Food File: The weekly food news round-up

Twenty-five years of Italian food in Kilkenny Antonio and Marion Cavaliere celebrate 25 years in business at Rinuccini, their Italian restaurant in Kilkenny city on February 3rd with a special tasting menu with wines from the Campania vineyard of Alfredo Falluto, who will present his wines on the night, beginning with a dry spumanti reception.

Antonio came to Ireland from Lazio aged 15 and served his apprenticeship with Bernardino Gentile at Quo Vadis in Dublin in the 1960s. The couple moved to Kilkenny when they spotted a premises available in front of the castle. They have four adult children, including Ricardo, who manages the business. Creativity runs in the family – Ricardo's son Cameron has just been accepted to study at Central St Martins in London, having succeeded in having his Transition Year project T-shirts worn by both Rihanna and Lady Gaga.

The celebratory night menu will include a Kilmore Quay seafood starter, ravioli with Gorgonzola, escalopes of beef filled with Fontina, and a dessert plate. It costs €60, with wine pairing for each course. Bookings at 056-7761575.

Food business opportunities

Love food, want to work towards a Masters in marketing or business sustainability while representing Ireland abroad? Applications are now open for the Bord Bia marketing fellowship programme and the Origin Green business sustainability programme at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in Dublin. Successful applicants will work overseas on behalf of Irish food and drink companies and will receive a bursary of €23,000 plus their fees paid. More than 150 participants have taken part in the programme, completing 600 business development projects while working towards a Master. Applications close on March 5th; see smurfitschool.ie/biordbia.

January treats that are light on the calories . . . and your pocket

If you’re watching the calories, and the euro, this month, but still want to have an occasional treat here are a few January bargains that won’t break the bank or blow the calorie count.

Susan Jane White (pictured), author of one of last year's most successful healthy eating books, The Extra Virgin Kitchen, has teamed up with Camile Thai Kitchen takeaways in Dublin to offer a superfood satay stir fry with Asian greens that will be available until the end of February. Bok choy, spring onions, fine beans, broccoli and soya beans are served with satay sauce flavoured with tamari and ginger, topped with goji berries and served with wild and brown rice. The dish is available from all seven Camile branches and costs €14.95. It can also be ordered with Irish made GM-free tofu. See camile.ie.

Opium restaurant and cocktail bar at 26 Wexford Street, Dublin 2, has devised a rum, watermelon and lime cocktail, the Opium Skinny, that contains just 122 calories and costs €8 (two-for-one on Mondays in January).

Milano pizza restaurants in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Killarney and Ennis have five pizza options on their menu that weigh in under 500 calories, and a three-course meal for 580 calories that comprises a superfood salad, gamberetti piccante and lemon sorbet.

Ely is celebrating its three Dublin premises being voted first, second and third best wine bars in Ireland – for the second year in a row – by offering 20 per cent off a selection of wines in January. You can also get 10 per cent off your food bill and collect double points when using a loyalty card. See elywinebar.ie.

Tea and ginseng – the perfect matcha

Some of us are spending January sipping a variety of non-alcoholic, healthy drinks, and the new organic matcha with ginseng from Lily's Teas is an interesting option. Lily Chen is a tea enthusiast and entrepreneur who sources her teas personally in China, dealing directly with local suppliers. She is originally from the Fujian province in the south east of the country, and now lives in Termonfekin, Co Louth with her husband and business partner Dominic McGroddy. The couple sells top quality loose leaf tea, leaf tea pyramids and organic macha. The latest, a combination of ginseng and matcha, which is stone ground green tea, (€21.95 for 30g), is available with all their teas, from their website lilysteashop.ie and will be in health food shops and SuperValu soon.