EAT DRINK LIVE

WAITER, THERE'S SOMEONE IN MY PIE.

Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has finally arrived to a cinema near me and I'm celebrating pie-style. Any Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration is an absolute must-see for me. Throw in Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman and a switch-blade wielding serial killer and you have the makings of celluloid perfection. And then there is pie. With the tag-line, Never Forgive. Never Forget, it seems that revenge is a dish that is wrapped in pastry, tastes somewhat like pork and is served with a generous flow of gravy.

I could not find a murderous barber at short notice so I filled my pies with the diced flesh of potatoes, a block of cheese grated into little pieces and onions skinned, chopped and sauteed to within an inch of their lives. I may not be able to dispose of any body parts but they certainly tasted good.

Bird's nest hair and corsets are voluntary while baking pies but I must insist you burst into song at least once.

The recipe comes from Tamasin Day-Lewis' Tarts with Tops on.

CHEESE AND ONION PIE

• 285g strong cheddar, coarsely grated
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 110g potatoes, peeled, cooked and diced
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tbsp double cream
• a sprig of thyme or a bunch of flat-leaf parsley
• pinch of cayenne
• salt and pepper
• shortcrust pastry made from 340g flour and 170g butter.

1. To make the pastry, blitz 340g flour and 170g fridge-cold butter diced into cubes, in a food-processor until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Add ice-cold water a tablespoon at a time through the funnel while the machine is running. When the dough forms into a ball stop the machine and remove the dough. Knead very briefly to make a smooth ball, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
2. Preheat the oven to 220 C. Divide the pastry into two balls, keeping one a little larger than the other. Melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the onions until softened and translucent, then leave to cool. Mix the onions in a bowl with the grated cheese, cooked potatoes, eggs, cream, thyme or parsley and the seasoning.
3. Roll out the larger ball of pastry and line a shallow, greased 9 inch tart tin. Tip the cheese and onion mixture into the pastry shell. Moisten the edges of the pastry and cover with the rolled out smaller piece of dough. Crimp the edges together carefully to avoid the filling spilling out. You can do this with your fingers or with a fork. Brush beaten egg over the top and bake for 30 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Serves 6 bloodthirsty barbers.

ZEST FOR LIFE.

It may seem a little mercenary mentioning the Irish Blog Awards when I haven't offered you so much as a biscuit in over a week but the blog fever has begun and I don't know about you but I could really do with a night out. And after all I did bring a sweet, zingy, lemony dessert.

          

If you think Eat Drink Live deserves a night out in a HOTEL in DUBLIN surrounded by ADULT conversation then click anywhere along here to find out what you need to do to vote. To top it all off I would get to go to a tea party hosted by Sabrina (right up my alley don't you think?) and a brunch hosted by Debs. If there is anything I can do for you in return, anything at all, don't hesitate to call. My number is 555......

LEMONY CHEESECAKE

• 250g ginger-nut biscuits (or digestives)
• 100g butter, melted
• 600g cream cheese
• 100g icing sugar
• 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
• 280ml double cream
• 300g lemon curd ( homemade or shop bought)

1. Line the base of a 9 inch spring-form tin with greaseproof paper. Crush the biscuits in a bag, beating vigorously with a rolling pin. Put the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press the crushed biscuits into the base of the tin and put in the fridge to set for an hour.
2. Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar together until smooth and soft. Add the finely grated zest and juice of the lemon and beat again to combine. Pour in the cream and beat again until smooth and completely combined.
3. Spread the mixture over the biscuit base and smooth the top with a spatula. Spoon over the lemon curd and smooth this over the top too. Return the cheesecake to the fridge to set overnight.
4. To unmould run a warm knife around the edge of the cheesecake and carefully remove the sides of the tin. Transfer to a plate to serve.

You could squeeze 10 slices out of this if you really must.

ON THE TWELFTH DAY...

"Had I but a penny in the world, thou shouldst have it for gingerbread" William Shakespeare.

For all of you breathing a sigh of relief that the world is once again as it should be; look away now. Today is the twelfth day of Christmas and though the Ferrero Rocher pyramid may be reduced to it's foundations with not nearly enough left to spoil anyone, for me it's not over until the fat-bellied novelty santa sings Jingle Bells one last time.

As well as being forever associated with William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night, January 6 was once celebrated in Ireland as Nollaig na mBan or Women's Christmas. With pinkies raised high in front of tables laden with cakes, sandwiches and many pots of tea, us laydees thanked ourselves for all the hard work put in pampering the menfolk throughout Christmas. Perhaps seeming a little old-fashioned nowadays when the workload is more equally shared (ahem), it is a largely forgotten tradition that was revived in my house today with tea and scones and lashings and lashings of gingerbread. Tomorrow the decorations come down and our lives become just a little less sparkly.

The recipe is from Darina Allen's Festive Food of Ireland (which came free with my voucher for a day at Ballymaloe Cookery School thank you kind sister!) A stir the melted ingredients into the dry ingredients kind of recipe, it is well worth the minimal effort - resulting in a sticky, darkly-spiced bread that must be spread with a layer of butter thick enough to double as a dental mould. The recipe makes a lot of gingerbread but it keeps really well in a tin for ages (in fact it will taste better a day or two after baking) and you can bake it in whatever tin falls out of the cupboard first. Just be aware that the baking times will vary.

Next time you visit I promise there will not be the slightest whisper of bells.

GINGERBREAD

• 450g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
• 225g soft brown sugar
• 170g butter, cut into cubes
• 350g treacle
• 300ml milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 handful sultanas (optional)
• 30g crystallised ginger, finely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Butter and line two 9inch x 5 inch loaf tins or about 12 mini loaf tins or line two 12 hole muffin tins with paper cases. Sieve all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Gently warm the sugar and butter in a small, heavy-based pan until the butter melts. Add the treacle and the milk and allow to cool slightly. Stir into the dry ingredients.
3. Add the egg and the optional ingredients if using and mix very thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps of flour left.
4. Divide between your chosen baking tins and bake for about 1 hour for the loaf tins, 35-40 minutes for the mini loaves and 20-25 minutes for the muffins or until a skewer inserted into cakes comes out clean.
5. Turn out of tin, cool and serve in thick slices inch thick with butter.

Makes 2 loaves.