12 metrolife Tuesday, February 2, 2010 D About Town THE HOTTEST TICKETS IN TOWN We have a pair of tickets to see RICKY GERVAIS Apr 23 at The O2, 6pm 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 the answer 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 or over. Q. In the first series of Extras, who appeared with Gervais in an Aladdin panto? A Bobby Davro B Les Dennis The winners of yesterdays tickets to see Romo Et Juliette are: Zamira Mazhar & Quang Fam Marduk You may not want to bump into these Swedish black metalheads down a dark alley but if screeching guitar solos and smeared greasepaint are your cup of bleach, youll love this eardrum- rupturing gig Tonight, Whelans, 25 Wexford Street D2, 7pm, 22. Tel: 1890 200 078. www.marduk.nu Kaleidoscope Sessions Lang Lang So he rattled Hollywoods and Beatles fans gilded cages a few weeks ago while presenting the Golden Globes but bad publicity never did fellow comedians Russell Brand and Jimmy Carr any harm. Plus, Gervais is too big, too smug and too sweaty to give two hoots about US political correctness thanks to the phenomenal success of The Office and Extras (although the less said about The Invention Of Lying the better). Meanwhile, his UK and Ireland dates for new stand-up show Science are sure to inflate his corpulent ego. Tickets go on sale Friday Apr 23, The O2, East Link Bridge, North Wall Quay D1, 6pm, 40. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.rickygervais.com Book Now Ricky Gervais metrometro lifeStaying In & Going Out TABLE TALK Bel Cibo Going Out Food & Drink ou could argue that Smithfield in Dublin 7 is notable for two things: the apartments that flank its square and the tumbleweed that blows through it. Despite a concerted effort some years back to transform it into some kind of vibrant residential hub, most businesses seem to have languished and theres a palpable sense of missed opportunity right down to the shuttered-up units that pepper the square. But its not all bad news: the spacious Light House Cinema is an architectural triumph though I have to admit Ive never seen it more than a quarter full while the bright, modern pizza restaurant next door looks, at first glance, like a welcome addition. Bel Cibo is a clever amalgamation of new and old. The seats are a mix of playpen greens and oranges and this explosion of colour is nicely offset by muted walls featuring oversize monochrome photographs of the square in its previous incarnation as a horse market. Its not the type of venue in which youd while away an entire evening but for a quick pre-cinema dinner it should work a treat. I stress it should. For starters, we shared the antipasto allItaliana which, at 8, was generously portioned and more than enough for two. The veggie tackled the cheese (Asiago, blue) and I went for the meat (Parma ham, salami). It was a solid if uninspired dish and the and courgettes were disappointingly fridge-cold. My heart was set on the lamb cutlets which had, it transpired, frolicked off; isnt it common courtesy to tell the customer before he orders a dish that it isnt available rather than simply hoping it wont be requested especially when its the only red meat dish on the set menu? Anyway, a striploin steak from the specials board turned out to be a more than adequate substitute. Served medium rare as asked, it was an excellent, full- flavoured cut but it deserved better associates than one large chunk of overcooked broccoli and a few dull salad leaves devoid of even a drizzle of oil. And if Bel Cibo is really about the pizza, then theyve got some work to do. While the base on her Cipolle was authentically thin, the sauce was bland and it was overloaded with anchovies which, given their salt content, are best used sparingly. For dessert, we shared a thick-set panna cotta, a little too rich in gelatin. Thats jam, she sneered after licking the accompanying berry sauce from her spoon and I had to admit it did taste very much like watered-down Chivers. It wasnt a disaster but, given theres only one other pudding option (tiramisu), I see no reason why it couldnt have been the type of dish to sparkle. With two excellent half bottles of chianti, our bill came to just under 70 which felt at least 10 too much for an unexceptional meal with middling service. Bel Cibo isnt bad by any standards but in these recessionary times, the food should be every bit as cheering as its interior. Daragh Reddin Smithfield D7. Tel: (01) 874 9733. www.belcibo.ieIsnt it common courtesy to tell the customer before he or she orders a dish that it isnt available? DINE IN THIS WEEK Your quick-fix meal solution courtesy of EasyFood magazine The square mealCurated by Crash Ensembles Kate Ellis and The Rothko Trios Cliodhna Ryan, tonights monthly classical musician showcase is in aid of Oxfam Irelands Haiti emergency appeal Tonight, Odessa Club, 13 Dame Court D2, 8pm, 8 (5 members). Tel: (01) 670 3080. www.kaleidoscopenight.com Hes only 26 but this Chinese piano virtuoso has played sold-out recitals at every major city in the world, including a gig at last years Grammys, and the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony Tonight, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace D2, 8pm, 30 to 70 (returns only). Tel: (01) 417 0000. www.langlang.com Ingredients: 2 tins pink salmon; 300ml full-fat milk; 1 bay leaf; 100g broccoli, steamed until tender; 700g potatoes, boiled and mashed; 2tbsp finely chopped parsley; 4tbsp wholemeal plain flour; 1 egg yolk; 2 large eggs, beaten; 150g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs; 2tbsp olive oil; pepper. Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Put the salmon in a saucepan with the milk and bay leaf and bring slowly to a simmer. 2. Simmer for two minutes, then remove the saucepan from the heat, lift out and discard the bay leaf and leave the fish in the milk to cool. 3. When cool, lift out the fish with a slotted spoon on to kitchen paper to drain. 4. Flake the fish into a large bowl. Put the broccoli in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add to the fish with the mashed potatoes, the parsley, 1tbsp of the flour, and pepper to taste. 5. Add the egg yolk and mix well. If the mixture is a little dry, add some of the poaching milk, if too wet, add a little more flour. 6. Divide the mixture into 12 portions and shape each portion into a cake. Put the beaten eggs, remaining flour and the breadcrumbs on three separate plates. Roll each fishcake in the flour, then in the beaten egg, and then breadcrumbs. 7. Heat the oil in a non-stick baking tray in the preheated oven for five minutes. Add the fishcakes and bake for ten minutes, then carefully turn the fishcakes over and bake for further ten minutes. www.easyfood.ie Y Salmon Cakes (makes 12) index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html