metro Arts & Entertainment Basement Jaxx In Town Tonight Their 2007 hit Wheres Your Head At? seems like it was only released yesterday. But while times have changed, the crossover dance act still command top-notch collaborators Yoko Ono, Santigold and Kelis on current album Scars Tonight & tomorrow, Olympia 72 Dame Street D2, 7.30pm, 49.20. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.basementjaxx.com Joe Bonamassa From child prodigy opening for BB King at the tender age of 12 to award-winning blues-rock veteran, Bonamassa celebrates 20 years in the music industry with this world tour and ninth LP The Ballad Of John Henry Tonight, Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street D8, 8pm, 38. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.joebonamassa.com The Seafarer Conor McPhersons redemptive tale about a group of ageing drinking buddies who receive a mysterious stranger during the witching hour, is back by popular demand. Liam Carney and Don Wycherley (pictured) star Until Jan 30, Abbey Theatre, 26 Lower Abbey Street D1, 8pm (Sat mat 2pm), 17 to 38. Tel: (01) 878 7222. www.abbeytheatre.ie life Book Now Peter Kay Officially the fastest selling stand-up of all time, Peter Kays upcoming Tour That Doesnt Tour Tour is not so much selling like hot cakes but garlic bread (Garlic? Bread?). His first stand-up outing since the award- winning Mum Wants A Bungalow Tour, Kay has sold out more nights than Take That at his native Manchester Arena. The comic is also riding high in the UK charts with Children In Need single Peter Kays Animated All Star Band surely a hot potato (and coming in your ears) on Chorley FM? Apr 29 to May 1, The O2, East Link Bridge, North Wall Quay D1, 6.30pm, 44.20. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.peterkay.net Table Talk Cornucopia Going Out Food & Drink Taking their pulses Shoots of recovery: The veggie diner has had an extension Picture: Courtesy of Cornucopia t took me just three days to fall off the my-body-is-a-temple wagon. No sooner was I (downward) dogging on a week-long vegan yoga retreat in Morocco than I was cultivating my inner couch potato with a frozen pizza back home in Ireland. I promptly vowed to gather together an arcadia of locally-grown, seasonal, organic, meat-free produce before everything went quite literally pear- shaped. Cornucopia seemed the most convenient solution the alternative being to pillage a greenhouse on the way home, given the absence of a local supermarket. There was also another reason. After many years of planning, Dublins premiere vegetarian destination has finally reopened its doors with an extended dining area; what was once a humble health-food shop in 1986 is now a twice-the-size restaurant. Restaurant in the loosest sense of the word, that is despite the face-lift, Cornucopia is still effectively a canteen. For all the new space and William Morris-style patterned feature walls, Cornucopias counter and chalk board menus are still squashed into the one corner and the food idling under heated lamps. As such, service, though with a smile, was not terribly efficient; a bottleneck of punters at various stages of their meal formed a not-so-orderly line. I waited an age to order a dessert yet still managed to jump ahead of a girl itching to pay for her main course at the paypoint. Furthermore, in order to keep our table, my sister and I had to take it in turns going up to order which made for a frustratingly staggered dinner. Fortunately, there was not one whiff of patchouli, or a dreadlock. While the odd Animal Liberation tank top and Henna hair-do were noted, Cornucopias noughties clientele were predominantly older middle-class on our visit. (I say this as a tree-hugging meat-dodger myself, so am allowed to make such sweepingly stereotypical observations). I chose the sweet potato, lentil and red pepper tagine, its hearty temperament let down by lukewarm temperature. The I spud and carrot chunks were plentiful but the brown rice was dry and compacted rather than fresh and fluffy. My colossal, claggy chickpea salad comprised one measly hunk of halloumi cheese (no fun unless grilled anyway), and chewy green beans, all pressing frigidly against the tepid tagine. Meanwhile, my sisters hillocks of fresh coleslaw and shredded carrot also remained largely unconquered, their supersize portions destined for the compost heap rather than our digestive systems. She focused her attentions instead on the handsome main of spinach, cabbage and feta filo tart that quickly became bland and greasy. Desserts divided opinion, her lemon sponge overpowered (I thought; she disagreed) by sickly-sweet citric icing and filling. My raspberry bakewell was respectable but wouldve been better heated up. Our main courses with oversized salads rang in at nearly 13 each, bringing the total bill up to 34 which deserves table service, frankly. So, do the best things come to those who wait? Not quite. Although its still better than raiding someones cabbage patch on the way home from work. Lucy White 19/20 Wicklow Street D2. Tel: (01) 677 7583. www.cornucopia.ie Service, though with a smile, was not terribly efficient; a bottleneck of punters... formed a not-so-orderly line 12 metrolife Tuesday, December 8, 2009 TRY THIS: RECIPE... Pan-fried mackerel with tomato and corn salsa and potato salad Step away from the fish fingers a recession doesnt have to mean skimping on nutrition, as proved by TV chef amonn Cathins new book, The Hard Times Cookbook: Good Food On A Budget. Its a no-nonsense guide from the Northern Irish chef offering advice on how to cook on a shoestring but without compromising on taste or quality. Ingredients: 1 mackerel per person; 1 packet of baby corn; olive oil; salt and pepper; 1 tin of plum tomatoes; 1 red onion; fresh coriander; lime juice; lemon juice; 1 large red chilli; 1 small bag of baby potatoes; 1 head of garlic; flat-leaf parsley; cider vinegar Method: To make the salsa, grill the baby corn all over until its coloured and then chop up into small pieces. Combine this with the tinned tomatoes (chop them up if theyre whole), the finely chopped red onion, one tablespoon each of lime and lemon juice, salt and pepper, the chopped chilli, and plenty of fresh coriander. Boil the potatoes and, while theyre still hot, cut them in half and dress with a sauce made from three parts oil to one part vinegar, plus the garlic and parsley, both roughly chopped. Pan-fry each seasoned mackerel in a little olive oil. When ready, place the potato salad in a pastry ring and mould it. Place the cooked mackerel on top and spoon the salsa over and around. Garnish with sprigs of fresh coriander and wedges of lemon. The Hard Times Cookbook: Good Food On A Budget (Liberties Press) by amonn Cathin is out now, 10 The hoTTesT TickeTs in Town We have a pair of tickets to see BASEMENT JAXX tomorrow at The Olympia, 7.30pm For a chance to win, e-mail your answer to the question below to life@ metroireland.ie by noon today with Hot Tickets in the subject line. With your answer please include your name, address and a number where you can be contacted between 1pm and 3pm. Strictly one entry per person; entrants must be age 18 years or over. Q. Basement Jaxxs 2005 video for U Dont Know Me features which contemporary monarch on a violent, drunken bender? A Queen Elizabeth II B Princess Margaret The winner of yesterdays tickets to see Air is: Sinead Barrett index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html28.html29.html30.html31.html