Popcorn for Dinner?

They say that man cannot live by bread alone, but as far I know, they’ve never said anything about a woman and popcorn.

And if I’m to be perfectly honest with you readers, I confess I could easily forgo a majority of meals so long as I had an ample supply of popcorn on hand. (Add some yogurt to the equation, and I’d be all set.)

I know, not the most healthful of options—I'm still holding out for a revelatory headline of the nutritional benefits of popcorn. I’m not expecting the hulls to cure cancer or the puffs to prolong life; but some anti-aging effects, or perhaps the ability to zap blemishes and banish bloating would suit me fine.

Until then, I'll keep eating popcorn as edible entertainment. It is one of the most comforting snacks, and pre-butter, is at least relatively benign on the nutritional front. More importantly, it's delicious. Freshly popped, it always cheers me. And as I’ve learned from many years of popping and eating the fluffy kernels, popcorn does not have to be hot from the popper to be enjoyed. So long as it’s not overloaded with butter (not that I have anything against the occasional butter-laden bowl...or two), it stores very well, and travels even better.

Now before I get to the recipe, let me stand on my soapbox and make a plea: nix the ready-made microwave stuff. I’m rarely a purist on issues of food, but popcorn is an exception. It’s overpriced, overly salty, and contains a nasty chemical, diacetyl, that's related to lung disease. Yuck.

No need to banish the microwave method. Alton Brown and others have figured out how to make your own microwave popcorn, sans chemicals, and it works like a charm. I have a sentimental attachment to the air-popper I purchased my first year of graduate school, so I use it most often, but I’m charmed by the brown paper bag method for its cleverness and frugality.

And now, the spice, specifically the cinnamon (& cayenne) spiced sweet & salty popcorn. If for some reason you are not a sweet-salty person, well…I suppose we can still be friends, but you’re going to need to work on your affliction. I think this popcorn will steer you in the right direction.

Cinnamon-Sugar Popcorn (with a Cayenne Kick)

8 cups air-popped popcorn (popped in airpopper)
Butter-flavored or regular cooking spray
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place popcorn in a large bowl. Lightly coat popcorn with cooking spray; toss well. Repeat the spraying and tossing one more time.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne in a small bowl. Drizzle popcorn with melted butter; toss well. Sprinkle with sugar mixture; toss well to coat. Makes 8 1-cup servings

Nutrition per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 61; Fat 1.3g (poly 0.1g, mono 0.7g, sat 0.6g); Protein 0.5g; Cholesterol 3mg; Carbohydrate 4.8g; Sodium 81mg; Fiber: 0.7)
(Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)