Brilliantly new
Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 1:49PM 
Images of a long weekend. Signs of spring; candy-coloured chocolate eggs and blooming red shoes.
I have my own little ritual to start the day.
Most mornings we get up just before the sun rises; we make our way downstairs in the dim predawn, drawn like moths to the glowing red eye of the coffee maker. My husband and I will chat quietly with pajamaed little boys cheerfully groggy, (relatively) quietly content to keep Mummy and Daddy company around the kitchen table.
But the day is not started yet.
My day truly begins about two hours after I get up. After coffee and orange juice and breakfast, we make our way back upstairs. This is when the day begins, as I move from room to room, pulling back the blinds which have hidden the sun from view. The windows, now unencumbered, welcome the light as it streams in.
Why, hello there World.
This is the most energetic light of the day, clear and true. Even in the winter, I anticipate this moment of revelation, this ceremony of bringing the day into our home. Now that spring has thankfully arrived on our doorstep, the morning light is even more radiant, growing increasingly-golden as the days go by.
It is a light that renders everything new, every day full of possibility.
There is a newness to childhood that I had forgotten. So many things that we grow to take for granted is bran-spankin-brilliantly new to a little one. William is in the thick of it, crawling and standing and exploring the boundaries of this new world of discoveries. There is glee in the discovery of the ability to clap, wonder at the skill of rolling a ball, unabashed joy at knocking down a block tower.
While our Benjamin has been through first teeth, first steps, first words already, he's not done yet discovering, not by a long shot. He's just getting started.
At three years of age, he has entered the world of reason. He asks questions. A lot of questions.
"Why do I need that?" (on wearing a coat)
"Who is that guy?" (in the grocery store)
"How does that work?" (too popular to pick one example)
"Where does this go?" (completing a puzzle)
"What is this?" (on oh-so-many things)
It is amazing to observe him as he considers his world. When Ben was very small, we were more concerned with the big picture, with labels like boy and dog and cat and apple. Now we also can consider the details, how he is a boy and a brother and a son and a Benjamin. And a bird can be brown and red and fat and a robin, too.
The same sort of diversity is explored in food. As much as we rely on our established recipes, variation is welcomed. Eggs can be fried and scrambled and poached and omelets and boiled; they need not be only one way.
Now and again I make it a particular point to seek out discoveries, just so I can see our boys process the new. I pretend to be casual, while slyly watching their expressions transform from curious to interested, then ponderous, and then finally wonder lights up their eyes - with this new thing, their world is forever changed. And it is marvelous.
Often, their grins match my own.
Lately we have been eating a lot of popcorn, since Benjamin declared it his favourite snack. We have always made it in relatively the same manner, with butter and salt, but sometimes with herbs and garlic or a grating of Parmesan. Curious to see his reaction, I thought I would try my hand at making caramel popcorn, one of my guilty pleasures and something he had never had before.
Pressing my luck, I chose a recipe outside the realm of the usual caramel corn - one that was salty sweet, with a hit of spice to add some interest. Last Halloween we roasted pumpkin seeds then tossed them in a heady mix of cumin, cinnamon and ground ginger. They were addicting, and Benjamin was a particular fan.
The result was more than I could have hoped for. At first the taste is sugary-sweet, then as the caramel dissolves the spices become evident. Each bite builds upon the savoury, but is never overpowering. My only trouble is, now that we've come upon this popcorn, I am not at all inclined to try another.
I might have to abandon my good intentions, at least as far as popcorn is concerned.
The publication in the photos is the ridiculously-brilliant Uppercase magazine, from the exceptional minds behind the Calgary-based gallery of the same name. It is, in a word, gorgeous. This is their inaugural issue, and I highly recommend picking up a copy. You can thank me later.
Speaking of magazines, have you entered your name in the giveaway yet?
Spicy sweet caramel corn
What you get when you mash up two recipes from Martha Stewart with a healthy dose of inspiration from David Lebovitz. Baking the popcorn makes for a thinner, crisper coating.
This recipe is technically a half batch; I find it an easy amount to handle, especially as there is only a modest amount of bubbling, scorchingly-hot sugar syrup to worry about. However, if you are making this for a crowd, or for any more than say two greedy adults and a toddler, I'd go ahead and double the quantities.
Ingredients
6 cups of popped popcorn (plain, without seasoning)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Demerara sugar (optional)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water
sprinkling of fine salt (optional)
Preheat an oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a half sheet pan or baking pan with a nonstick baking mat (Silpat) and set aside. Have your popcorn standing by in a large, wide bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and chili powder. Set aside.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugars, corn syrup and water over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Without stirring, bring to a boil. If necessary, use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down the sides of the pan and remove any crystallized sugar. Swirling the pot gently now and again, allow the sugar to cook until golden in colour, around 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and, working quickly, use a heatproof spatula to stir in the prepared spice mixture. Note that the sugar will bubble up due to the baking soda. Allow the foaming to subside slightly, it will only take a few seconds, before proceeding.
