In A Modern Way to Eat, Anna Jones writes about the changing ways we find ourselves eating, taking a refreshing new look at vegetarian cooking.
Salty-sweet caramel-coated popcorn—serve it in big bowls or in cinema-style paper containers for a special movie night. And make lots—it goes quickly.
I love cinnamon—it’s such a comforting spice. Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon a day mixed into tea or hot water can help with digestion problems. Be careful to buy real or Ceylon cinnamon and not cassia. Cassia is the outer bark of the cinnamon tree—it’s darker and comes in a stick-like curl of bark. It has a punchy medicinal aroma and is used widely in the United States. Real cinnamon is sweeter and more calming. The sticks are lighter in color and crumble very easily. If you buy from a good natural foods store or spice shop, you should know what you are getting.
10 servings
- First get your popcorn popping. Heat a very large pan (make sure it’s one with a lid) over medium heat and add a splash of oil. If you don’t have a very large pan, two smaller ones will do. Once it’s hot, add the popcorn kernels, put on the lid, and turn the heat down to low. Give it a good shake every 30 seconds or so to move the kernels around and keep them from burning. It will be a while before the popping starts. But when it does, it will come thick and fast, so don’t be tempted to lift the lid.
- While your corn is popping, make the caramel. Put the sugar into a pan with scant 1⁄2 cup water, place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer, being careful not to touch it. Keep it bubbling until the water has reduced and you have a deep caramel color. Don’t be tempted to stir or you will end up with crystallized caramel.
- Once your popcorn has finished popping, remove it from the heat and pour it into a deep baking tray. Very carefully pour over your caramel, using a metal spoon to mix it throughout the popcorn—do not touch the popcorn with your hands, as the caramel will be very hot. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and salt, grate over the nutmeg and orange zest, and mix again with a spoon. Allow the caramel to cool completely before eating.
Copyright © 2014 by Anna Jones, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
