March Madness Popcorn Treat

It's Final Four time and plenty of readers are going through March Madness. Woo-hoo! You (or someone you love) have watched dozens of basketball games. You are hungry for more. And if you are planning to watch basketball this weekend, you need appetizers.

[Cue: Roar from crowd!!!]

Easy-peasy is my attitude when it comes to appetizers for a sports-hungry group. Do the least amount possible. Chips and dip, cut-up veggies (for those who are health conscious), a cheese platter, and...

Dah-dah-tada! 

Parmesan dusted popcorn.

[Cue: More cheers!]

I adore popcorn, at the movies, as a snack at home, and nowadays, it's so easy to make with Orville Redenbacher's (and other popular brands) and a microwave.  [Tip: Listen for when the popcorn slows down. That's the time to take out the bag so the popcorn doesn't overcook.]













PARMESAN POPCORN

Ingredients:

Your favorite popcorn, four cups (popped)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Mix the cheese and spices. Sprinkle over popcorn when it's warm. Toss with tongs. Serve.

How easy is that!!!!


Other appetizers to consider:

Cleo's Chicken Wings
Riley Adams' Bacon and Tomato Dip
Avery's Caprese Salad on a Stick

(AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUR RECIPE INDEX ON THE RIGHT)

NEW FEATURE

Every few weeks, I'd like to give you a snippet of why I'm a paid author and not an employed chef, so I'm going to post a couple of lines from my current book. I hope you enjoy.

From CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERT:

“I thought I’d seen a ghost,” Matthew said.

“It wasn’t Chip.” I popped off the lid of another Tupperware box of decorations we’d lugged from The Cheese Shop. “Chip lives in France, not Providence.”

“He was blonde, broad-shouldered, and fast.”

“So are you.”

“I’m telling you, the guy could run. What if it was him?”

I blew a stray hair off my face. “My ex-fiancée is not loping through the Winter Wonderland faire in the middle of February. Last I heard, he hated winter.” And hated me, but that was water over the falls.

“I worry that he’ll hurt—”

“It wasn’t him. We have tourists. Lots and lots of tourists. One looked like him, that’s all.” A fog of breath wisped out of my mouth. I buttoned my pearl-colored sweater and tightened the gold filigree scarf around my neck to ward off the morning chill. Wearing corduroys, a turtleneck, and extra socks beneath my boots weren’t doing the trick.

Every year, in celebration of Providence’s Founder’s Day, the Village Green transformed itself into a Winter Wonderland faire. Farmers, vintners, and crafters from all over Holmes County and beyond joined in the weekend fun that would officially start on Friday evening. It was a tourist draw in a season when tourists should have been scarce. Overnight, small white tents with picture windows, peaked roofs, swinging doors, and fake green grass floors appeared. Twinkling white lights outlined each tent.

I stood in the middle of ours and removed glittery wedge-shaped ornaments from the decoration box. “Let’s change the subject.”

“Okay, Miss Touchy.” A grin inched up the right side of my cousin’s handsome face. He could be such a joker. He plucked another taste of what I called ambrosia—he’d already eaten three—from a small platter of cheeses that I’d brought to sample while we worked. “Hungry?” He waved it under my nose. “Mm-mmm. This is a delicious cheese. What is it?”

“Zamorano. A sheep’s cheese from Zamora, Spain. Sort of like Manchego. The milk comes from Churra sheep.” I’d eaten my fair share as an early morning snack.

“It’s nutty and sort of buttery.”

“Your new favorite,” I teased.

                “How’d you guess?” He slipped the cheese into his mouth and hummed his appreciation. 

* * * * *

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DARYL WOOD GERBER?

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She doesn't say all the same things I do.
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Say cheese!
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