Quickly (and carefully) pour the caramel over the popcorn, stirring and tossing to coat. Spread the popcorn as evenly as possible over the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. While baking, stir the popcorn occasionally, gently breaking up any large clumps and keeping the popcorn in an even layer. The last time you stir the popcorn, maybe about 5 minutes before taking the tray out of the oven, sprinkle with some fine-grained sea salt, if using.
Allow the popcorn to cool completely on the tray, then break up any remaining large clusters. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Makes around 6 cups.
Notes:
• If I had not been out of light brown sugar earlier this week, I would have followed David Lebovitz's suggestion of using it instead of granulated.
• I use Kashmiri chili powder.
• While I like my caramel corn unadorned, nuts would most likely be welcomed in this recipe.
• See the link above to the Martha Stewart recipe for notes on popping popcorn on a stovetop.
caramel corn, photo essay, popcorn, recipe, snack, sweet 
Reader Comments (15)
looks delicious! And I love that photo of the shoe!
-L
Excellent post and fabulous recipe - thanks!
And yours is the second blog post I've read that mentions Uppercase so I guess I have to treat myself to a copy! :)
your morning sounds lovely. mine consists more of yelling, begging, leaving dirty dishes and scooting out the door... not getting a coffee until i'm at work. boo!
jbxo
How delicious the popcorn looks, and your shoes are adorable!
Lovely popcorn, lovely post. I caught the Uppercase logo in the bottom corner of a photo on Tastespotting and recognized it immediately - isn't it a fab new publication? I already got a subscription, but gave my first issue away..
Oh, yum. This is very similar to the spiced caramel corn I used to make for a bar snack at the restaurant I worked out. Folks just inhaled the stuff!
Wishing you years and years of wonderful discoveries with your boys:)
Lovely post and I'm excited to try your popcorn creation.
Sounds like you are enjoying watching your son grow :)
Hi, I love how you have merged two creations / ideas together. Very nice. Will have to try this myself when I make popcorn next! :)
Popcorn with cinnamon? Oh my! This looks so good and I'm also so jealous about Uppercase. I hope I can find a copy here in Vancouver!
I've been a fan of Uppercase for years; so glad that they're taking the unconventional route of going from web to print.
Beautiful photographs, as always.
Sweet. And yes, the discovery of new things is the most amazing thing. The details matter so much, don't they?
Thanks so much, Lara, that means a lot coming from you! Funnily enough, it was my husband that suggested I wear the red shoes last weekend. Smart man!
Michelle, you're very welcome! Great to have you 'local' again. Or, at least in the same time zone. Uppercase's magazine is absolutely stuffed with prettiness and creativity. I think its totally up your alley.
My dear J, please note the use of the word "relatively" in my description of our morning. Although the boys are happy in our little routine, that doesn't mean that the morning is devoid of discussions of whether or not caramel popcorn is a suitable breakfast food. And believe me, there would be no coffee without Sean to make it for me.
jodye, thanks so much!
Julie, it is a truly fab magazine. Each time I pick it up I notice something I missed the time before. It isn't one of those publications you flick through, it is one you get lost in. So good. And you're far more generous than I, as I'm too selfish to give mine away.
onlinepastrychef, you always have the best recipes. I may be hitting you up for your version!
Whitney, I am really having fun with the boys, thanks for putting up with my babbling on the subject.
Julia, I have not been able to get those pumpkin seeds out of my head since last fall. They were the highlight of Halloween. This seemed like an opportunity to revisit those flavours. I am glad it was greeted with such raves from my family. Please report back if you try it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
kickpleat, run, don't walk, and get out there to get yourself a copy of Uppercase magazine. It is a great new publication, and I'm terribly proud that it is Canadian. Oh! And glad to see another cinnamon caramel fan!
helen, I am a fan of Uppercase's journal/blog, but having a beautifully-designed, flawlessly produced magazine in one's hand is a true treat, no?
Bea, I wholeheartedly agree!
I love this post. The popcorn sounds perfect--and so does the day, really. Cute shoes!
Okay, I know I should be commenting on the popcorn recipe (which does sound absolutely wonderful), but any chance you can divulge the brand of those delicious red shoes?!
Cakespy, thanks so much, m'dear. The danger of looking over old posts it seems is that now I want caramel corn. AND I have all the ingredients downstairs. Bathing suit season be damned.
Tera, I hate to admit it, but those shoes (round toe, 2 1/2 inch heel with a polka-dot interior) are about six or seven years old. They were from a store called Le Chateau, and are really not at all posh, but I adore them so.