Kettle Corn

It's fall! Hooray! And really, what is better for a fall evening than kettle corn, a warm drink and your favorite huge sweater? Actually, I guess kettle corn is more of a summer fair kind of food for most, but carnivals frighten me, people. So kettle corn is fall food for me. And if you've never made it at home, you really should. It all comes together in less than five minutes and will make you instantly, maniacally happy.

I know you're used to seeing some rather time-consuming recipes with occasionally verbose, albeit related, prose around here, but some treats are just so fantastically delicious in their simplicity, there's not much to say, other than...

It's fall. There's corn. In a kettle. Sweet and salty. Hooray!

Kettle Corn
Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray

Makes about 10 cups

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popping corn
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

In a dutch oven or another large, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn and when it starts to sizzle, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels. Place the lid on the pot and as soon as you hear a pop, begin shaking the pot over the heat until the popping slows down, about three minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and when the popping stops completely, lift the lid and sprinkle with the salt, tossing until the corn just begins to cool, leaving a delicious, crisp, sweet and salty coating on the popcorn.