Given the amount of blood spilled by Johnny Depp's straight-edge razor, and the fact that his victims ended up as the filling in Mrs. Lovett's famous meat pies, it was only natural I left the theater feeling kind of queasy after seeing the movie "Sweeney Todd."

But, truth be told, I also walked away from the movie feeling sort of ... hungry.

Some of that appetite was for Johnny, of course, who, despite his barbaric barber tendencies, was as charismatic as ever. But I just as hungrily drank in the images of all those flaky meat pies being devoured. Sans the fingers and other bits of chopped-up body parts, of course.

Watching all those 18th-century Londoners so happily eating got me thinking. The meat pie is the perfect remedy to the chills that invade your bones on a cold winter evening. All the more so when it's prepared ahead of time, and all you have to do after a long day of work or with the kids is pop it in the oven.

Adding to the meat pie's appeal is its versatility, of fillings and of form. Some, like the humble pot pie, are baked in a traditional pastry crust. Others, such as the crescent-shaped empanada -- a favorite fast food in Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain and Portugal -- involve stuffing spiced meats into a bread or cornmeal dough and then deep frying to a crispy finish. You can also make them with phyllo or, as is the case with shepherd's pie, top them with mashed potatoes.

Whichever filling or crust you opt for, a homemade meat pie just might make the perfect, ahem, finger food for your next family dinner or potluck party. And as long as you don't get carried away the way the Demon Barber of Fleet Street did, you can serve your friends and neighbors a good meal without serving up your friends and neighbors.