Barbecues and cookouts are very popular in the summertime, but the warmer temperature can be dangerous when it comes to keeping food fresh. Here are a few tips that will help you safely handle food at your next outdoor gathering.

1. Wash your hands. This may go without saying, but many people don’t wash their hands as often as they should when it comes to handling food. Be sure to wash up before preparing food, after handling raw meat, and any time you’re serving guests.
2. Beware of cross-contamination. Raw meat, eggs, and other bacteria-prone food items are the most common culprits of cross-contamination. Prevent the spread of bacteria by using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat and vegetables.
3. Cook meat thoroughly. Even if you’re cooking over the open flame of a barbecue, it’s important to make sure that the meat cooks entirely through. Hamburgers should reach at least 160°F, while poultry should be 180°F or higher.
4. Keep foods cold. If you’re serving potato salad or other dishes with dairy in them, make sure that they stay cold all day long. This means packing them in ice, using a well-insulated cooler, and even keeping them in the air conditioned car during transportation.

Seasonal Food Safety – Selections for Spring and Summer [USDA]
Food Safety for Summertime [MDH]
Picnic Eating and Outdoor Dining [Home Food Safety]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Eric Hossinger

While most cities have their fair share of chain frozen yogurt shops, Austin’s Front Porch Frozen Desserts is a family-owned operation with a whole lot more charm. This stylish shop serves sorbet and frozen yogurt made with real milk and fruit purees and sourced from Honey Hill Farms, and the yogurt is certified to contain live and active cultures. Front Porch also offers more than 90 different topping choices to jazz up your already delicious yogurt, from fresh fruits to syrups and even crushed candy pieces.

The shop itself is just as high quality as its yogurt, featuring walls constructed out of reclaimed wood from all over Texas and tables handcrafted out of reclaimed long leaf pine to create a uniquely modern, rustic look. Front Porch Frozen Desserts does a great job of creating a casual, welcoming atmosphere while still taking the quality of its desserts extremely seriously.

Front Porch Desserts is open noon to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and noon to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday hours are 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Front Porch Frozen Desserts
3107 South IH 35
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 388-6330
www.frontporchrr.com
www.yelp.com/biz/front-porch-frozen-desserts-round-rock

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Joy

The Hey!… You Gonna Eat or What? food truck is one of Austin’s most popular, and that’s saying a lot for a city that almost single-handedly made the food truck en vogue.

This mobile restaurant exclusively serves creative, exceptionally hearty sandwiches and fresh, homemade chips to go with them. Some of the most popular items are the Monte Cristo, which is beer-battered in Shiner Bock beer and topped with ham, turkey, and scratch-made jelly, and the deliciously gooey Smoked Ham and Brie. All of these sandwiches are topped with generous smears of homemade condiments, like jalapeno jelly or honey mustard, and the thick bread is always fresh and delicious. In addition to a menu of constant favorites, the truck offers daily specials that are announced via social media pages in the morning.

Hey!… You Gonna Eat or What? is a food truck, but it has a stationary location on Barton Springs Road in South Austin.

Hey!… You Gonna Eat or What?
1720 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 296-3547
www.heyyougonnaeatorwhat.com
www.yelp.com/biz/hey-you-gonna-eat-or-what-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/jeffreyww