Most of us have been breaking out the barbecue this summer but how do you know if you're cooking everything properly?
This week's Bite-Size starts with news of an Instagram series with chef Eric Matthews and safefood that will provide lots of bbq food safety tips - and there'll be lots of recipe inspiration too.
Elsewhere, there's a gorgeous new wine and cheese option if you find yourself in Strandhill over the summer and if you're in Dublin this week, you can celebrate International Friends Day with a free pizza!
Read on for all the info.
BBQ Bootcamp
safefood has teamed up with Eric Matthews, Michelin star chef and judge on RTE’s Battle of the Food Trucks for a virtual BBQ Bootcamp on Instagram. It’s a three-part IGTV series focused on bbq favourites (beefburgers, sausages and chicken) and cooking safely this summer, using a meat thermometer to make sure meat is cooked to the recommended temperature of 75C. In the first instalment, which goes out on Instagram today, Eric will be cooking beef burgers, smoked piri piri spatchcock chicken with a summer vegetable slaw and Boerewars sausages served with a red pepper and chorizo sauce and a baked tomato salad.
Tune into @safefood.net or @eric.matthews87 on Instagram and keep an eye on social media for two further demos in August. safefood.net
Friend zone
To celebrate International Friendship Day, which is taking place this Friday (30 July) 4F Pizzeria on North Great George's St in Dublin has added a special offer to the menu. For every 12-inch pizza purchased that day, for dine-in or take away, customers will be able to order a second pizza to share with friends for free. The menu of Brazilian-inspired pies includes Parma pizza, Napolitana pizza, and the signature Heart of Palm pizza, along with a special 4F Friendship Day option, all made with the restaurant’s 48-hour fermented dough. A range of sizes is available with a 9-inch pizza priced at €11.85, a 12-inch at €17.35, and a 16-inch at €22.90. 4fpizzeria.ie
New arrival
Donnybrook Fair is coming to Dundrum Town Centre. The artisan grocer is set to open an extensive retail food hall, restaurant and bar in the south Dublin shopping complex. The new 900sq m premises will be located in the centre's Pembroke Square and will be the retailer’s sixth Irish store. Along with a food market on the ground floor, offering fish, meat, and seafood with a focus on quality Irish produce, there will be a restaurant and bar space on Level 1. There will also be a series of pop-up culinary experiences happening too - keep an eye on dundrum.ie and donnybrookfair.ie for opening dates and more info.
Snack attack
If you’re a crisp fan we have good news: O’Donnells has just launched a range of crinkle cut crisps. The new Furrows Crinkle Cut crisp feature deep ridges which, the brand says, were inspired by the furrows ploughed on the O’Donnells family farm in Tipperary – and they help to capture more flavour. The new crisps come in two flavours, Irish Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt and Mature Cheese & Red Onion, and they’re available in 50g (€1.15) and 125g (€2.59) bags. It’s also good to hear that O’Donnells is taking steps to deal with packaging waste and is making significant reductions in the amount of film used across its ranges, including the new Furrows. odonnellscrisps.com
Summer nights
The award-winning Shells Café in Strandhill, Co Sligo has just launched summer wine and cheese nights. The seaside café and bakery, run by Jane and Myles Lambert, will be open from 6pm-8pm Saturday and Sunday evenings to serve up cheese plates and a selection of wines – complete with sea view. The rosé offering includes Touraine Rosé ‘lune, Loire Valley, France; Txakoli Rosado ‘Rubentis’ Txacoli, Basque Country, Spain and Le Roc Ambulle’ Pet Nat Rosé, Fronton, South of France. They’re priced at €8.50 for a glass or you can try all three with a trio of 75ml pours for €20. shellscafe.com
