Cover the pan and place it over medium high heat. When the corn begins to pop, lift it slightly from the heat and shake the pan every so often (does not have to be continuous), holding the lid in place, until the popping begins to slow, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into bowl or bag big enough to toss further ingredients.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Released TODAY on blu-ray! what what! Which is why this request got bumped to the top. Fun times.

As I mentioned in the Captain America: The First Avenger post, the original suggestion was for The Winter Solider, but there was some playful banter over whether or not the popcorn would be American or communist :-) So as a continuation of that joking about, The First Avenger got the all-American recipe and Winter Solider is going to be influenced by Soviet Russian cuisine in honor of Bucky the brainwashed.

I seem to learn something new on a lot of these endeavors, which is fun for me. This go around I learned that Anya Von Bremzen is an authority on this area of cuisine (she has a book if you want to learn more). It is her recipes I referred to for this flavor combo, specifically her recipes for Kotleti and Borscht.

PS Don't be scared of the beet juice, it's really just for color :-) And it was part of the banter. Honestly! You can't even taste it. And it just made the popcorn pink, so if you want to leave it out feel free. 

Can you see the movie in he background?! 

The Winter Solider
1/2 c. popcorn
3 T canola oil OR rendered bacon fat

1 T butter
1 tsp sour cream

1 tsp beet juice

1/6 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/16 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dill

1/8 tsp parsley
1/8 tsp salt
1/16 tsp ground black pepper

Directions
Add the oil and popcorn kernels to a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan with a lid. Shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil. The kernels should cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.

Cover the pan and place it over medium high heat. When the corn begins to pop, lift it slightly from the heat and shake the pan every so often (does not have to be continuous), holding the lid in place, until the popping begins to slow, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into bowl or bag big enough to toss further ingredients.

Combine dry ingredients (mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, parsley, salt, ground black pepper). Dill and parsley are usually bigger, so I suggest grinding the seasonings down for better coverage. I just used my fingers and that worked well.

Melt butter then add sour cream and beet juice to it, mix well. Pour over popcorn and toss. Add seasoning and toss again.  

Captain America: The First Avenger

I love Cap. Not gonna lie. He is my favorite Avenger and my hubby loves to tease me that this is because I can relate to him. What can I say, I am dangerously close to a lawful good alignment, I am all about truth and justice.

This was going to just be a post for the release of The Winter Solider, as suggestion from my SIL, but a bunch of communism jokes later (you had to be there) and I decided there needed to be two recipes: one for Cap and one for Bucky. Lucky for me there are two movies! Problem solved.

Cap is all American and, as the saying goes, what's more American than apple pie? Apparently, the first Avenger agrees with me because when I researched his favorite food, it turns out it's apple pie. No kidding! This was trivia given in the original comic book release back in the 1940's, the one with Cap punching out Hitler. Classic.

Wave Hi! to Bucky there in the background :-)

Captain America's Apple Pie Popcorn
1/2 c. popcorn
3 T coconut oil
3 T caramel
1/2 c. dried apple, diced
1/16 tsp cinnamon
1/16 tsp nutmeg
1/16 tsp salt

Directions

Add the oil and popcorn kernels to a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan with a lid. Shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil. The kernels should cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.

Cover the pan and place it over medium high heat. When the corn begins to pop, lift it slightly from the heat and shake the pan every so often (does not have to be continuous), holding the lid in place, until the popping begins to slow, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into bowl or bag big enough to toss further ingredients.

Heat caramel sauce in microwave until melted, about 15-30 seconds. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to caramel and stir to mix. Add diced dried apple to popcorn. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and apples, stir to coat. (Place bowl in refrigerator or freezer to harden carmel faster, if you wish)

Murder, She Wrote

When my cousin and aunt first suggested a TV show, I wasn't sure it would work but if there is one thing constant about Murder, She Wrote (besides the whole murder thing) it's that Jessica Fletcher is proudly from Maine. So this one involved looking at a lot of Maine lobster recipes.

Like a lot.

Lobster isn't something they dress up much in Maine, it turns out. They don't need to, it's awesome as is. But lobster on popcorn? How would that work?

Ultimately, I went for a flavor profile that took both the lobster roll and lobster chowder concepts into account. Both very classic and somewhat similar in how they treat their lobster with creamy, zingy and savory elements. All-in-all, I think the lemon and vinegar make the most difference. It's a very subtle difference, but it's a tang that makes this recipe different from a typical salt and butter combo.

Cabot Cove Popcorn
1/2 c. popcorn
3 T canola oil
1T butter
1 tsp cream cheese
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/8 tsp cayenne

Directions
Add the oil and popcorn kernels to a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan with a lid. Shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil. The kernels should cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.

Cover the pan and place it over medium high heat. When the corn begins to pop, lift it slightly from the heat and shake the pan every so often (does not have to be continuous), holding the lid in place, until the popping begins to slow, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into bowl or bag big enough to toss further ingredients. 

Combine butter, lemon juice, vinegar and cream cheese in a microwavable ramekin with a cover. Heat in microwave for 15-30 seconds, until the butter has melted. Mix with small whisk or fork (Fair warning: it might look like baby spit up...but it spread over the popcorn just fine). Pour over popcorn and toss or stir until covered evenly. 

Combine dry seasonings (salt, garlic salt, onion powder, dried tarragon, cayenne) and season to taste. 

