Many ways to enjoy this movie time treat

Tonight's Academy Awards telecast reminds viewers of great movies they may have seen in the past -- not only nominated movies from the past year, but great movies from throughout cinema history. And what better to accompany a movie ... or a celebration of the movies ... than popcorn?

According to the Popcorn Board, an industry group, Americans eat 16 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year -- that works out to 52 quarts per person. About 70 percent of that amount is eaten at home, and 30 percent outside the home, such as at theaters, stadiums or what have you.

Popcorn itself isn't bad for you, although the oils sometimes used to pop or flavor it come under criticism. Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup, according to the Popcorn Board, and oil-popped popcorn has only 55 calories per cup.

But movie theater popcorn is usually popped in highly-saturated coconut oil, which is considered bad from a heart health perspective. Then again, if you don't go to the movies that often, you can consider it a special treat.

Air-popped popcorn avoids this problem, but doesn't have the same greasy goodness as its oil-soaked brethren. And even if you try to season air-popped corn, you may find that dry seasonings are reluctant to cling to it the way they will to oil-popped corn. Some authorities, such as Nebraska extention educator Alice Henneman, suggest lightly spraying air-popped popcorn with butter-flavored cooking spray before adding dry seasonings. You'll be adding back a little fat, but still not as much as if the corn had been popped in oil. There are also fat-free butter flavor sprays sold next to butter and margarine in the dairy case.

There are a variety of dry seasonings that taste good on popcorn, from dry taco seasoning to sugar and cinnamon. Commercial popcorn seasonings are also available; Kernel Season's is a well-known brand with a large selection of flavors. If your supermarket doesn't carry the entire line, they can be ordered from the company's web site.

Microwave popcorn is available in many varieties. Some are designed to mimic movie-theater flavors, with greater amounts of fat, but lower-fat microwave varieties are also available. Snackers with health concerns should check nutrition labeling to make the best choices.

If you're making popcorn at home for your Oscar party, you've got several choices: microwave popcorn, a dedicated popcorn popper (oil or hot air), or popping on the stovetop.

Microwave popcorn is fine, but there's something about standing over the stove shaking a pot of popcorn that makes it seem like a special occasion. And stovetop popping lets you control which oil is used and how the popcorn is flavored. Stovetop popcorn with a drizzle of real butter beats any of the microwave flavors!

There are dedicated stovetop popcorn poppers which use a hand crank to power a stirring rod. These often feature specially-vented lids which let moisture escape (good for nice crunchy popcorn) without letting corn or oil splatter everywhere. The same type of stirring mechanism is used in theater and stadium popping machines, and in some of the oil-based tabletop poppers.

The stirring rod is designed to help keep the popcorn moving so that unpopped kernels fall to the bottom. The same effect can be had when using a saucepan or dutch oven by shaking the vessel as the popcorn pops.

Alton Brown of "Good Eats" on the Food Network takes this idea a step further. Instead of a flat-bottomed saucepan, he pops his popcorn in a stainless-steel mixing bowl, placed right on the burner. He covers the bowl with aluminum foil and punches a few slits in the foil to allow steam to escape. Since there's no handle, he uses tongs to shake the hot bowl as the popcorn pops. Brown claims that the rounded shape of the bowl encourages the unpopped kernels to collect at the bottom and get their best chance at popping.

The other stovetop option is a unique product many of us remember from our childhood: "Jiffy-Pop," packed in a foil-topped aluminum pie pan with a wire handle. As the popcorn pops, it puffs up the swirled foil in the shape of a chef's toque. Jiffy-Pop isn't as easy to find as it used to be, probably because of the popularity of microwave popcorn, but the manufacturer's web site still shows it as being sold at two local supermarkets.

Popcorn pops because of moisture which converts into steam as it is heated. Because of this, popcorn should be stored in such a way that it doesn't dry out prematurely, which can keep it from popping completely. Orville Reddenbacher's success as a popcorn-seller was due not only to a popcorn hybrid he developed but because he sold that popcorn in sealed jars.

According to the Popcorn Board, popcorn needs 13.5 percent to 14 percent moisture per kernel to pop. On a hot day, uncovered popcorn can lose a percent of moisture, affecting the quality of the popped corn. A loss of three percent can render it completely unpoppable.

Here are two different methods for stove-top popping, plus an idea for how to season microwave-popped corn:

The Popcorn Board

To pop popcorn on a range-top, assemble the following:

* A 3 to 4 quart pan with a loose lid that allows steam to escape

* At least enough popcorn to cover the bottom of the pan, one kernel deep

* 1/3 cup of oil for every cup of kernels (Don't use butter!)

Heat the oil to 400 - 460 degrees Fahrenheit (if the oil smokes, it is too hot). Test the oil on a couple of kernels. When they pop, add the rest of the popcorn, cover the pan and shake to evenly spread the oil. When the popping begins to slow, remove the pan from the stove-top. The heated oil will still pop the remaining kernels.

Pre-salting kernels toughens popcorn. So, salt the popcorn after it has been popped -- or skip salt altogether and add salt-free spices.

One ounce of un-popped popcorn equals a quart popped.

Alton Brown, Food Network

Ingredients:

* 3 tablespoons peanut oil

* 3 ounces popcorn kernels, approximately 1/2 cup

* 1/2 teaspoon popcorn salt

* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place the oil, popcorn and salt in a large, 6-quart, metal mixing bowl. Cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil and poke 10 slits in the top with a knife.

Place the bowl over medium heat and shake constantly using a pair of tongs to hold the bowl. Continue shaking until the popcorn finishes popping, approximately 3 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the heat and carefully remove the foil. Stir in any salt that is on the side of the bowl.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Slowly drizzle over the popcorn, while spinning the bowl. Serve immediately.

Zippy Italian popcorn (Rachael Ray, Food Network)

* 1 sack reduced fat natural flavor microwave popcorn, cooked to package directions

* 2 tablespoons butter

* 1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic

* 1 teaspoon dried oregano

* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

* 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano (parmesan) cheese

Pop the corn and place in a bowl. Place butter and spices in a small cup or bowl and place in microwave oven and melt, 10 to 15 seconds on high. Stir and pour mixture over the popped corn. Sprinkle the corn with cheese and serve.