This week was inspired by a recent, rare trip to the cinema. Let me paint a picture for a moment. We are in the depths of the most beautiful chaos, with two under two, two businesses on the go and a furry animal walking around the house who thinks she owns the place. These are all good complaints, but many who read this will just “know”. So when the offer came to head off to the movies for the evening, it felt like something between winning the lotto and a week in Vegas – only better. Never mind Michelin-starred restaurants or fancy meals, the combination of a lavish seat, bucket of popcorn and surprisingly delicious, warmed nachos with tomato dip was luxury personified. For the record, it was The Odyssey, and, between my lack of sleep and crazed schedule, the dog scene reduced me to tears. But we are not here for a film reviews.
The experience got me thinking about food in film, and whether there were recipes to develop. Liver with a side of fava beans and a glass of Chianti came to mind but I thought it a bit too 1991 for the times. Perhaps a bowl of gruel and “Please, sir, I want some more”? Nope; my mind kept returning to the warm nachos with spicy dip. This week’s dishes are inspired by the potential of the cinema. Just imagine heading to the latest blockbuster and getting treated to loaded beef cheek nachos or a beautiful hot dog with Irish pork sausage. Well, you don’t have to. These are easy to re-create at home and can be premade, then left to reheat once everyone is settled in front of the TV. Sometimes, there’s nowhere like home.
The first recipe is a take on chilli con carne, but we have upgraded the mix to include beef cheeks and kidney beans. A simple taco sauce is just mixed together, while Parmesan brings a sense of luxury to proceedings. I make this in bulk and freeze it down to serve in batches. For tortilla chips, look no further than Nino Blanco, produced in Co Tipperary and packed with flavour.
The second recipe relies fully on the quality of the sausages, so source the best you can find. The jalapeño crème fraîche is a different and delicious alternative to the standard ketchup and mustard, while caramelised onions bring a sweetened edge. The saltier the sausage, the better this will be. All you’ll need after this will be a bucketful of popcorn and a captive audience. Tip of the week: when browning beef, make sure you get as much colour as possible. Don’t overload the pan and do it in batches if required. If there’s too much smoke, add more vegetable oil to the pan.