Finding Nemo

Ok, I know I said that How to Train Your Dragon started it all, but my friend Aiyani's request for a Finding Nemo recipe also sort of started it all...again...

Learning new things is very motivating for me. And solving puzzles. For the most part, my recipes probably won't look all fancy pants with carmel drizzles and gobs of candy. It's about the flavor.

When she asked me for a Finding Nemo recipe my brain was stumped. EVERYTHING IS A FISH! Technically, sea life... but fishy in flavor. You get the idea.

So since you can only go so far with sushi and popcorn my thought was to look into Australian cuisine, the movie taking place there and all.

I found this: http://www.dining-downunder.com/

Snazzy....

I saw a lot of lemon myrtle and alpine pepper and so.... I cheated. A bit. Can you blame me? I am not going to have access to those seasonings in a very immediate way. I have a halloween deadline and a baby due any time in the next three weeks. It's basically lemon and pepper. Bam. 

Oh and one has to use seaweed. It IS the ocean.

(As a side note, my friend wanted savory but if you're not feeling the savory, a "sweet" option would be to incorporate the influence of the Wattleseed, a native Australian flavor that is coffee, chocolate and hazelnut-ish according to Chef Cherikoff http://www.slideshare.net/cherikoff/flavors-of-australia)

42 Wallaby Way Sydney Popcorn
1/2 c. popcorn
3 T canola oil
1 tsp Braggs Sea Kelp Delight Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper
Spritz of Grapeseed Oil (Optional)

Directions

Add the oil and popcorn kernels to a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan with a lid. Shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil. The kernels should cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.

Cover the pan and place it over medium high heat. When the corn begins to pop, lift it slightly from the heat and shake the pan every so often (does not have to be continuous), holding the lid in place, until the popping begins to slow, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour into bowl. Spritz and season to taste. 

How To Train Your Dragon

FLASHBACK!!!!!!

The recipe blogpost that started it all. October 14th, 2010... edited a smidge to get down to the recipe part. Enjoy :-)

*************

This week I am taking this blank canvas of a starch and dressing it up for a DVD premier my husband cannot wait for: How To Train Your Dragon. I dunno the last time he was this excited about a movie. We bought it, it's in the mail and it's supposed to arrive this Friday. He even invited his parents and mine to see it, since they had thus far missed out on what is apparently his new all-time-fave. So to show my support of his excitement, I proposed a themed dinner to go along with it! (yeah....It's what I do.)

Immediately, I thought "Dragon Wings" (who wouldn't) but this was not ok with the Man since (spoiler alert) the dragons are ultimately good creatures. We can't eat the good guys. Good point. So then I proposed looking into viking foods and seeing what I can come up with. Excellent idea, I will let you know how it goes in a different note. And I am all for authentic.....ish....

Back to amazing popcorn. I haven't made it yet but I know it's gonna be awesome. The plan is to have some of the sweet honey flavor common to the Viking's common fare (which I now know because of THIS site) and mix it with the spicy everyone expects when you hear the word "dragon." Stay tuned for the results and the recipe :)

(time lapse: a few hours later)



Woot! I experimented with it tonight, my parents were willing test subjects (hubby doesn't like popcorn...go figure), and it was AWSOME. Therefore, it is definitely a go for tomorrow.

This was a pretty big batch, but a normal one for my family. Mom claims the popcorn accidentally over-poured into the pot.....but I think she was just hungry. Anyway, it was a lot. So I am going to half the recipe:

Honey Butter:
4 oz stick of butter, melted in the microwave with about an 1/8 c of honey mixed

Seasoning:
1/2 tsp each of cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, ginger powder, and salt
2 tsp garlic salt
Mix together and use to taste

Directions:
Pop the corn. Toss popcorn with Honey-Butter mixture. Then take seasoning mix and toss to taste. (We like it hot so we added more cayenne)

Why Popcorn?

Popcorn is a pretty big deal in my family. Being on the poorer-side of things growing up, it was one cheap snack food mom could make in bulk. And I'm not talking about that air-popped crap. I remember the first time I had that stuff at a friends house, it was like eating wadded up cardboard, totally tasteless. No, I grew up with the "Clardy-style" (as it has become known to others) which was originally popped in a large black pot, used exclusively for popping corn, with saved bacon grease and seasoned with Lawry's Seasoning Salt. Then we got healthier and started using olive oil sometime towards the year 2000.

Really... I think we just started eating less bacon.

Which is probably good.

You know....theoretically speaking.

Popcorn is cheap, easy and pretty healthy as a snack food. Its one of the few things my youngest brother knows how to make. It's also shown it can be transformed into a wide range of flavors. I think one of the all time favorite endeavors of my mom's was nacho popcorn. We ran out of Lawry's so she had to come up with an alternative. It had taco seasoning and grated cheese on top and it was soooooo gooooood, let me tell ya. It was a whole new world after that. A world with no boundaries....

So it's plain that I am an addict, and yet I am such a foodie I can't just have it simple. Whenever I am at my in-laws and they bust out the good ol' butter and salt, I inevitably sneak off to the kitchen to sprinkle some spice or another onto it. It just NEEDS something!

But I had never made a recipe match a movie theme until one fateful day when the Man decided he wanted to have a movie night for How to Train Your Dragon. From that night was born Dragon's Breath Popcorn and the friends who tried it have never forgotten it.

Seriously. 

I'm not kidding. 

It's been four years and I still get requests to make a themed recipe for a movie night! So I thought, what the hey! Make it a thing.