Stove Top Popcorn

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

I don't know if you've heard, but a study just released by researchers at Harvard found that Americans who snack on potato chips pack on the pounds. Frank Wu, one of the study's authors, said the results help illustrate that there are in fact 'good' and 'bad' foods.

I love potato chips. But with the obesity epidemic raging across the country, perhaps it's time we found a new national snack food. I nominate homemade popcorn. It's crunchy, filling, and fun, and possesses the power to release the inner child in even the grumpiest adult.

Let me clarify what I mean by 'homemade' popcorn. I'm talking about popcorn that is made over the stove or in a popcorn popper layered with a bit of oil. I am not referring to microwave popcorn with its musty, dusty aroma. At my last job, I dreaded mid-afternoons when a very kind-hearted colleague would nuke up a bag and perch it on the edge of his desk. A synthetic smell hung in the air for the rest of the day. At one point, our director burned a bagful of popcorn in the microwave. The smell was so piercing that the maintenance man paid us a visit, fearing a toxin had been released five floors away. An off-putting odor plagued the kitchen for weeks.

The experience makes me worry for people who feed on microwave popcorn. Many brands contain partially hydrogenated oil and other spooky sounding items like TBHQ and propy gallate. (I wish I was making this up.) It costs two to three times as much as homemade popcorn, takes nearly as long to make, and worst of all, pales in taste. Like a bad toupee, microwave popcorn is an obvious impostor that will leave you craving chips.

Americans devour old-fashioned popcorn at the movies and savor it at the park. It's a shame that we shy away from it at home when all it takes to make the playful, fiber-rich treat is a steel pot and lid, some corn kernels, and a dusting of salt. A reasonably priced popper will also do the trick. (I nabbed the Stir Crazy for half price when Carson's closed on State Street a few years ago. I can make a delicious bowl of popcorn with just a dab of oil.) Both options allow you to control the salt and fat content.

The good news is that one you're comfortable making plain popcorn, you can move on to fancier versions. It's lovely popped in flavored oils and encrusted in a sprinkling of sugar. Believe me, once you get going you'll forget the chips.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

STOVE TOP POPCORN

Makes 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup corn kernels
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Place a steel pot on a burner and coat the bottom of the pot with oil. Heat to medium-high.  

Add the corn kernels and cover.

Listen as the kernels start to pop slowly at first and then rapidly. Remove from heat when the popping slows to about a pop every two seconds. Do not wait until the last kernel pops, as the rest of the popcorn will burn.

Pour the popcorn into a bowl and dust with salt.

Miss Julia's Kale Chips

Honey mustard salmon. Tofu steaks with maple marinade. Whole grain spaghetti with cheesy turkey marinara. Sounds like offerings from one of Chicago's hip cafes. Well, the dishes are all part of the lunch menu at the Academy for Global Citizenship where students can opt for soy milk. During a recent visit, children from kindergarten to third grade buzzed around me in the school's edible school yard. Some watered plants, others pulled weeds, and a handful mimicked the dance moves of a teacher. Rosie, Daisy, and Bluebell shared the green space. When the school's executive director Sarah coaxed the hens from their coop, they casually pecked about like contented farm animals. Thanks to the trio, the students know where eggs come from. They come from chickens.

By preparing meals with ingredients free of hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics, the school seeks to promote student health. And it has bred many discriminating eaters. According to parents, students often grill them at the grocery store.

"Is that organic?" "Did you remember the soy milk?"

The school also offers workshops to engage the local community. The workshops include cooking classes and tastings that allow parents to sample school meals for themselves. According to Miss Julia who leads the workshops, many parents seek information on culinary nutrition.

The school recently created a booklet to share its unique recipes. It includes dishes like tempeh bean chili and breakfast quinoa with dried cherries, raisins, and pecans. It also has instructions for the school's delicious kale chips which are included below.

MISS JULIA'S KALE CHIPS

Serves 4 adults

This recipe transforms kale's frilly leaves into whispy bites with the lightness of nori. I could easily devour a bowl full. Many thanks Miss Julia!

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches kale

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse the kale and pat it dry. Remove and discard the ribs. Roughly chop the leaves.

Pat the leaves dry again. In a large bowl, toss them with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Spread the leaves on two large rimmed baking sheets.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until the leaves are crisp on the edges and slightly browned.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE POPSICLES

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine 3/4 cup water and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Using a blender, puree the strawberries with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Push the juice through a sieve to filter out the seeds.

In a pitcher, combine the sugar syrup, strawberry juice, the rest of the water, and lemon juice. Stir.

Divide the strawberry lemonade evenly between the popsicle molds. Insert the sticks and freeze for about six hours.

Dip the molds in hot water to release popsicles.

It Won't Last Strawberry Lemonade

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

(2011 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved)

This recipe was inspired by a drink I had at Holy Trinity High School in Wicker Park. I stopped by the school in April to see how Chef John Boundas and his staff are innovating Chicago's school lunch program, one meal at a time. At the end of the visit, a woman handed me a glass of the strawberry lemonade they stir up with frozen berries from the commodities program. The blush-colored drink had a fruitiness, a tang, and a touch of sweetness that would outshine any processed beverage. It is proof that John and his staff really do perform miracles in the kitchen.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Tip: Two years ago, I visited my Aunt Regina who lives just outside of San Francisco. At the time, her lemon trees were heavy with fruit. She taught me to pour extra lemon juice into an ice cube tray to store it for later use. Use this tip if you end up with more lemon juice that you need for the strawberry lemonade.

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped strawberries

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine 3/4 cup water and sugar in a sauce pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Using a blender, puree the strawberries with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Push the juice through a sieve to filter out the seeds.

In a pitcher, combine the sugar syrup, strawberry juice, the rest of the water, and lemon juice. Stir.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)