Chop the Seasonings Before Sprinkling Them on the Popcorn
People underestimate the versatility of popcorn. Yes, it’s an impeccable snack, but when combined with a glass of wine and fried olives, it also makes a decent dinner. And given it’s a whole grain, I don’t think anyone can blame you for eating it for breakfast. (It’s basically oatmeal.) It’s almost perfect, and the best way to make it even more perfect is to grind the seasoning before sprinkling.
You see, when ground into a fine powder, salts and spices stick to the kernels with unprecedented strength. Explosive mixtures in oblivion – like the spicy-sweet salt you see below – means they’ll cling to your snack instead of falling (unfortunately) to the bottom of the bowl.
Even if you are using plain salt, grinding it into dust will greatly improve your popcorn eating experience, but this method is really effective when you use it with coarser mixtures, especially if they contain small pieces of herbs or seeds. If you need inspiration, try one of the following:
- Furikake
- Fried herbs
- Old bay
- All bagels condiments
- Nutritional yeast
- Provencal herbs
- Cinnamon and sugar (beat the sugar by itself first; cinnamon is good enough already).
- Black pepper and citrus peel
No matter which scented friend you choose, the method is the same. Add a spoonful of the seasoning to the bowl of a food processor and grind it to a fine powder, hitting the sides of the bowl as needed to keep everyone moving. Let the dust settle for a moment – so you don’t inhale it – then pour the powder through a sieve to catch any messy pieces. Sprinkle them on hot, fluffy, crunchy kernels, add a glass of wine, and enjoy a nutritious whole grain bowl.