TV Guide September 18th 1999
CELEBRITY CHEF :- JANE LEEVES SHEPHERD’S PIE
Is Frasier’s Jane Leeves bothered by recent tabloid reports that she’s getting too thin ? Not a whit ! “Just ask John Mahoney,” she laughs “he always says to me ‘I’ve never seen anyone who eats like you. You’re like a truck driver’” How then does the actress maintain her lovely lithe figure ? “I’m a trained athlete really,” she explains “I began studying dance very seriously at the age of nine, and they work like an athlete. your body has great muscle memory I’m told if you build a certain amount of muscle before the age of 16 , you’ll always have it and always retain a fairly good shape.”
As for diet , she confesses that , “My favourite are all the comfort foods , the English things. I’m a meat-and-potatoes kind of gal. Just give me roast beef or lamb and some mashed potatoes and I’m happy. When I was growing up we always had a big Sunday roast , which is very traditional in England. It was such an occasion. So , whenever I cook , I do things like that. But I never follow recipes , I always do my own thing.”
Since the Frasier cast is renowned for spending a lot of social time together , Leeves also finds herself playing frequent host to her co-stars “When ever I have them over , they always ask me to make shepherds pie,” she laughs “usually with some asparagus on the side. And my best desert is my apple pie. I get requests for that. I make a good chicken soup , too . Sometimes I make a batch and take it into work because they all love it. For me , there’s nothing better than cooking for people who truly appreciate it.”
JANE LEEVES’ SHEPHERDS PIE
5 Potatoes peeled and halved
125 ml of milk
25 ml butter
Salt and pepper
750 g lean ground beef
2 onions chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
125 ml tomato sauce
50 ml tomato ketchup
5 ml Worcestershire sauce
Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender , drain. Mash with butter and milk adding more milk of necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In large skillet over medium-high heat , cook beef and onions until meat is browned ; drain excess fat. Reduce heat and stir in garlic , carrot , tomato sauce , ketchup and Worcestershire sauce ; simmer partially covered , about 5 minutes stir occasionally to blend flavours. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon meat into 2 L baking dish , spread mashed potatoes evenly on top (recipe may be prepared ahead at up to this point and refrigerated until needed) Bake uncovered in 375 F (190 C) oven for 45 mins until top is golden and brown and filling is bubbling hot .