Well Fed Buff: Bag of popcorn

If you spend time on the internet -- which I'm sure everyone reading this does -- then you're well aware that popcorn is no longer simply a food, it's a verb. One that can often be applied to happenings in World of Warcraft. But hey, I'm not here for the verb version, I'm here for the delicious, edible noun.

I've long thought it was a shame that the only place you could get a Bag of Popcorn in WoW was from the arena vendor in Zul'Drak (you have to wave at him--he'll toss you the item). Wouldn't it fit right in at the Darkmoon Faire? Blizzard, are you listening? Anyway, if you're not feeling up to flying all the way out to the frozen wastes of Zul'Drak to get one of these, you can make it easily in the comfort of your own home.

Yeah yeah, you could just buy one of those pre-seasoned bags from the store, but I'm on a terrible (and fortunately temporary) medical diet right now, and can't have anything pre-made. So here's how to pop your corn the old-fashioned way. You will need:

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels

• olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 tsp paprika

• a medium-sized saucepan with a lid

The lid is very important, because without it, you'll have bits of popcorn flying all over the place. If your pan has a clear lid like mine, you can have fun watching those little kernels burst into fluffy, popcorn-y goodness! Also, as a side note: it doesn't look like much, but trust me, that 1/2 cup of kernels will fill up this whole saucepan.

Put your pan on medium to medium-low heat, and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the pan has gotten hot, add your kernels and put the lid on. Give it a good shake to coat the kernels in oil. The corn should start popping in 30-60 seconds. Let it go until the popping slows down to less than one pop per second, then take the pan off the heat. Pour your steaming popcorn into a consumption vessel of your choice (I did not have a bag, hence the bowl) and season to taste. I like to use salt, pepper, and paprika, but you can use basically anything you want here. I think powdered sugar and cinnamon would be a delicious sweet alternative, and if you're braver than me, you could even try making your own caramel. Enjoy your popcorn!