POPCORN RECIPE
What's a movie without popcorn?

Real butter on real popcorn is one of the favorite attractions at the STAR Theatre in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, supporting the local claim that it’s the best popcorn in four states! When reports surfaced in 1994 revealing the high fat dangers of theater popcorn, we rebelled and did our own study.

For nearly three decades, STAR popcorn had been popped in 100% peanut oil in the six-foot tall, glowing red, 1947 Manley machine. Crunching the numbers, we found that our 85oz. box of plain popcorn -- a bargain at $1 -- had only 179 calories and 16% fat. Because the oil used is "good" peanut oil, those 20 grams of fat in each box included only 3.42 grams of saturated (bad) fat.

The conclusion made by Tari Hampe, famed owner,of the eponymous cafe next door and fat expert, was: "The STAR's popcorn is a good looking food and the best snack for kids to eat at the movies."
     

The recipe:

Heat up the steel-tub in the Manley machine for approximately 1/2 hour.
When it's smokin' add .......
2 tbls. 100% peanut oil
1 and 1/2 cups raw popcorn.
(We buy both oil and raw popcorn from Sams' Club. )
Turn on the rotor, close the steel lid and let it pop.
Sprinkle the popped corn with finer grain popcorn salt.
Makes enough for about four folks with big orders.

Jeanne Mozier
Popcorn Empress