Popcorn & MIFF - 1 - $ - V

Well hello! Apologies for the lack of posts this week but I have spent most of my evenings sitting in a dark room and not cooking much food at all. That's because I have been watching as many movies as I can jam in during the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF).

It's been a case of uber time management and grabbing snacks, cups of tea and glasses of vino in between dashing from one session to another. The movies wind up today which is a good thing I think because my eyes are just about square! This year's festival has had a fantastic program and apart from seeing loads of flicks I also got to see some craft queens as well as Her Royal Feminist Germaine Greer in the flesh!
My fave movie was Bill Cunningham New York - a documentary about the 80 year-old photographer. This film is a must-see for anyone who loves fashion, photography or New York and is truly poignant and inspirational. I laughed, I cried and I wanted to buy even more shoes!


With one session to go tonight and not a lot of food in the house I thought it best to bring you a guide to everyone's favourite movie snack - POPCORN! Next time you head out to the cinema or drive-in don't buy that hideous uranium yellow stuff - make your own! It's too easy, it's about a million times cheaper and there are so many different things you can put on it...

Popping The Corn

Before...

I find it's best to use a pot that is the same size as your hotplate so that you get even heat distribution for the little kernels to do their thing. If your hotplates are small and you need lots of popcorn it's best to make several batches that all work out, rather than one giant one that's half burnt.

It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it...

You need enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pot in a thin layer. You can use just plain old canola or vegetable oil because it's function is conducting heat, not making a taste sensation.
Put the pot on a very high heat and let the oil heat up. Throw in a couple of sacrificial kernels to check the temperature and when they magically explode it's time to pour in enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot in a single layer. Put a lid on and wait for the popping to start. Once it becomes rapid turn the heat down slightly and give the pot a shake every few seconds so that the unpopped kernels can drop down to the bottom of the pot.

And we're off!

Once the popping subsides take the pot immediately off the heat. The kernels that didn't explode have had their chance, so don't burn the ones that fulfilled their popping destiny.
Now it's time to add your favourite popcorn topping...


Toppings

There's so many to choose from so here's a few suggestions; some obvious and some perhaps not so obvious. If you have a favourite please leave it in the comments below...

• Melted butter
• Salt - my current pick would have to be Hawaiian Black Lava
• Icing sugar
• Shredded coconut
  
• A combo of salt and sugar
• Cayenne pepper for a little heat
• Paprika
• Finely grated Parmesan or other hard cheese

The ultimate way to serve popcorn though would have to be covered in crunchy caramel. Head over to Not Quite Nigella to see Lorraine's beautiful photos and how-to guide for this version.

Enjoy!

The Cookbook Challenge Week 18 - Mexican Style BBQ Corn - 1 - $ - V

For this week's Cookbook Challenge I'm being a little bit cheeky, by being a tiny bit cheaty. I discovered this recipe a few months ago during summer when the BBQ seemed to be constantly fired up. It is so simple and so lovely I had to share it and have been saving it up for Barbie week!

I did actually make this dish tonight to provide the photos and, perhaps, give it a last whirl until later in the year. now that the weather is cooling down. The nutty taste of char-grilled kernels is what this dish is all about; although you could definitely make it indoors by cooking the corn under the grill.

It is a Mr Oliver recipe (again) and comes from the March 2008 edition of delicious magazine.

Before you get started, a few things I have discovered that you may find useful are:

• If you want to break the corn and make smaller portions, just snap the cobs in half.

• Keep the BBQ on a low heat. Men are you listening? BBQs can be on a low heat!

• Don't bother with a healthier version, you really need the melted butter to make the cheese stick and melt to perfection.

• For a Latin variation, Manchego cheese works beautifully. ¡Olé!

Ingredients - this is for 4 people

whole corn cobs, husks removed (aaaw shucks)
125gm unsalted butter, melted
150gm Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese, finely grated
pimenton (smoked paprika), to sprinkle
1 lime, quartered
salt and pepper to season

Preheat the BBQ.
Place corn in a large pot of salted water, bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 10-12 minutes. Drain in a colander and let the cobs steam dry.
Brush the corn with some melted butter, season with salt and pepper and BBQ until lightly toasted.

Spread the cheese on a plate or tray. Brush the cooked corn with the remaining butter and roll it in the cheese. Sprinkle with the pimenton and serve with a lime wedge.

Enjoy!