Movie Popcorn and going to the movies

OK, so for a long time now, on rare visits to a movie theater, I make popcorn at home and take my water in a large purse...saving money and all that, ya' know.
Today, as we stood outside in the cold damp weather, with 35 or more other folks who were there to see Avatar, and the theater decided to torture us and make us wait to get in, all I could think about was something warm to eat. Surely not my popcorn, as by now it was cold after waiting for 15 minutes in foggy, 44°. After we made it inside and everyone was getting hot popcorn, I felt smug with I heard anything from $12.00 to $18.00 for popcorn and a drink. My popcorn was awful, cold, and rather tasteless with just salt, no butter...calories ya' know. After we came home, I announced that I hated home made popcorn and I did not want it anymore. Gene agreed....
So does anyone have suggestion for home made that is better than mine? I make it in the microwave in a special bowl made for such a thing. I have tried the popcorn gadgets that you have to stir, and numerous other types.....but it is not movie popcorn, which is great, but with all that horrible butter stuff that I won't eat.

Yikes! I have to admit that $12-18 for movie popcorn and a drink is crazy!

Yet, I have to admit I also love the stuff! Maybe I should be more optimistic about my own possible popcorn creations but I honestly don't trust that I can make anything better myself at home. Kinda like hot dogs at a baseball game, there's just something uniquely savory about movie popcorn that seems ideal and difficult to exactly re-capture away from the place where it's best known.

But I have to agree that the butter-like mixture they drizzle on surely can't be the healthiest thing to be eating at the movies! Who knows what the stuff even is! It's darn delicious though!

Jeff

Remember the Stephen King novel "The Talisman" that he wrote with Peter Straub? One of the characters from the other dimension commented that the movie theatre's popcorn butter smelled like piss. And after reading that, I realized he was exactly right, it did reek of an uncleaned urinal.

Remember the Stephen King novel "The Talisman" that he wrote with Peter Straub? One of the characters from the other dimension commented that the movie theatre's popcorn butter smelled like piss. And after reading that, I realized he was exactly right, it did reek of an uncleaned urinal.

Yuck! Well, that's definitely a way to kill the "romance" of movie popcorn and at least save the $12 in the process!

If only such urine-like treats weren't so tasty it would be easier to have more dignity...

Of course, I guess similar descriptors are often used for Sauvignon Blanc wines yet some greatly enjoy them. They aren't my favorite though I must admit. Now, champagne with my urine-based popcorn IS a match I truly love, dignified or not! LOL

I can't say I've taken champagne into a movie theatre itself however. I think they might frown upon that...


Jeff

Karen -

I'm wondering if the problem involves freshness? I'm not much of a popcorn fan, but I can tell when it's been sitting for more than a few minutes after it's been made. I'm not sure there's a practical way to make popcorn at home and keep it warm and fresh while you drive to a theater, buy tickets, and find a seat. Maybe there's a way to add some flavoring to it that would compensate for a lack of freshness?

Or maybe there's a different snack that you could take in with you? I have nothing to offer on this count, though. I usually don't eat anything when I go to a movie. When I do, it's something like Hot Tamales or Junior Mints, which are both expensive and very fattening!

Well, butter would be my best shot at making dry popcorn more interesting but there are others: truffle salt, fennel pollen, cheese, caramel and nuts ( a cracker jack notion!).

Speaking of which... if it doesn't have to be popcorn then you'd be free to pursue Chex mix, Rice Krispies treats, Goldfish, Cheerios, etc.

My favorite way to make popcorn is stovetop. A heavy pan is essential. I use a pressure cooker with the rubber gasket removed. Add enough cooking oil to cover the bottom about 1/8 inch thick and set the burner to high. Measure out 1/2 cup of popcorn. When the oil starts to heat up, add 3 kernels of popcorn. When the second kernel pops, add the 1/2 cup, put the lid on and shake and turn the pan constantly until the popping stops (30-45 seconds - don't wait too long or you'll burn it). Immediately remove the lid and pour into a large bowl and add salt. Add 1/2 stick of butter to the hot pan (off the burner) and swirl around until it's all melted. Pour the butter over the popcorn and shake it up (a Tupperware bowl with a tight fitting lid is good for this). For a fun variation you can pop the popcorn with olive oil and top the popped corn with grated Italian cheese (I like Romano).

As an aside, I know it's nice to save a bit of money every now and then, but from what I've read, the movie theaters rely on the sale of refreshments to stay in business, as the admission price barely covers the cost of showing the movies, so I patronize the refreshment stand. However, I think I only go to the movie theater about twice a year, so I don't really do that much to keep them in business, but when I go it's a treat.

Extra virgin coconut oil.

I agree with Chef.

Great suggestions all, and Mike I think you nailed it about the time. It was almost one hour by the time we left home and the movie started. Avatar has a lot of pre-movie stuff going on. I find the suggestion of coconut oil interesting and never knew there was such oil. I have used truffle salt on the popcorn and remember thinking what a nice change that was. We only frequent the movies about once or twice a year, and usually plan to go around lunch time, so we just eat popcorn for our lunch. I also wonder about the freshness of my popcorn kernels. I buy the smallest bulk bag I can find but it does sit there for a year or more.
I think I may need to find a better snack for our movie watching. Hmmm....I also like the Caramel corn idea, maybe with cashews This might be the one.

I've been working on a low salt popcorn seasoning for the spice shop where I moonlight. My best effort so far has been with a cheddar powder that we carry, blended with a dark chili powder, onion and garlic powder, a touch of ground chipotle powder and a tad of crushed oregano. If you can find the cheddar powder near you (we also have romano and feta, fwiw) you might play around with your own version.