Ben is a popcorn purist: even with my prodding to break out of his popcorn rut he won’t entertain the idea of having any adornments except butter & sea salt.

So for our planned Valentine’s movie night in I was kinda surprised when he said he’d try out some other popcorn flavorings, if I’d join him.

I’ve decided to try out Parmesan, Lemon & Black Pepper popcorn as well as the classic Butter & Salt popcorn I know Ben loves.

Parmesan, Lemon & Black Pepper Popcorn

You’ll Need:

• ⅓ to ½ cup popcorn kernels (to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer or the right level for the popcorn machine)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan in a shallow layer if popping on the stove top)
• Zest of 1 small lemon, preferably organic
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Fine grain sea salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons of organic butter (you can omit this or adjust to your taste)

1. Make the popcorn using your preferred method (see step 2 for directions on stovetop cooking or skip to 3 if machine popping)
2. In a medium pot, pour in enough vegetable oil just to cover the bottom and set over medium heat. Throw in a couple of popcorn kernels; when they pop, you know the oil is ready. Pour in the rest of the kernels and place a lid on the pot, leaving it cracked so steam can escape. Shaking the pan almost constantly to keep the kernels moving, cook until the popping slows to a few seconds between each pop. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl
3. Pour the butter over the popcorn, stirring to combine.
4. Use a Microplane or other small grater to grate some lemon zest and Parmesan over the bowl of popcorn, to taste.
5. Add pepper and salt, to taste. Serve!