One to four servings

Don’t overlook this recipe. It is a good one!

I know that it is very easy for you to buy a bag of popcorn and throw it in the microwave, hit the popcorn button, and turn on the TV. But is this what it has come to? Are we too busy to even pop popcorn?

When I was a kid, my brother Vince used to pop popcorn for me. He always experimented with different ingredients. I could not wait to see what he was going to come up with next. The recipe that I am sharing with you is very simple. It is one that Vince cooked for me when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old. It is still my favorite popcorn to this day. It is even good cold the next day. And FYI, I always eat popcorn with a spoon!

Ingredients
1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons lightly salted butter
3/4 cup popcorn kernels
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Locatelli Romano cheese
To taste, salt

Procedure
Put the oil and half the butter in a thick-bottom pot. (I use a three-quart pot.)
Over low heat, melt the butter.
Add the popcorn and black pepper.
Turn the heat to medium/high (not too high, or you will burn the seeds).
Place the lid on the pot and continuously shake the pot until the popcorn is popped. (I tilt the lid a little to let the steam out after about half of the popcorn is popped.)
Dump the popcorn into a stainless bowl.
Add the cheese and the remaining butter. (I first melt the butter in the same pot where I cooked the popcorn.)
Stir until evenly coated.
Add salt only if you think that it needs a little.

Enjoy!