Full disclosure: when I was a kid, I never made popcorn from scratch. Having popcorn meant we would nuke pouches in the microwave or head over to Kernels for a bag of professionally popped corn. In the 90's and early 2000's, everyone had an air popper, but sadly, mine sat unused for years until I finally gave it away. Later on, I discovered how to make popcorn on the stovetop using a large pot and I haven't looked back! It's very easy and by making your popcorn this way, you don't have to invest any money on an appliance that takes up room in your kitchen and only does one thing. Here's what you'll need: (Makes: about 8 cups of popcorn) 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1/3 cup popcorn kernels Toppings: Cayenne pepper sauce Melted butter Chopped herbs & butter Truffle salt Caramel & nuts In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil and a couple of the popcorn kernels over medium heat. Cover and wait until you hear one of the kernels pop (this tells you that the oil is hot enough). Quickly add the rest of the kernels; cover and swirl the kernels around a bit to cover them all with oil. Leave lid slightly ajar to allow steam to escape. (Tip: you want to leave enough space to allow steam to escape, but not so much space that the popcorn can pop right out of the pot). Using oven mitts, shake pot occasionally until you start hearing the popping slow down, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 15 seconds to let the popcorn finish popping completely. Sprinkle or toss with your favourite toppings. Photography by Irene Fong