Glam Truffle Popcorn and the Winner of the Food Gal $100 Giveaway

Ahhhhh. I love the smell of black truffle popcorn in the afternoon.

It smells like pure decadence.

You have to admit there is something a little naughty about dressing up lowbrow popcorn with truffle oil, of all things.

Oh, I know, some of you are so over truffle oil. And the purists out there scoff that many of the ones on the market have no actual truffle in them.

But there’s no denying the haunting quality of the heady aroma of the pricey tuber.

Now, you can enjoy the uptown combo of popcorn and black truffle oil in a convenient kit by San Francisco’s 479° Popcorn.

The “Pop It Yourself Kit” ($45) comes complete with a 32-ounce jar of heirloom popcorn: Shaman Blue, Yellow Topaz, Dakota Black and White Diamond; a 16.5-ounce canister of La Tourangelle Black Truffle Oil (grapeseed oil infused with “black truffle aroma”); 2 packets of Gourmet Black Truffle Sea Salt (made with Mediterranean sea salt and shaved italian black truffles); 10 paper popcorn cones; and instructions.

The "Pop It Yourself Kit.''

The company, named for the precise popping temperature best for popcorn, was founded by husband-and-wife, Andy and Jean Arnold. All of their popcorn products are certified organic and purchased from small suppliers.

After I received a sample kit, my hubby has been begging me to make the popcorn every weekend. Dare I confess that sometimes we even enjoy a huge bowl as our lunch?

The quality of the kernels is unparalleled. There’s a real freshness to them that you don’t find in supermarket ones.

Pop some up, then drizzle on some truffle oil and sprinkle on some truffle salt. I defy anyone who makes a batch not to devour it. Once you get a whiff of the truffle oil hitting the hot, fresh popcorn, you just surrender to it.

Contest Winner(s): Now, for something else a little decadent — a $100 CSN gift card giveaway, good at any CSN online store.

As you recall in this latest Food Gal contest, I asked you to tell me about the best food-related gift you’ve ever received. Your answers touched my heart, made me laugh out loud, and were just priceless to read.

It was hard to pick just one winner. So, I didn’t. Besides the grand prize winner who will receive the $100 gift card, I’m adding second- and third-place winners, who will each receive a culinary-related book from my vast collection.

Thank you all for participating. Without further adieu, here are the winners:

Third place: Meeyeehere, who wrote, “Well, my sister made me a cherry pie for my 16th birthday, she ate it in the middle of the night and felt bad so she bought me a whole bunch of Zero candy bars because they are my favorite. She ate all but one of them the next day so she gave me just ONE ZERO candy bar for my birthday! LOL!!!She is actually very thin even though she eats like a large man! Thanks so much. Hope I win. I won’t buy my sister anything!”

Second place: Hungry Dog, who wrote, “My beloved auntie and uncle were avid mushroom hunters–- well into their 80s. While they picked a variety of mushrooms, the most coveted were wild porcinis, which they would slice, dry, and share with the (giant) extended family. These little Ziploc bags were considered mushroom gold, and while I cannot say I miss the mushrooms more than my dearly departed aunt and uncle, I do miss them terribly. Anyway, a couple of years ago, my cousin, their son, came by our house during the holidays with all sorts of delicious goodies for us–- including one of the last remaining bags of dried porcinis they had foraged. I still have them in my pantry. Maybe if I win the $100 I will think of something worthy of them!”

Grand Prize: JoJo, who wrote, “I had just moved from interning at Citizen Cake bakery to Chef Falkner’s Orson restaurant doing pastry and plating. It was my first time working in a professional kitchen and I was overwhelmed by the energy, coming home feeling high off that kitchen each night. I would come to work in black jeans, converse sneakers and roll up my chefs knife in newspapers and a rubber band. At first it was a struggle to keep up with the demands of the kitchen, but I started to get the routine down and eventually was able to flow with the kitchen team. But it was only until one day that I new I had earned my small ounce of respect, when my overbearing sous chef presented me with a pair of real chef’s pants. I was overjoyed, not because it was the greatest kitchen accessory, but it meant so much to me as a member of the team and for him to go out of his way to buy a little something for a humble intern. From then on I started wearing my mom’s old Joseph Sieble clogs and she bought me a three dollar knife cover. That motivation has me dreaming big things for a career in the culinary arts!”

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