Amy J Payne will never forget having dinner on the romantic island of Ischia.

“My boyfriend and I were on holiday on this romantic Italian island and had just had a fabulous meal of fresh fish, salad, fruit and a delicious dessert. After the meal he suggested we go down to the beach. I really didn’t want to go, as it was pitch black, and when he suggested I go there and wait for him, I was less keen,” says opera singer Amy.

“I remember thinking, ‘What is going on?’ and then suddenly he appeared, clutching two glasses of fizz, got down on one knee, and proposed, holding up a ring,” recalls Amy.

Until 20th December Amy will have food very much on her mind as she is playing June Spoon, a cookery show host, in Opera North’s delightfully bizarre sort of opera about a daytime cooking show that spirals out of control.

Amy admits to enjoying food and always eats well. “I have two eating modes: one when I am in rehearsal and one when I am performing.”

“I always start the day in whichever mode I am in with a good breakfast later in the morning, usually eggs or an omelette. My next meal on a performance day would be around 3.00pm. I have a cooked meal, but nothing too heavy, definitely not too spicy, as when you are singing, you project your breath, and you don’t want it to be smelly,” she laughs.

In some of her roles Amy has a long wait between appearances, so she snacks then. “During the show I keep my energy levels up with something sugary, either jelly sweets, dried fruit or chocolate,” she adds.

Sometimes costumes can affect what Amy eats. “Some productions call for corsets and corseted costumes to be worn. This sometimes restricts what you eat, and you tend to have nothing too rich but things like fish and potatoes and slow energy-burning food.”

Makeup also has a bearing on what a singer eats. “If you are eating during a show and you have a full face of makeup, you have to make sure you eat it in small bits so as not to disturb it and even have the right shape of water bottle so as not to smudge.”

When Amy is on tour, she consistently ensures that she secures accommodations with a kitchen: “That’s so I can prepare my own meals and manage what I am eating.”

“Ready meals are perfect to buy when I am touring, as they are quick and take little effort to prepare.

Her first experience of ‘being behind the kitchen door’ was as a young child. Amy’s grandmother was a professional cook and worked in a “big house” and later a private school and came from that generation where everything was home-cooked, usually from fresh.

“The family lived in South Devon, and I remember watching Gran cook all sorts of great-tasting things and sometimes helped her with menial cooking tasks.”

“Her blackberry and apple dumplings were absolutely wonderful, as were her pasties.”

Amy’s husband, who works on the technical side of theatre, is away from home a lot in the course of his job.

“When he is home, he does all the cooking, a s he enjoys doing it, and he’s a much better cook than me. He has a real knack for it.”

Christmas sticky toffee pudding recipe

Serves 12
Prep 20 mins plus cooling
Cook 2 hrs 35 mins

Difficulty Very easy


Ingredients
For the pudding:
250g dates, pitted and finely chopped
100g raisins
200ml golden or spiced rum
150g butter, softened, plus extra for the basin
50g light muscovado sugar
3 eggs, beaten
375g self-raising flour
½ tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50ml milk
Vanilla custard or ice cream, to serve

For the toffee sauce:
75g light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp treacle
2 tbsp golden syrup
75g butter
150ml double cream

Method

1. Warm the dates, raisins, rum and 100ml water in a small saucepan set over a low heat until steaming, about 5 mins (or do this in the microwave). Leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce. Put all the ingredients except the cream in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is glossy, about 5 mins. Pour in the cream and cook for 2 mins more, stirring continuously, then remove from the heat and set aside. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
3. Generously butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin. Beat the butter and sugar until well-combined in a large bowl using an electric whisk, or in a stand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Fold in the flour, spices and soaked fruit until evenly incorporated, then stir in the milk.
4. Pour a quarter of the toffee sauce into the base of the prepared basin, then spoon over the sponge batter. Place a sheet of baking parchment over a sheet of foil, then make a pleat in the centre. Use this to cover the pudding, parchment-side down, and tie securely under the lip of the basin using kitchen string.
5. Transfer the basin to a steamer. Or, put an upturned plate in the base of a large pan, sit the basin on top, and half-fill the pan with water from the kettle so it goes halfway up the side of the basin. Cover and cook over a low heat for 2hrs 35mins, checking the water level every so often and topping up when needed.
6. Check the sponge is ready by inserting a skewer into the middle. If it comes out clean, the sponge is cooked. If any uncooked batter clings to the skewer, continue steaming, then check again after about 20 mins.
7. To serve, warm the remaining toffee sauce over a low heat, invert the sponge onto a serving plate, and pour over the warmed sauce. Serve with custard or ice cream.

Pass The Spoon runs from 12-20 December in the Howard Assembly Rooms. Read Andrew Palmer's review Pass The Spoon: A Deliciously Daft Operatic Recipe For Festive Mayhem