12 metrolife Tuesday, January 26, 2010 D About Town THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN TOWN We have three pairs of tickets to see R.Kelly Apr 07, Grand Canal Theatre 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+. Q. What is R. Kellys middle name? A Sylvester B Stallone The winners of yesterdays tickets to see Little Gem are: Paula Fay & Leah Yeung The Landscape In Literature The first night of a new lecture series on the importance of landscape in works by Andrew Marvell, Jonathan Swift (pictured), Jane Austen, James Joyce and more. Tonights lecture focuses on medieval elegy Tonight (and every Tuesday until Mar 30), U Chadhain Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College, D2, 7.30pm (45 for full series or 6 for individual lecture). Tel: (01) 896 2885. www.tcd.ie/OWC/events/ Button Factory County Sessions: Cork Night A showcase of music from the Peoples Republic featuring John Spillane (pictured) with special guests Conal Grda, Johnny McCarthy and Gearid Duinnn Tonight, The Button Factory, Curved Street D2, 8pm, 10 to 15. Tel: (01) 670 9202. www.buttonfactory.ie 10 Dates With Mad Mary Mad Mary McArdle is an ex-con who, following her release from Mountjoy prison, is on the lookout for a suitable date to bring to her best friends wedding. Presented by Calipo Theatre Company Until Sat, Project Arts Centre, 39 Essex Street East D2, 8.15pm, 14 to 18. Tel: (01) 881 9613/4. www.project.ie Book Now R.Kelly metrometro lifeStaying In & Going Out TABLE TALK Salon Des Saveurs Going Out Food & Drink e wouldnt normally review a restaurant during its opening fortnight, but what the heck. If a Michelin-starred chef cant cut the mustard then who can? However, we are talking about Conrad Gallagher, of whom Gordon Ramsay once famously quipped: He couldnt run a bath, never mind a restaurant. At the height of the Celtic Tiger, Gallaghers Dublin restaurants including Peacock Alley and Lloyds Brasserie and a London expansion on Shaftesbury Avenue, were all forced to close due to bad debts. His fortunes went from bad to worse in New York, where he was arrested in his mid-town restaurant W for the alleged theft of three Felim Egan paintings from Peacock Alley (he was found not guilty) before relocating to Cape Town to open yet more doomed ventures. But its business as usual with Salon Des Saveurs the restaurants USP being four five-course tasting menus with the option of wine pairing. Striking a happy medium with my carnivorous companion incidentally, a former waitress of Gallaghers at Shaftesbury Avenue we opted for the seafood- dominant third menu before being plagued with a choice of breads (the ciabatta was gorgeous). The first dish was a bijou parsley broth with a drip of toasted almond oil accompanied by a doll-sized piece of goats cheese tortellini drizzled in a piquant white truffle sabayon. Next up was oysters. Cue a Pretty Woman moment, wherein my mate mistakenly gobbled a forkful of sea salt and pink peppercorns there for show rather than consumption while a waiter looked on amused. The oyster itself was very pleasant but nothing special, the finely diced cucumber and radish a distraction. Next up, the seared rare salmon was a real highlight, its bed of gorgonzola gnocchi, chopped chives and asparagus delicious. I veered off-menu for the next course and had scallops, which were good, though Ive never been too keen on the texture. Finally, the chocolate platter was a pre-menstrual womans dream; even the scent from the hot chocolate fondant won covetous comments from a neighbouring table, while the crme brle won more Brownie points. The paired wines worked well, particularly with dessert; however, five large glasses with five small dishes is just too much. It would make more sense to have half glasses at half the price. The chocolate platter was a pre-menstrual womans dream; even the scent won covetous comments DINE IN THIS WEEK Your quick-fix meal solution courtesy of EasyFood magazine Providing a lasting He may have racked up six number one albums and 11 number one singles but Chicago native R. Kelly has, in recent years, been in the media as often for his legal woes as for his music. Hes put controversy behind him, however, with his new Untitled album and the attendant Ladies Make Some Noise tour which hits Dublin in April. Kelly won a Grammy in 1997 for ballad I Believe I Can Fly and is known for such raunchy numbers as Bump NGrind and Incognito. And aside from the occasional let me stick my key in your ignition, baby moment, his slick, self-styled rnb numbers have topped the charts for a reason. Tickets on sale from Thursday Apr 07, Grand Canal Theatre, Grand Canal Square, Docklands D2, 60 to 81.25. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.r-kelly.com Mini Lamb Meatballs In Herby Tomato Sauce Meatballs (makes 25) 250g minced lamb; small onion, finely chopped; 60g mushrooms, finely chopped; 2tsp finely chopped herbs (parsley or thyme); 30g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs; 1 egg yolk; 1tbsp vegetable oil Tomato sauce 250g fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped; 150ml water or vegetable stock; small onion, finely chopped; 1tbsp tomato puree; 1tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (basil or parsley) Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. For the meatballs, place all the ingredients except the oil in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Use your hands to divide and shape the mixture into 25 balls. Chill in the fridge while you make the sauce. 2. For the sauce, put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, then liquidise. 3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs, turning them frequently, until they are lightly browned all over, about five to 10 minutes. Put the meatballs in an ovenproof dish. 4. Pour the sauce over the meatballs, cover with a lid or foil and bake for about 45 minutes. www.easyfood.ie index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html